Perfect start of the season! Monster Energy congratulates Camille Balanche (Elite Women) and Amaury Pierron (Elite Men) on their victories in the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season opener in Lourdes, France, this weekend.
LOURDES, France, March 28, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Perfect start of the season! Monster Energy congratulates Camille Balanche (Elite Women) and Amaury Pierron (Elite Men) on their victories in the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season opener in Lourdes, France, this weekend.
In the first race of the 2022 World Cup season, 32-year-old Balanche from La Chaux-de-Fond, Switzerland, finished the challenging course in 3:19.983 for first place in the Elite Women division. In the Elite Men division, 26-year-old Pierron from Brioude, France, took the win with a 2:47.111 final time. In the Junior Women's division, 17-year-old Monster Energy rider Izabela Yankova from Bulgaria finished in third place.
This weekend, the Mercedes-Benz UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup returned to the French town of Lourdes after five years of absence. Traditionally known as a site of religious pilgrimage, Lourdes has hosted successful World Cup races in the past. Downhill racing fans came from far and wide to celebrate a resurgence in downhill success in France.
In front of 40,000 of spectators, 250 mountain bike athletes from 27 countries took on the challenging, technical course. At a length of 2 kilometers (1.25 miles), the downhill track tested riders with legendary walls and rock drops, as well as the newly added 'Hollywhoops' section.
In the Elite Women division, Monster Energy's Balanche put down a dominant run time that proved unbeatable for the rest of the pack. She mastered the technical top part of the track with focus and consistence, before battling the rough woods section at the bottom without missing a beat. At a total time of 3:19.983, Balanche finished the course just 0.997 seconds ahead of the next competitor in a tight race.
Known for her prowess on the hockey rink, the Swiss rider is still in the infancy of her career. Balanche has only raced mountain bikes for a few years now but races with the confidence of a true veteran. She proved it once again, with yet another win.
"Honestly, I didn't feel great the whole weekend so I would have been happy with a top five. It was a really good run so I'm very happy," said Balanche after taking the win at Lourdes this weekend.
This weekend's win, the second World Cup victory in Balanche's career, starts her 2022 season on a high note with 225 points. Previously, she finished her 2021 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup season in a strong third place with 1065 points after winning the opening round in Leogang.
Balanche was joined on the podium by her Monster Energy teammate, 25-year-old Marine Cabirou from Millau, France, in fifth place. With a total time of 3:25.620, Cabirou finished less than five seconds behind the winner. This close race is a clear indicator of a highly competitive season ahead in the Elite Women division.
"I'm really happy to be on the box today. I finished fifth, it wasn't perfect, and I made some mistakes in my run, but it's great for a comeback. We didn't ride a lot this weekend, it wasn't easy but the track amazing and the crowd was so good! It's always good to race in France and the party will be amazing!" said Cabirou.
When the Elite Men dropped into the steep course, the story of the day was the return to full dominant form of Monster Energy's Pierron. Although the Frenchman had suffered multiple injuries since 2020, including a broken back, he rode with fervor and put down an unattainable finish time at Lourdes.
Cheered on by the home crowd, Pierron charged down the incredibly rough, rocky course with no holds barred. The Flying Frenchman had to make up time at the bottom of his run after losing quite a bit in a mistake in the upper section. Once he shifted gears and put his head down however, no one was about to get in his way, and he made up an entire second in one technical treed section of track alone.
When all was said and done, Pierron finished almost 1.5 seconds ahead of the next rider with a 2:47.711 finish time. Two riders had a chance to drop him from the top spot, none succeeded. During the awards ceremony, Pierron sang the French national anthem to celebrate opening his season atop the 2022 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup leaderboards at 230 points.
"It's just insane. The support really helped me be strong enough to do that run. I'm just over the moon," said Pierron upon taking the win at Lourdes.
Also climbing to the podium, 25-year-old American rider Luca Shaw finished in fifth place. Completing the course in 2:50.42 total, Shaw starts his season with 125 points in overall rankings. After struggling for the last few seasons, Shaw decided to make a change to a new team, a new bike and apparently a new training program as he went straight to the 5th place podium spot in the first race of the season.
"This feels good, man! I had a really good winter and then a lot to learn with a new team and an all-new setup. I felt confident but I didn't expect to be top five. To get a podium at the first race, I'm really stoked. This is a good start," said Shaw.
In the Junior Women division, 17-year-old Monster Energy rider Izabela Yankova battled for a third-place finish with a total time of 3:39.437. The young rider from Bulgaria already boasts an impressive track record as the 2021 Junior Women World Champion as well as the European Champion.
"It was honestly really hard with the lift. I think everything went good at the end. Third place is still good but for sure I would try to fight for the top spot again. It's a good start and a good race, good vibe!" said Yankova.
What's next? Stay tuned when the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup returns to Fort William, Scotland, on 21-22 May 2022. It should be an exciting time after racers have a chance to head home, recharge, and work on their game plans when the 2022 season gets back underway with a big schedule ahead.
For more on Camille Balanche, Amaury Pierron, Marine Cabirou, Luca Shaw, and our team of mountain bike athletes, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Also follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for exclusive updates from the 2022 MTB season.
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About Monster Energy
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