Finals Photo Epic: Snowshoe DH World Cup 2023
Snowshoe never fails to deliver drama as the rough, wild and greasy course brought amazing moments throughout the week with an incredible day of elite racing on Saturday showing just how great downhill racing can be when the world's best are pushing the limits.
Erice Van Leuven backed up a dominant qualifying performance putting together an impeccable finals run to lead the Junior Women by almost six seconds. The World Champ was back on top in Snowshoe as she bested Transition Factory Racing's Taylor Ostgaard and Valentina Roa Sanchez.
It was four wins in a row for Ryan Pinkerton as he not only took a victory on home soil but he also wrapped up the 2023 overall series title. Evan Medcalf ran a close race to Ryan, ending the day 0.327 seconds back in 2nd. Mylann Falquet completed the top three Junior Men, 1.964 seconds off Ryan's pace.
Marine Cabirou secured back-to-back World Cup wins as she pulled ahead of overall standings rival Nina Hoffmann by 0.344 seconds. Vali Höll kept things calm and controlled to go over the line in third place and secure the 2023 overall series champion title. While the series winner has been decided we still have a close fight for second place as Marine Cabirou carries the momentum of two wins into a final showdown with Nina Hoffmann.
Elite men's racing doesn't get much better than this as Oisin O Callaghan secures a wild first elite win by 0.496 seconds producing an incredible moment as the cameras caught his moment of disbelief when he realised he was the winner. Ronan Dunne also laid down an amazing run to create an Ireland one-two finish. Dakotah Norton couldn't quite get a win on home soil but he leaves the seventh round with another top result.
The riders and teams will be quickly packing up the pits as they head off to Mont Sainte Anne for the conclusion of the 2023 series.
Morning scenes from Snowshoe.
Mountain dew for 2024 series sponsorship.
Downhill is alive and well in these parts.
Already well on the turn here, the St Anne colors will be a sight for sore eyes that much further north.
The deep ruts that lay in wait in the final turn out of the woods.
Ryan Pinkerton continuing his formidable form.
Ryan Pinkerton pips fellow American Evan Medcalf to the win on home soil.
Ryan Pinkerton takes the win in front of Evan Medcalf and Mylann Falquet.
Ryan Pinkerton takes his 4th win in a row and with it the overall title.
Erice Van-Leuven with unmatched speed once again in the junior women's race.
Erice Van Leuven, Taylor Ostgaard and Valentina Roa Sanchez make up the junior women's top 3.
A Seagrave silhouette.
Nina Hoffmann getting acquainted with the conditions in morning practice.
Vali Holl diving into the morning light.
Marine Cabirou has been very consistent and even more so as of late. Cool and calm going into morning practice.
Gloria Scarsi is the only Canyon Pirelli rider still standing this season and she did them proud for 5th place.
Gloria Scarsi backs up her podium from Les Gets.
Not the day Monika Hrastnik was looking for.
Hrastnik always in the mix, today riding to 7th.
Gracey Hemstreet on the attack and headed to home soil next weekend.
Sian A'Hern took 9th place.
Tahnee Seagrave in the final moments of her 4th place run.
Tahnee Seagrave charging towards the line and into third. Another good result for her as we head into the final round.
Cabirou in the green with only the final dash to the line ahead of her.
Cabirou elated with only one rider left.
Compulsive viewing for the hotseat.
Vali Holl seemed a cut above the rest here in Snowshoe but had to settle for third in the end.
Vali hit the deck in both qualies and semis and decided to take the conservative route to third place and the 2023 series win.
No sign of disappointment from Holl, signing off on the season a round ahead of time.
Vali Holl crucially takes home the overall with a race to spare.
The fastest ladies of WV.
Cabirou enjoying a quick cool down after bringing the heat this afternoon.
Victory again here in Snowshoe where Marine took a win back in 2019.
That's two for two for Marine Cabirou.
Loris Vergier prepping for the day's work.
