Jonnier Takes Series Title, Moseley Wins Final Race

Sabrina Jonnier had already clinched the 2009 Downhill World Cup Series title by winning six of the eight races during the season. However, she was looking for a win in Schladming as redemption for an awful race at the World Championships. She had to settle for 4th in the final World Cup race of the season, though, as Tracy Moseley took her second World Cup win of the season. For full Word Cup Series standings, visit UCI.ch.

Schladming Results
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Florian Pugin
3. Celine Gros
4. Sabrina Jonnier
5. Mio Suemasa
6. Petra Bernhard
7. Emmeline Ragot
8. Claire Buchar
9. Miriam Ruchti
10. Anita Ager-Wick
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anais Pajot
13. Katy Curd
14. Harriet Rucknagel
15. Jessica Stone
16. Caroline Sax
17. Helen Gaskell
18. Nicole Beege
19. Darian Harvey

Beerten Takes World Cup Mountaincross Series Title

Anneke Beerten took the 4X win at Schladming, Austria yesterday, solidifying her title as 2009 World Cup Series Champion. And, Anneke has dominated the series for 3 years in a row! Jill Kintner crashed early on, and was not a threat to the win--she finished third in the overall standings.

Race Results
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Anita Molcik
3. Katy Curd
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Romana Labounkova
6. Emmeline Ragot
7. Rachel Seydoux
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
10. Eva Castro Fernandez
11. Tereza Votavova
12. Neven Steinmetz
13. Laura Brethauer
14. Stephanie Teltscher
15. Neza Knez
16. Jill Kintner

Final World Cup Standings
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Jill Kintner
4. Melissa Buhl
(more to come soon!)

DH and 4X Qualifying at the World Cup Finals

The last races of the 2009 World Cup season are this weekend. Qualifying was held today in Schladming, Austria.

Jill Kintner leads the 4X field going into tomorrow's finals. Current series leader Anneke Beerten needs to finish at least 5th tomorrow to take home the series title. Fionn Griffiths and Jill are her closest threats, and Fionn isn't racing 4X this weekend.

In downhill, the French Force is back on top, with Floriane Pugin clocking the fastest time in qualifying, followed by Sabrina Jonnier and the newly-crowned World Champion Emmeline Ragot. Sabrina will be looking to redeem herself after a crash and flat in Australia, but she has the series title in the bag, having one 6 out of 7 World Cup races this season. Emmeline and Tracy Moseley will be vying for 2nd place.

4X
1. Jill Kintner
2. Anita Molcik
3. Anneke Beerten
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Romana Labounkova
7. Lucia Oetjen
8. Katy Curd
9. Rachel Seydoux
10. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
11. Eva Castro Fernandez
12. Tereza Votavova
13. Laura Brethauer
14. Stephanie Teltscher
15. Neza Knez
16. Neven Steinmetz
17. Federica Perardi
18. Lea Schleifenbaum

Downhill
1. Florian Pugin
2. Sabrina Jonnier
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Celine Gros
6. Petra Bernhard
7. Tracy Moseley
8. Fionn Griffiths
9. Harriet Rucknagel
10. Anita Molcik
11. Claire Buchar
12. Miriam Rutchi
13. Anita Ager-Wick
14. Katy Curd
15. Anais Pajot
16. Helen Gaskell
17. Darian Harvey
18. Caroline Sax
19. Jessica Stone
20. Nicole Beege
21. Emily Horridge
22. Elisa Canepa
23. Alia Marcellini
24. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
25. Fanny Lombard
26. Sophie Borderes
27. Carina Cappellari
28. Sandra Rubesam
29. Sarah Newman
30. Leoni Caroline Dickerhoff
31. Federica Perardi
32. Kristina Kodrnja
33. Kerry Wrigglesworth

For more info, visit CyclingNews.com.

Bromont World Cup Results

Now that we can all watch the World Cup action on Freecaster, it's much easier to make sense of the results we see online. You can tell who bobbled, who flatted, and who made up 5 seconds in the lower woods. But you still don't get a sense of what's really going on as a racer. One of the riders who's been sending out phenomenal race reports all year is Joanna Petterson. Last weekend at Mont Sainte Anne, she had one of her best World Cup finishes yet, taking 3rd in 4X. This weekend, she experienced some ups and downs, but we'll let her tell you all about it. You can learn more about Joanna from her blog: JoannaPetterson.blogspot.com:

Downhill is what we do. But from the get-go this weekend, I hadn’t expected it to go as far downhill as it did--and then make a complete u-turn.

