Major victory for Bankes and Grondin
Mar 25, 2023·Snowboard Cross
By winning the first out of two races here in Mont Sainte Anne (CAN), Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes moved one step closer to secure the crystal globe for the best women in the overall ranking. Canadian’s Eliot Grondin not only won his first race this season on home soil, but with 100 points more on his account he is now also fighting for the overall medals.
The premiere on the one kilometre long and challenging course was a huge success. Course looked amazing, we had blue sky and an amazing view over the landscape, but more important the many spectators which made their way into the finish saw some super tight and exciting racing on the first of two races here in Mont Sainte Anne.
15th victory for Bankes
Saturday’s big final women was the tightest big final we probably saw the whole season.
Next to world cup leader Bankes (GBR) in green, we saw Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) in red, Faye Gulini (USA) in blue and Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) in yellow.
Out of the gate it were Gulini and Trespeuch with the fastest reaction time followed by Bankes and Jacobellis. Jacobellis showed some really good riding over the first elements and so the two Americans and Trespeuch went over the first step down head-by-head.
Gulini who had the advantage of the inside line was able to ride in the first bank first followed by the other two athletes. Bankes who messed up the start section was some meters behind her competitors. While the three women in front where fighting for their positions, Bankes took the chance and rode her own fast line until she saw the chance in the next bank and overtook Trespeuch as well as Jacobellis in the inside line.
The four women where so close in this bank, that all of them have been riding within two board length next to each other. This pass showed even more on which high level Bankes is riding at the moment.
But this pass didn’t last for too long, as Jacobellis made the same smart move in the next bank and managed to overtake Bankes as well as her teammate Gulini. Gulini who wasn’t in front for such a long time all day long got also passed by Bankes in the next roller section.
That was a lot of passing until then, but it got even better after Jacobellis was leading the four women into the finish straight. Bankes who made her self as small and aerodynamic as possible came closer and closer to Jacobellis and managed to overtake her on the last roller right before the finish. But that was not the only battle going on as Trespeuch gained so much speed over the last elements, that she not only overtook Gulini on the last jump, but in the photo finish also won the battle against Jacobellis and if the course would have been some meters longer, she probably would also have overtaken Bankes.
Saturday’s podium women looked as followed. Bankes took home her sixth win in a row which at the same time is her 15th overall victory, Trespeuch who needs every single point to still have a chance on the overall globe got second, Jacobellis got third and Gulini who showed some really good riding in the upper part got fourth.
Home soil win for Grondin
On men’s side of things, we saw local hero Eliot Grodin in red, world champion Jakob Dusek (AUT) in green, Lucas Eguibar (ESP) in blue and Lorenzo Sommariva (ITA) in yellow.
As we already saw in Spain, racing on home soil in front of family and friends releases some extra energy in the athletes. Eliot Grondin, who only stood on the podium once this season showed some really good riding all day long and so did he in the big final.
Grondin not only had the fastest reaction time but also showed the best riding in the start section which led to a top to bottom win on home soil for him. Eguibar and Dusek where fighting for second and third position in the upper part, with Dusek taking over second position from intermediate one on.
Also, Grondin was a little bit lucky, that Dusek crashed by the attempt of passing Grondin on the last roller, he showed the best riding all day long and really earned the win in front of his huge fan club who was waiting and cheering for him during every heat in the finish.
Despite the crash, Dusek was falling into the finish in second position, Eguibar got third and Sommariva got fourth.
Grodin was more than happy that he could show his best racing in front of his family and friends and said that “it’s just unreal” what happened and he is “pretty excited to race again tomorrow and will try to go for the double”.
After Saturday’s race, the battle for the globes on men’s side is even closer than it was before the race. Martin Noerl (GER) who got seventh lost important points against his prosecutor Lucas Eguibar (ESP) who got third. Only 24 points are separating these two now from the lead in the overall ranking. Eliot Grondin (CAN) which we didn’t had on our list earned 100 points which brought him forward on the list in fourth position with only 71 points behind Noerl.
As you can see in Snowboard Cross anything can happen and as the men are still super close together we will see the final fights for the crystal globe tomorrow.
World Cup leaders: Charlotte Bankes (GBR) and Martin Noerl (GER)
Pre-Heats for Sunday’s race will go down at 09:45 LOC / 15:45 CET. Pre-heats can be followed via FIS App or on our website via live timing.
WATCH Finals LIVE (subject to change)
Sunday, 26.03.2023 at 11:00 LOC / 17:00CET:
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