"I really have been working towards this my whole life"
Val Di Sole always seems to be the catalyst for drama and this year was no different. After a mostly dry practice, the heavens opened for qualifying providing the world’s best riders a genuine challenge on just getting the down the hill in one piece. The sun would come out for finals, setting the backdrop for another nail biting World Cup race!
The weekend was looking good for Tracey Hannah after qualifying first, but a few small mistakes come finals dropped her back to second spot.
All season long Marine Cabirou has been close to the win but finally in Val Di Sole, things came together! The Scott Factory Racing rider was one of four riders to grab their first World Cup win in Val Di Sole, a first time stat in the sport’s history.
10th place is a bit of an anomaly for Troy Brosnan after being in the top four all year long. Still in contention for the overall with two rounds to go, look for Brosnan to come out swinging in Switzerland!
Greg Minnaar looked to be on for a great result in Val Di Sole, going fast right from the get go! As the green splits continued to flash up on screen things were looking good for the Santa Cruz Syndicate rider, but a small crash derailed his chances of a podium or even more! 7th place with a crash is still remarkable in this year’s field, and with Lenzerheide just a few days away, we can expect something great there!
What could have been! Danny Hart was up at the splits and looked to be on for a storm performance but a rear flat slowed down his efforts as he left the final woods! By some miracle he managed to hold on to finish in 5th, and will certainly be fired up the remaining races of this epic ’19 season!
With a strong run in the Valley of the Sun, Loris Vergier now has an impressive 3-podium streak going. After a few early season crashes, Vergier seems to be adapting to every track and condition, and can never be counted out as a threat for the win.
With a mid qualifying thunder storm and an already difficult track, Val Di Sole was the kind of weekend that could have proved problematic for a points leader. But not for Loic Bruni, surviving qualifying with no major issues, finishing an impressive second place in the race, and extending his points lead with two rounds to go.
Laurie Greenland has been chasing the dream of winning a World Cup since he was just seven years old. In Val Di Sole, a track that has been good to him in the past, his life’s work came to fruition, putting down an impressive run to win by nearly 3 seconds! Add Greenland to your list of World Champs contenders..
Photos: Sven Martin