Second in qualifying, Laurie Greenland had the pace for something more in Snowshoe.
There was no breaking Dakotah's concentration going into this round.
After qualifying first and taking the semi-final win, Loic Bruni was once again the man to beat.
Matt Walker held on as much as he could, mustering up a top-ten finish.
Matt Walker returning to the top 10.
Jakob Jewett put down a couple impressive times on finals day and slips into 12th.
A big crash for Ollie Davis in his semi-final run.
The US champ patrolling mossy rocks but no podium this time for Luca.
Tenth for Finn Iles. He's almost worked out all the kinks that will bring him back to ultimate speed. The last round is just around the corner.
Finn Iles looking to the leaderboard as he closes his race run.
Hartenstern's had a year of quality results, nestled inside the top 20 of the overall.
Laurie Greenland looked electric on track but would be taken out of the running by a crash.
Consider it tucked. Ethan Craik getting thoroughly aero for 8th.
Troy Brosnan finding the edge of the grip.
Jordan Williams so nearly back to the podium, but still the top Specialized Gravity rider on the day.
Kolb continuing his brilliantly consistent season with 6th.
Goldstone feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
Bernard Kerr has done well here historically and today will be no different.
Kerr takes a lap to thank the crowd on his way to the hot seat.
Top American hope, Norton, almost did the business but had to settle for 3rd.
All eyes were on Dak Norton. He'd take the hot seat on home soil only to be dethroned by two young Irishmen.
Dakotah Norton lunges for the line.
Dakotah Norton happy with his run in front of the home crowd.
Ronan Dunne headed for new career best.
Dunne with the ride of a lifetime and almost snatching the win.
Ronan Dunne has been chipping away at the timesheet for a small while now. He'd come down into first with only a few riders left.
Dunne and dusted. Second place for the other Irishman.
Ronan Dunne laid down a heater that only his compatriot Oisin O'Callaghan could better.
Loris Vergier crosses the line and onto the podium.
Vergier rarely misses the podium and today was no exception.
Oisin O'Callaghan would more than back up his semi-final run.
Oisin O'Callaghan leaning through the trees. What an afternoon he is about to have.
Oisin O'Callaghan has threatened the podium before but never the win.
Oisin through the line..
..and into first with only one man left in the start gate.
Team Ireland start what is presumably a very long night of celebrations.
Ireland 1 - 2.
Disbelief.
A battered Bruni ambles down the line.
All or nothing for Bruni here today.
Oisin and a peakless Loic meet in the finish bowl after Bruni went down hard in the rocks.
Loic Bruni is consoled after his race run crash. Thankfully he didn't pick up any injury and heads to MSA with the leader's jersey.
Dak doing the stars and stripes proud once again.
Your top five Elite Men here in Snowshoe - Oisin O'Callaghan, Ronan Dunne, Dakotah Norton, Loris Vergier, and Bernard Kerr.
A simply unreal run for the young Irishman ahead of a big 'return' to the World Cup for YT next year.
What a day for Oisin O'Callaghan.
Soul food... well, drink.
Norton and Kerr helping victory sink in.
We won't forget this epic autumn visit out to the misty mountains of WV.
The sun sets on another day of racing in Snowshoe, next up is the cross country.
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Must Read This Week
I’ve been following professional mountain biking since the 1990s and this was my first time ever attending a World Cup event. The riders were so accessible and engaging. Andres Kolb let my seven year old play with his bike and showed her around the pits. Wyn Masters is just like you’d expect him to be. I was really impressed with all the riders we met. Plus I met Missy Giove and had a beer with her, so that was pretty awesome.
Edit: I am somewhat confused by the caption underneath Ronan’s photo though. Wdym by “Second place for the other Irishman.”?
"...ahead of a big 'return' to the World Cup for YT next year." what are we hinting at here? moimoi back at DH races or valentina höll back on YT?
#motobarguy