Thibaut Dapréla Dominates in the Men’s Downhill Mountain Biking World Cup at Vallnord

Andorra was French this Saturday! For this fourth stage of the men’s downhill mountain biking world cup in Vallnord, fifteen participants out of sixty-one downhillers defended France. At the heart of a race that was gradually made difficult by the onset of rain, Thibaut Dapréla managed to achieve the reference time of 2’46″455.

For his second victory in Elite, the rider from the Commençal Muc Off team beat the South African Greg Minaar and the Canadian Finn Iles completes the podium. The trio, who passed before the rain arrived, took advantage of favorable weather conditions to mark the spirits in the Pyrenees. For Loïc Bruni, best qualifying time, it is finally a twenty-second place. That said, the essential is preserved since his main opponent, the Canadian Jackson Goldstone, also suffered from the degradation of the track.

“I really did a good run”: Dapréla savors his success at Vallnord

After the rain, the good weather. At the heart of the Vallnord Pal-Arinsal resort, the Frenchman was not expected as one of the favorites for the final victory. And for good reason: his last World Cup victory dates back to July 2021 in Les Gets. But thanks to a high-quality race and the arrival of rain for the second salvo of the riders in contention, the mountain biker from Peymeinade finally offered himself a deserved success. Dynamic in the upper part of the course, the Maralpin successfully passed the forests and scree without losing pace. Arms raised after crossing the finish line, he thought he had scored points against the competition. To the point of winning the event and pocketing the 250 points for the winner? It is in any case his performance of the day.

Iles takes the lead in the general classification

After having relegated the time of the ghost Greg Minaar behind his, Dapréla waited long minutes from the virtual podium before being able to exult. Just behind his passage, the Habs saw Finn Iles hurtle down the Pyrenean slopes at a speed close to his own. But the Canadian, second overall with 464 points, was only able to climb to provisional third place with an honorable time (+2″316). Without knowing it, the following competitors will no longer disrupt the pre-established hierarchy in this race. The reason? Heavy rain, making the ground too malleable and the rocks slippery. Result of the races: the three headliners Jackson Goldstone, Loris Vergier and Loïc Bruni remained cautious to avoid injury in this decisive round and did not score any points for the general classification, an outcome that suits Iles, who are now leading the World Cup with 969 points ahead of Goldstone (816) and… Dapréla (807).

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2023-08-26 16:39:00
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