First of all, there are only four numbers. We went a man down on Practice day when Tristan crashed, dislocating his wrist and breaking his scaphoid. Our hearts sank. It was a dream come true for Tristan to be riding a home World Cup, the Quebecois living only four hours away and having visited this famous venue as a young boy. He was absolutely loving the first few runs, and after a fifth place in Vallnord was feeling back towards his best after a tough start to the season. After surgery on Saturday morning, Tristan returned to Mont Sainte Anne to cheer his teammates and soak up the vibe before heading home to heal up. 

The best number of race day went to Thibaut with ninth place. As he summarised, it was “nothing crazy”. Not crazy bad, not crazy fast, just solid. Sometimes executing a smooth and safe race is enough to be satisfied, and sometimes “solid” is not really enough. Thibaut felt somewhere in the middle. A well-managed week of process and progress on a notoriously tough track, no crashes or mechanical issues, and another top ten for a 21-year-old are all really positive outcomes. However, the podium is where Thibaut wants to be and where his abilities certainly allow him to be, so falling short can sting. Motivation and morale are still high, and we’re sure the final piece of the jigsaw will slot into place soon.

It was an unlucky thirteen for Myriam in Mont Sainte Anne. After a crash in Quali, Myriam had picked herself up and found her mojo again on race day morning. Her final practice runs were good and she dropped in feeling fast and confident. The skill, the speed, and the mindset were there, but luck was not. A punctured tyre and then a tyre-less rim quickly derailed any chance of a good result, and the opportunity to take the overall lead also slipped away. It was another cruel blow in a season of setbacks, but Pompon proved once again that she is stronger than the misfortune with high-fives for the crowd and a smile at the finish line. “C’est la vie!”, she said. 

The number fifteen belonged to Hugo. It doesn’t seem anything particularly special at first, but it comes with some real positives. After crashes and mechanicals all year, Hugo was frustrated and disheartened. He is such a talented young rider and he had not been able to show this in his results. For Mont Sainte Anne, he really worked on his approach to Quali and Finals, learning from past mistakes and realigning his mindset. Laying down a clean race run was the big goal, and he achieved it. Mental strength is such a key tool in this game, and we are really proud that Hugo delivered what he set out to do. 

The final result was the highest number and perhaps the lowest moment of the day. Amaury had the chance to tie up the overall World Cup title with one round to go, such was his phenomenal season so far. He was third in Quali and feeling good on track, he just needed to finish in twenty-fourth place or better and the title was his. A safe ride would secure it. But Amaury is not a “safe rider”. He races to win, with his heart on his sleeve and a fire in his belly. This is why he is so loved. . And then He felt he had a chance to win, and he went for it. And then he went down. A few centimetres offline and suddenly he was on the ground. He bounced up and rode like fury to the finish line, but it was not quite enough to clinch the overall. He ended up twenty-sixth. It would be so easy to be full of regret, anger, and disappointment, but on reflection, he is stoked to have been riding so well and to have been true to his racing spirit. 

The final round of the World Cup in Val di Sole is set to be a thriller. Amaury leads the overall by 249 points, and Myriam is still in with a chance to take the title as well. 

Every race, when learned from, is another weapon in the arsenal. We’re full of ammunition and ready to fire for the World Championships and the final World Cup of the season!

The final word from this race should go to an incredible day for Canadian DH, with Finn Iles continuing Stevie Smith’s legacy in superb style. What a sport!