I was having a great week at practice. At times I was feeling really good on the downhill track and pretty confident in my ability to qualify this week. The track was dry when we inspected it and by the morning of practice it had completely changed with the downpours that ensued. But
that’s racing… rain or shine I try to face the day with every intention of riding to the best of my abilities and beyond.

One spill in practice and I was feeling focused for qualifying. I had a pretty good run but after last weekend, I was definitely a little cautious, which I couldn’t afford when I hit a rock and my chain came off my chainring. Luckily I was able to spin it back on just in time and made it into finals.

Racing Saturday morning was met with sunny, beautiful skies. And the track was drying out again, except for a few sections that got so soaked they wouldn’t dry out soon. The Bromont course is a very rocky track, and the one particularly fast rocky section that I felt very confident in was my quite literally my downfall during my race run. I was seen by many on Freecaster.tv,
spinning and sliding out of control down the rocky face. I lost my goggles (which someone was kind enough to return) and managed to turn my bars so far sideways I had to stop and fix them after getting out of the rock section. I lost so much time in the process I finished last, much to my disappointment.

I couldn’t believe it.

I took my frustration and decided to let go of expectations and just ride my bike. Mountaincross remained for the day’s competition and I needed a little redemption. I was asked during practice what I wanted from the day and I answered honestly, "To have fun riding my bike." And that’s what followed. My first heat was challenging with Mio Suemasa, Anneke Beerten, and Neven Steinmetz in the gate along side me. I came across the line in second to Anneke and was into the round of eight. In a dramatic second heat, I battled for 2nd and came out on top. I was into the finals for the second time in 2 weeks.

I was up against the same three women in the final as I was last weekend in Mont Ste Anne. It was Jill Kinter, Anneke Beerten, Fionn Griffiths and myself lined up for the start.

I had a pretty good start from lane 4 and held my line, managed to get past Anneke and Fionn for a brief moment when Fionn shot in front on an inside line and took first. It was a great race and I finish 4th. I also walked away with the pride of knowing I was one of the only women to
attempt the pro line of challenging doubles. That was one of the highlights for me.

This week I am in Vermont for the Mount Snow Mountain Bike Festival. Looks like it’s going to be a busy weekend! Thanks again to everyone for the support and mostly, for believing in me.

--Jojo

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Florian Pugin
3. Mio Suemasa
4. Tracy Moseley
5. Celine Gros
6. Micayla Gatto
7. Claire Buchar
8. Emmeline Ragot
9. Emilie Siegenthaler
10. Kathy Pruitt
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anais Pujot
13. Fionn Griffiths
14. Melissa Buhl
15. Danice Uyesugi
16. Petra Bernhard
17. Darian Harvey
18. Amy Laird
19. Gabrielle Malloy
20. Anne Laplante
21. Joanna Petterson

4X
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Jill Kintner
4. Joanna Petterson
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Sharsha Huntington
7. Eva Castro Fernandez
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Mio Suemasa
10. Angelika Hohenwarter
11. Anita Molcik
12. Anne Laplante
13. Neven Steinmetz
14. Leanna Gerrard

MSA Mountaincross Results

The World Cup 4X race took place today at Mont Sainte Anne, Canada. Anneke Beerten held her lead from qualifying to take the win. Jill Kintner was plagued by crashes and finished 4th. Anneke's win today gives her the overall lead in the series. The next World Cup races will be held next weekend in Bromont, Canada.

4X
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Joanna Petterson
4. Jill Kintner
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Anita Molcik
7. Sarsha Huntington
8. Mio Suemasa
9. Lucia Oetjen
10. Eva Castro Fernandez
11. Neven Steinmetz
12. Anne Laplante

Mont Sainte Anne World Cup Results

Sabrina Jonnier took another World Cup downhill win at Mont Sainte Anne, Canada this weekend, and furthered her overall lead in the series. This race is her fifth World Cup downhill win in a row. The 4X finals are today, and Jill Kintner will be chasing Anneke Beerten for the #1 spot.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Celine Gros
5. Floriane Pugin
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Melissa Buhl
8. Emilie Siegenthaler
9. Anita Molcik
10. Fionn Griffiths
11. Micayla Gatto
12. Kathy Pruitt
13. Claire Buchar
14. Petra Bernhard
15. Danice Uyesugi
16. Anais Pajot
17. Rebecca McQueen
18. Jessica Stone
19. Darian Harvey
20. Gabrielle Molloy

