The dust may not yet have settled in Vallnord but the first scalps have been taken on a rough and rowdy qualifying session in Andorra.
Here’s who did what in the first race runs that mattered in Vallnord, Andorra for the fifth round of the 2022 UCI Downhill World Cup.
Junior Women
Canyon Collective FMD’s Phoebe Gale once again takes the qualifying scalp, by a comfy 5.4 seconds over Jenna Hastings who split Gale and her arch nemesis, Gracey Hemstreet, in the dust bowl that is the Vallnord track.
Junior Men
Jackson Goldstone put down a heater to finish qualis 2.6 seconds to the better over Tegan Cruz. Jordan Williams would have to settle for 6th, but there’s no points on offer in Junior qualis, and 6th place was only 3.4 back.
Nathan Pontvianne rounded out the top three.
Elite Women
Cami Balanche once again takes the full 50 points for the qualifying win, but the womens’ field is tight with Nina Hoffman 1.6 back, and your Lenzerheide winner, Myriam Nicole just 0.3 back on the Syndicate rider.
Elite Men
Here come the French… Vergier leads Pierron by 0.3, who leads a back-to-form Bruni by 0.6. Bruni leads his team mate Finn Iles by 0.4.
What’s this though, Aaron Gwin in 5th? The fast, dusty track clearly feeling like home for the American. Greenland and Kerr are the only Brits in the top ten in 8th and 9th respectively.
Top 40 separated by 10 seconds. Madness once again.
