Photo Gallery: Maribor World Cup

Culture

Photo Gallery: Maribor World Cup

French racers Loris Vergier and Myriam Nicole prevail on the fast, dry Slovenia track

August 16, 2021 Beta

A dry, loose but fast course in Maribor, Slovenia, set the stage for the third World Cup DH race of the season, and saw two seasoned French riders rise to the top of the pack to take wins in the men’s and women’s races. The longtime World Cup track underwent a few updates between this year and last, adding the new Oakley gap jump and a new finish, which consisted of wooden-bridge Red Bull gap jump into a 90-degree turn that fed into a tarmac finish. Maribor’s signature rock garden, old-school grassy turns and a natural triple in the middle of the woods—one of the most technical features of the day—remained.

In the women’s race, Myriam Nicole, the reigning French National Champion, executed a stellar run down the track, after qualifying second to Valentina Holl, putting Nicole on the top podium step for the first time this year. Nicole, who placed second at Maribor last year, rode smoothly and cleanly from top-to-bottom and in the green for all five splits, ending 1.322 seconds up over Italy’s Eleanora Farina, the fourth-place qualifier sitting in the hot seat. Nicole held onto the lead over first-place qualifier Valentina Holl, who had a clean run, but placed just off the podium in sixth place.

It was seemingly Loris Vergier’s race to lose in the men’s elite showdown—he was the first-place qualifier, winner of the European Championships on the same track just days prior, and won both World Cup races in Maribor in 2020. Indeed, Vergier’s Maribor domination continued as he floated down the track—not requiring a single pedal stroke in the latter part of the course—going green in the final three splits, and putting an exclamation point on the weekend with a brilliant run that landed him 1.322 seconds up over fellow Frenchman and current Elite leader Thibault Daprela. Vergier’s win makes him one of just six World Cup racers to execute a three-peat at a single venue, and moved him into fourth in the overall rankings. The men’s podium was rounded out by Laurie Greenland in third, Greg Minnaar in fourth, further cementing his legend status, and Loic Bruni in fifth.

Photographer Michal Cerveny serves up the photographic highlights from a hot, exciting and exhausting day on the track.

The Flying Frenchman Loic Bruni has his priorities straight.

The Maribor track was running fast and loose for Sunday's races.

Canada’s Jackson Goldstone took another victory in the Junior’s race, building on his stellar start to his first World Cup season, with a win in Les Gets and a second in Leogang.

Goldstone, flanked by Jordan Williams and Lachlan Stevens-McNab, poses on a podium spot that’s starting to feel familiar.

Vali Holl qualified first for the second time this season, and finished just off the podium in sixth, avenging her final-turn crashes in both Les Gets and Leogang with a clean run in Maribor.

Fourth-place finisher Monika Hrastnik keeps her focus in Maribor’s signature rock garden.

French National Champion Myriam Nicole on her way to a resounding win.

The full women’s podium: Nicole, followed by Eleanora Farina, Cami Balanche, Monika Hrastnik and Tahnee Seagrave.

Remi Thirion drops into the woods on his way to a Top-15 finish.

Elite rising star Thibaut Daprela soars to a second-place finish, and holds onto his overall lead.

The G.O.A.T. marches on. Greg Minnaar finished in fourth in a field with some racers half his age.

Troy Brosnan made quick work of the rock garden, and finished in 12th place, enough to hold onto his second in the overall rankings.

Loris Vergier perfectly executed his clean run by saving enough energy to go into the green in the third split, then nearly doubled his lead in the fourth split before bringing it home.