Maribor World Cup Results

Sabrina Jonnier continues her mid-season reign of the World Cup downhill series. Tracy Moseley's stellar start to the season seems to have fizzled as the French ladies continue to dominate the podium. Sabrina barely bested fellow countrywoman Emmeline Ragot for the win in Maribor, Slovenia. In 4X, Caroline Buchanan took the second World Cup win of her career, and her first World Cup win of the season. She prevailed over one of the the toughest final rounds of the season, as it included Anneke Beerten, Melissa Buhl and Jill Kintner.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Floriane Pugin
4. Celine Gros
5. Mio Suemasa
6. Myriam Nicole
7. Emilie Siegenthaler
8. Fionn Griffiths
9. Tracy Moseley
10. Claire Buchar
10. Miriam Ruchti
12. Anita Molcik
13. Joanna Petterson
14. Petra Bernhard
15. Melissa Buhl
16. Caroline Sax
17. Fanny Lombard
18. Emma Atkinson
19. Sophie Borderes

4X
1. Caroline Buchanan
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Anneke Beerten
4. Jill Kintner
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Jana Horakova
7. Mio Suemasa
8. Diana Marggraff
9. Anita Molcik
10. Fionn Griffiths
11. Joanna Petterson
12. Eva Castro Fernandez
13. Katy Curd
14. Lucia Oetjen
15. Rachel Seydoux
16. Tereza Votavova

Ft. William World Cup Results

The French women ruled the downhill podium at the Ft. William, Scotland World Cup this weekend. Sabrina Jonnier took her third win in a row, and extended her series points lead over Great Britain's Tracy Moseley. Sabrina finished 8 seconds ahead of second-place rider Emmeline Ragot.

In 4X, Jill Kintner returned to her winning ways. Both she and Melissa Buhl made their way to the final round, where Jill dominated the entire race. Anneke Beerten didn't make the final, and gave up the series points lead to Jill.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Celine Gros
4. Floriane Pugin
5. Myriam Nicole
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Tracy Moseley
8. Claire Buchar
9. Micayla Gatto
10. Emilie Siegenthaler
11. Melissa Buhl
12. Fionn Griffiths
13. Anita Molcik
14. Katy Curd
15. Miriam Ruchti
16. Joanna Petterson
17. Harriet Rucknagel
18. Sarah Newman
19. Sophie Borderes
20. Jessica Stone

4X
1. Jill Kintner
2. Caroline Buchanan
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Melissa Buhl
5. Anneke Beerten
6. Jana Horakova
7. Anita Molcik
8. Mio Suemasa

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

Vallnord World Cup Results

The third downhill and 4X races in the World Cup series were held at Vallnord, Andorra this weekend. Sabrina Jonnier took her second downhill win in a row, which also gives her the lead in the series. In 4X, Jill Kintner and Jana Horakova took each other out in a corner, giving Fionn Griffiths a clear path to victory. She held off Anneke Beerten for the win. Anneke maintains her lead in the series. The next World Cup 4X and downhill races will be held at Ft. William, Scotland on June 6-7.

Downhill
1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Celine Gros
5. Myriam Nicole
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Florian Pugin
8. Melissa Buhl
9. Fionn Griffiths
10. Anais Pajot
11. Emilie Siegenthaler
12. Katy Curd
13. Micayla Gatto
14. Petra Bernhard
15. Miranda Miller
16. Diana Marggraff
17. Claire Buchar
18. Anita Molcik
19. Jessica Stone

4X
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Jana Horakova
4. Jill Kintner
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Melissa Buhl
7. Caroline Buchanan
8. Rachel Seydoux
9. Joanna Petterson
10. Mio Suemasa
11. Diana Marggraff
12. Angelika Hohenwarter
13. Lucia Oetjen
14. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
15. Eva Castro Fernandez
16. Neven Steinmetz
17. Anita Molcik
18. Sarsha Huntington
19. Steffi Marth
20. Katarina Tothova
21. Esther Leroy
22. Tereza Votavova
23. Maria Sanchez Veliz
24. Romana Labounkova

Jonnier Wins at La Bresse

Sabrina Jonnier returned to the top of the podium at the second World Cup downhill race of the season. This weekend's race in La Bresse, FRA saw Sabrina best current World Cup points leader Tracy Moseley by 5 seconds. Tracy has been consisently winning races this season, but Sabrina was on her home soil and proved that she's still very much in the game. The next World Cup race will be held in Vallnord, Andorra next weekend and will be the third stop for both downhill and mountaincross.

