Matti Lehikoinen Champion! Champery, CH UCI World Cup DH 2007
Sunday, June 10th, 2007
The Champery race has proved to be another great and eventful World Cup race. Champery proved that the game is chess and not checkers. Matti Lehikoinen used his head and stopped for a bit during his qualifying run so that during his race run, he would go down earlier (and have a better chance at a clean run without inclement weather).
Matti’s strategy paid off and while he still won, yet again WC #2 proved to be a game of what ifs and light stealing off of the victor once again. Sam Hill pinned his qualifying run and won the #1 qualifying seat. Perhaps to encourage faster qualifying runs, cash prizes/time bonus’ (somewhat like road primes) could be introduced in addition the point rewards to add an extra incentive for the racers to try and hit that #1 spot a bit harder. Put that aside though, Sam Hill pounds his way down the hill in stellar fashion (including a crash) to pull a 3rd place in the absolute worst conditions and pulls in by only .03 seconds behind 2nd place Steve Peat, and only 1.6seconds off Matti’s winning time! Definitly an epic run for the books.
It’s too bad even playing fields haven’t been very successful this year with the weather in UCI DH world Cup’s to see who really is the best, but it’s all part of racing. As much as we all love Sam Hill, sadly this won’t be known as the day Matti Lehikoinen played the game of chess and not checkers.
Sam Hill relishing the mud (frontlinemag)
Matti’s interview at frontlinemag as he talks about his strategical qualifying strategy in making sure he qualified towards the back of the pack so that he would run down the hill first. Matti’s strategy proved stellar for him today, more stories I’m sure to come in the coming world cups!
Pro Men
1. Matti Lehikoinen (FIN) Honda G Cross 4:10.21
2. Steve Peat (GBR) Santa Cruz Syndicate 4:11.81
3. Sam Hill (AUS) Monster Iron Horse 4:11.84
4. Fabien Barel (FRA) Kona Les Gets 4:14.91
5. Mick Hannah (AUS) Cannondale the cut 4:21.52
6. Adam Brayton (GBR) 4:22.15
7. Josh Bryceland (GBR) 4:22.95
8. Marcus Klausmann (GER) 4:23.09
9. Adam Wagner (CZE) 4:23.95
10. Remi Thirion (FRA) 4:25.61
Pro Women
1. Marielle Saner (SUI) Bikepark.ch 4:59.22
2. Emmiline Ragot (FRA) 5:01.59
3. Sabrina Jonnier (FRA) 5:02.08
4. Mio Suemesa (JPN) Intense 5:13.80
5. Tracey Hannah (AUS) Orange 5:16.89
6. Helen Gaskell (GBR) 5:17.71
7. Tracy Moseley (GBR) Kona Les Gets 5:22.51
8. Scarlett Hagen (NZL) GT 5:28.02
9. Floriane Pugin (FRA) 5:31.50
10. Fionn Griffiths (GBR) 5:39.57
Full Results here
Overall world cup standings:
1 3 GBR19740617 PEAT Steve SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE 175 160 335
2 5 AUS19850721 HILL Samuel IRON HORSE / MONSTER ENERGY 127 190 317
3 12 FIN19840419 LEHIKOINEN Matti TEAM G-CROSS HONDA 71 200 271
4 6 AUS19831121 HANNAH Michael CANNONDALE THE CUT 115 110 225
5 2 GBR19840925 BEAUMONT Marc TEAM MBUK SANTACRUZ 200 10 21
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