Mont Saint Anne was a dry and dusty track this year. But the rain overnight on Friday and also on Saturday afternoon dampened down the dust and improved conditions.
First up was reigning World Champion and current World Cup leader Emmeline Ragot. Ragot rode well on the upper sections of the course but smashed and bent her chain guide and found herself without a chain for the final 40 seconds of the track. Despite the mechanical she managed the fastest time by a huge 6.3 seconds setting a tough time to beat. Second fastest qualifier Myriam Nicole rode next. 1.8 seconds slower at split one. Myriam dug deep on the middle sector to pull a second back sneaking in front of Ragot on her final charge to the line with a time of 4.51:811.
Only Atherton was left on track. Interval one was good, 3.6 seconds up on Nicole. Rachel seemed to tire through the middle sector dropping over a second but kept her cool on the lower section to boost the last jump and dive for the line 1.8 up on Nicole.
The youngest of the Atherton siblings made her intentions clear in Friday’s qualifying run when she flew down the rough and technical Mt St Anne track a good 4 seconds ahead of French pair Myriam Nicole and Emmeline Ragot.