1. Sabrina Jonnier
2. Tracy Moseley
3. Myriam Nicole
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Celine Gros
7. Fionn Griffiths
8. Melissa Buhl
9. Floriane Pugin
10. Emilie Siegenthaler
11. Petra Bernhard
12. Miriam Ruchti
13. Joanna Petterson
14. Diana Marggraff
15. Helen Gaskell
16. Anita Molcik
17. Jessica Stone
18. Antje Kramer
19. Micayla Gatto
20. Caroline Sax

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

Houffalize 4X World Cup Results

Jill Kintner won the World Cup 4X race in Houffalize, Belgium, after maintaining the lead in the final for nearly the entire race. Second-place rider Jana Horakova tried to chase her down, but was unsuccessful. Anneke Beerten came in 3rd, but keeps her lead in the World Cup 4X series.

1. Jill Kintner
2. Jana Horakova
3. Anneke Beerten
4. Romana Labounkova
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Anita Molcik
7. Emmeline Ragot
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Diana Marggraff
10. Joanna Petterson
11. Fionn Griffiths
12. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
13. Mio Suemasa
14. Katarina Tothova
15. Steffi Marth
16. Rachel Seydoux
17. Sarsha Huntington
18. Angelika Hohenwarter
19. Marielle Jonker
20. Eva Castro Fernandez
21. Tereza Votavova
22. Elfriede Lehmann
23. Stephanie Teltscher
24. Neza Knez

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

Houffalize 4X World Cup Qualifying

The second round of World Cup 4X this season is underway in Houffalize, Belgium. There is only cross country and mountaincross racing in Belgium this weekend. The only gravity participants from the US are Jill Kintner and Melissa Buhl, and they're killing it in a field that stacked with talent. Jill qualified first over Anneke Beerten, and Melissa qualified 5th. The finals will be held later today.

1. Jill Kintner
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Romana Labounkova
4. Jana Horakova
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Emmeline Ragot
7. Anita Molcik
8. Lucia Oetjen
9. Diana Marggraff
10. Joanna Petterson
11. Mio Suemasa
12. Fionn Griffiths
13. Rachel Seydoux
14. Sarsha Huntington
15. Katarina Tothova
16. Angelika Hohenwarter
17. Steffi Marth
18. Marielle Jonker
19. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
20. Neza Knez
21. Eva Castro Fernandez
22. Tereza Votavova
23. Elfriede Lehmann
24. Stephanie Teltscher

World Cup 4X and Downhill Results

Anneke Beerten dominated the 4X finals for the win on Saturday night. Jill Kintner had qualified first, but didn't make it into the big final for a chance to race Anneke, who won all of her heats on her way to the top of the podium.

On Sunday, Tracy Moseley won the downhill by 6 seconds over Emmeline Ragot. Tracy's first World Cup win of the season also fell on her 30th birthday. The next round World Cup racing will be a 4X event held in Houffalize, Belgium on May 2-3.

4X
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Romana Labounkova
4. Jana Horakova
5. Jill Kintner
6. Emmeline Ragot
7. Melissa Buhl
8. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth

Downhill
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Sabrina Jonnier
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Claire Buchar
6. Floriane Pugin
7. Melissa Buhl
8. Myriam Nicole
9. Joanna Petterson
10. Emilie Siegenthaler
11. Helen Gaskell
12. Sarah Newman
13. Anka Martin
14. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
15. Elisa Canepa
16. Risa Suseanty
17. Victoria Phillips

Kintner Qualifies First in South Africa

Jill Kintner was the top 4X qualifier yesterday as she returned to World Cup circuit after winning her Olympic bronze last summer. She bested Anneke Beerten by nearly a half a second. 4X finals will be held later today in South Africa. And here's a fun fact: Jill and Melissa Buhl are the only US representatives in 4X at this World Cup--there are no US men racing.

