http://www.velonews.com/race/mtn/articles/6930.0.html
There will not be a ninth elite world downhill title for Anne-Caroline Chausson this year. According to a team staffer the Frenchwoman crashed hard in Saturday morning's downhill practice session in Les Gets, and will not be able to race in either the downhill of four-cross finals this afternoon.
According to the team source, Chausson injured her shoulder and was taken off the course in an ambulance before being transferred to a helicopter for the trip to a nearby hospital. Coming into the day, Chausson was the overwhelming favorite to win both the downhill and four-cross titles, after posting the top qualifying times in both events earlier in the week. Chausson had won eight straight elite world downhill titles, and four straight gated racing crowns (two dual, two four-cross). Since graduating to the elite ranks in 1996, she's never been beaten in a world's race.
With Chausson out, the title chase in both events is wide open. Kiwi Vanessa Quin was the No. 2 qualifier in the downhill seeding run. Swiss rider Marielle Saner, France's Celine Gros and American Marla Streb were next on the qualifier list, all within three seconds of each other.
In the four-cross American Jill Kintner was the only rider to stay within two seconds of Chausson, at 1.04. Aussie Katrina Miller, Swiss Sari Jorgensen and American Tara Llanes qualified third through fifth.
Following Thursday's practice run Chausson said the run had been "full of mistakes." This season she had taken a partial step back from racing, only contesting a couple World Cups, and not really ramping up her training until last month's European championship. Chausson was able to win that race in Poland, but she admitted that things weren't as easy as she thought they'd be.
"I had to race with pressure to get used to it again," she explained, "[After this year] I still want to ride, but I don't want the pressure anymore. Too many times in the past I was at the races wondering what I was doing there. That's when I knew it was time to change."
There will not be a ninth elite world downhill title for Anne-Caroline Chausson this year. According to a team staffer the Frenchwoman crashed hard in Saturday morning's downhill practice session in Les Gets, and will not be able to race in either the downhill of four-cross finals this afternoon.
According to the team source, Chausson injured her shoulder and was taken off the course in an ambulance before being transferred to a helicopter for the trip to a nearby hospital. Coming into the day, Chausson was the overwhelming favorite to win both the downhill and four-cross titles, after posting the top qualifying times in both events earlier in the week. Chausson had won eight straight elite world downhill titles, and four straight gated racing crowns (two dual, two four-cross). Since graduating to the elite ranks in 1996, she's never been beaten in a world's race.
With Chausson out, the title chase in both events is wide open. Kiwi Vanessa Quin was the No. 2 qualifier in the downhill seeding run. Swiss rider Marielle Saner, France's Celine Gros and American Marla Streb were next on the qualifier list, all within three seconds of each other.
In the four-cross American Jill Kintner was the only rider to stay within two seconds of Chausson, at 1.04. Aussie Katrina Miller, Swiss Sari Jorgensen and American Tara Llanes qualified third through fifth.
Following Thursday's practice run Chausson said the run had been "full of mistakes." This season she had taken a partial step back from racing, only contesting a couple World Cups, and not really ramping up her training until last month's European championship. Chausson was able to win that race in Poland, but she admitted that things weren't as easy as she thought they'd be.
"I had to race with pressure to get used to it again," she explained, "[After this year] I still want to ride, but I don't want the pressure anymore. Too many times in the past I was at the races wondering what I was doing there. That's when I knew it was time to change."