1. Jill Kintner
2. Anneke Beerten
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Romana Labounkova
5. Jana Horakova
6. Emmiline Ragot
7. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
8. Melissa Buhl
9. Joanna Petterson

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

South African World Cup Downhill Qualifying

I just found some qualifying results on CyclingNews.com from the first World Cup downhill race of the season. Tracy Moseley continues to ride strong, taking the top qualifying spot. Rachel Atherton won't be racing, as her shoulder is still recovering from the collision she had with a car while training in the off season.

1. Tracy Moseley
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Claire Buchar
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Floriane Pugin
6. Myriam Nicole
7. Melissa Buhl
8. Sabrina Jonnier
9. Joann Petterson
10. Emilie Siegenthaler
11. Anka Martin
12. Helen Gaskell
13. Elisa Canepa
14. Sarah Newman
15. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
16. Risa Suseanty
17. Maria Michalogiannaki
18. Victoria Phillips

From BC to Italy in One Year

Ello Mate! I am one plane down, two to go, on my way from Vancouver to Sydney Australia. It's a long day of plane hopping, but I’m not complaining! The funny thing is that it was blue skies and sunny when I left Van this morning, and apparently it’s raining in Sydney now (and for the next week). That seems a bit backwards, but I guess that’s how they do things Down Under. It doesn’t really bother me too much though, because I am certain that the hot sun isn’t far behind the rain clouds, and a warm rain is much more comfortable than a freezing one!

This trip was a spontaneous one--I had more or less accepted the fact that it was going to be a dark, wet Vancouver winter for me, and had started writing several Blogs, most of them about riding in the rain. The off-season (for racing) has flown by. If I wasn’t working on sponsorship stuff (trying to sort out this coming race season), I was working, training, eating or sleeping. Weeks can disappear pretty fast that way! Then along came an opportunity for me to go to Australia to combine a bit of warm weather training/riding with visiting some friends, and I decided it was too good to pass up.

Now I have a bit more “me” time, I’d like to share a bit about my last couple years of racing because they kind of took me by surprise, because I enjoy talking about racing, and because I learned a couple of things along the way that others may find useful to know as well.

My first year of DH racing was 2007. I started riding bikes in 2001 and had worked through my share of broken bones and bruises, so by this time I had at least figured out how to stay upright more often than not--that in itself can be quite an accomplishment! I had always told myself I would never race. I just wanted to ride because it was my passion and not get caught up in the racing scene. I thought riding would become too serious then and all the fun would disappear. But after several years of riding I was curious… how would I do if I raced?

So, I entered my first race of the season, a fun little course on the Sunshine Coast of BC called the Rat Race. I had no expectations of myself and no idea of any racing technique or strategy (finding lines, learning the course, etc.). All I knew was that I had to pedal as hard as I could and try not to crash! I doubt I had any grace at all coming down the course but I gave it my all, finished first in my category (novice), and had a time that would’ve put me in 3rd place in the pro/elite category! I spent the rest of the day on cloud nine, while also coughing up a lung from overexerting myself. I was hooked.

That year I entered every single race I could--13 in total. It made for a very busy summer, but I was determined to get as much racing experience as I could. I highly recommend doing this, and also getting the support of a local shop if possible. Fortunately for me James, owner of Obsession Bikes in North Vancouver, took me on their team even though I’d never raced before. He even sat me down and gave me my first (of many) pep talks to get my brain in the game and start thinking about what my goals and expectations were for the season. I think it’s very important to develop a good working relationship with your bike shop. If you’re anything like me, bike maintenance requirements go way up as soon as you start racing! And remember, a clean bike = a happy bike (and happy bike mechanics).

I also talked to friends who had raced before and others who were still racing, and picked their brains about how learning courses, line choices, bike setup, proper riding stance, cornering, what to eat…. You think you know how to ride a bike, and then you start racing. It’s a completely different world of riding, but it’s fantastic! You start pushing yourself a little harder and actually thinking about your riding, like what you’re doing that you shouldn’t be and vice versa, and discovering what you’re actually capable of! It’s when you start to see changes in your riding that it gets really exciting. Suddenly you realize you’re doing that drop or gap jump that you used to think only crazy people did. Or maybe racing has brought out the crazy in me.

I managed to podium in almost every single race I entered in 2007. I walked away as the Provincial Points Champion in the Senior Women’s Category, and was allowed to enter the Pro/Elite category for 2008. I was actually quite nervous about that, and had no idea what to expect of myself in relation to all those other fast girls. It’s nice standing on the podium, but there’s nothing like some healthy competition to make you really push your limits. I don’t know if it was me trying to be realistic or me doubting myself, but I figured my days of winning were over for a couple of years until I worked my way up to podium status again. When you don’t know how you stack up in comparison to others, you need to focus on personal goals and steer clear of obsessing about results. My goals for 2008 were to get out there and have fun, keep my feet on my pedals, and try and learn something from every race. If I did that, I would be happy no matter where I placed.

I hadn’t really done any specific training over the winter leading up to the 2008 season (I tried, but with no real program or plan, my gym routine quickly got boring). But I had ridden a lot, and that was enough to get me a 2nd and a 1st place at my first two Canada Cups out in Quebec. I was blown away, and even more so when I found out that being the Points Leader in my category qualified me to be on the Canadian National Team and go to the World Championships in Italy! Now this is when I had to pinch myself--I was going to Italy to ride my bike! Whose life am I living anyway? Just look where riding a bike can take you!

Going from beginner to the World Champs in a year is a kind of a big step. I loved riding, and I loved racing, but I definitely felt a little out of place amongst the big names of the sport. At this point I still placed them on a pedestal, and that was a mistake. Everyone out there breathes the same air, rides the same course, and has the same chance at winning as the next person. I had to start thinking like I was a force to be reckoned with. I didn’t know what they could do, but I knew what I could do, and even more than that, I knew that I could do it with a bigger smile on my face than anyone.

As my friend and mental head-shaker James from Obsession keeps telling me, it’s not about what you can’t control, it’s about what you can. You need to turn as many of the unknowns as you can into "knowns," focus on them, and ignore the rest. The World Championship track was by far the hardest course I’d ever ridden, but I knew I could do it… even though I hadn’t had a single clean run during the entire week of practicing! I spent the entire morning of race day sitting in a corner visualizing myself cleaning the course… over and over and over. Race time came. I was calm and ready, and I cleaned it! I honestly didn’t care how I placed, I was so happy with my run!

The 2009 season is yet to start, and here I am again wondering what the year will bring. I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this season, both in terms of seeking sponsor support and actual physical training. I highly suggest talking with a professional and getting a workout program written up. I’m training at a facility called Level 10 Fitness right now and it’s much more effective and efficient than doing it on my own. There are the usual unknowns going into this season, but instead of feeling nervous about them I’m excited. Whatever happens, I’m going to do my best to make the most of it! I have my goals set for this year, including the same ones I had 2 years ago: to have fun and to keep my tootsies on my pedals! I’ve also started a little racing journal where I jot down the important information I’ve learned and bike setup notes.

Racing has taught me many valuable life lessons, but in a nutshell I’d have to agree with a couple of little critters: although it’s not easy being green (sing it Kermit!), “when your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme” (Jiminy Cricket).

Tracy Moseley Signs with Trek

Tracy Moseley is officially off of Kona and onto Trek!

Here's a blurb from the press release on Trek's website:

Today the speculation on the six-rider line up for the new Trek-sponsored World Cup program reaches a conclusion with the announcement that 29-year old Tracy Moseley from the UK has signed up to ride a Session 88 in 2009.

Tracy is one of the greatest downhillers in the sport's history and has a place in a very exclusive club of only five downhill riders, male or female, to have won 10 or more World Cup races in their career. Tracy has won her 10 World Cup races between 2002 and 2008, with two of those victories taking place in the past season at the Fort William and Canberra rounds.

Tracy joins World #5 Justin Leov (NZL) and South African Andrew Neethling, as well as XC teammates Lukas and Mathias Flueckiger (SUI), and fellow countryman (and near neighbor), Liam Killeen.

On the announcement, Tracy said today: "I am really excited to have this great opportunity to ride on a new exciting bike from 2009, and with a great team around me to give me all the support I'll need to further improve. I'm also really happy to have two great guys to ride with as I believe that is really important for my ongoing development as a racer. These three things combined, the new bike, the team support and my teammates, will make a big difference to me."

Click here to read the entire press release on Trek's site.

World Cup Mountaincross Final Standings

Anneke Beerten took the 2008 World Cup mountaincross title with more than double the points of second-place rider Anita Molcik. The USA's Melissa Buhl, who is the current World Champion in mountaincross, was the top-ranked North American in 5th.

World Cup Mountaincross Final Standings
1. Anneka Beerten
2. Anita Molcik
3. Mio Suemasa
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Caroline Buchanan
7. Jana Horakova
8. Romana Labounkova
9. Angelika Hohenwarter
10. Rachel Seydoux
11. Julie Boer
12. Lucia Oetjen
13. Diana Marggraff
14. Eva Castra Fernandez
15. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
16. Katarina Tothova
17. Emmeline Ragot
18. Neven Steinmetz
19. Sarsha Huntington

We found these results on CyclingNews.com.

World Cup Downhill Final Standings

Rachel Atherton took the overall 2008 World Cup downhill title by a hefty margin. What you hear less about is that there is also a 2008 World Cup Junior downhill title too. That honor went to France's Myriam Nicole, who was also ranked 10th overall in the seniors. The riders with *s by their names are all juniors. Pretty impressive! Canadian Claire Buchar was the top-ranked North American in 8th place.

Final World Cup Downhill Standings
1. Rachel Atherton
2. Sabrina Jonnier
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Emmeline Ragot
5. Florian Pugin
6. Fionn Griffiths
7. Mio Suemasa
8. Claire Buchar
9. Anita Molcik
10. Myriam Nicole *
11. Celine Gros
12. Helen Gaskell
13. Micayla Gatto
14. Diana Marggraff
15. Emilie Siegenthaler
16. Petra Bernhard
17. Scarlett Hagen
18. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
19. Miriam Ruchti
20. Melissa Buhl
21. Kathleen Pruitt
22. Elisa Canepa
23. Amy Laird
24. Katy Curd
25. Danice Uyesugi
26. Harriet Harper
27. Joanna Petterson
28. Anais Pajot *
29. Birgit Brauman
30. Dalma Kiss
31. Sheryl MacLeod
32. Caroline Buchanan *
33. Melanie Pugin *
34. Katrina Strand
35. Claire Whiteman
36. Miranda Miller *
37. Harriet Rucknagel
38. Leigh Douglas
39. Cara Smith
40. Amber Zirnhelt
41. Sheila Morris
42. Silja Stadler
43. Joanne Fox
44. Marie-Eve Marcotte
45. Victoria Hernandez Molinas
46. Pascaline Reusser
47. Jaymie Mart
48. Maria Michalogiannaki
49. Sandra Rubesam
50. Aimee Dix
51. Sophie Borderes
52. Anka Martin
53. Katarina Tothova
54. Leoni-Caroline Dickerhoff *
55. Anne Laplante *
56. Helena Boskova
57. Julia Boer
58. Jayne Rutter
59. Diana Lorena Dromundo Vargas *
60. Sarah Newman
61. Jessica Stone *
62. Kim Huard
63. Elke Rabeder
64. Calamaty Jayne Cann
65. Antje Kramer
66. Mireia Bosca Ballester
67. Darian Harvey
68. Wendy Reynolds

We pulled these results from CyclingNews.com.

Rachel Atherton Wins In Austria and Takes the World Cup Downhill Title

Not only did Rachel Atherton crush the downhill field by more than 13 seconds in her final run of the 2008 World Cup season, but she solidified her title as the 2008 World Cup downhill champion. On a muddy, mangled Schladming, Austria course, Rachel qualified first by more than 10 seconds over Florian Pugin. Times got just a tad slower in the final, but Rachel managed to increase her lead even further.

1. Rachel Atherton
2. Florian Pugin
3. Sabrina Jonnier
4. Tracy Moseley
5. Emmeline Ragot
6. Fionn Griffiths
7. Helen Gaskell
8. Petra Bernhard
9. Claire Buchar
10. Anita Molcik
11. Miriam Ruchti
12. Diana Marggraff
13. Elisa Canepa
14. Myriam Nicole
15. Birgit Braumann
16. Harriet Rucknagel
17. Dalma Kiss
18. Emilie Siegenthaler
19. Silja Stadler
20. Mio Suemasa

These results came from CyclingNews.com