By celebrating back-to-back wins today in Telluride, CO, USA, SBX World Cup leaders Maelle Ricker (CAN) and Pierre Vaultier (FRA) impressively underlined that one has to have them on the list when it comes down to Snowboard Cross racing. In the season's second SBX final of the 2010 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup, Canada's Maelle Ricker relegated Swiss Simona Meiler, Dominique Maltais (CAN) and Mellie Francon (SUI) to the second to fourth spot respectively. On the men's side, Vaultier clinched his career's seventh World Cup win on the 1,020 metres long course due to outstanding passing manoeuvres. Robert Fagan from Canada came in second while 2002 Olympic Halfpipe Champion Ross Powers (USA) rounded out the podium as third. Top qualifier David Bakes (CZE) had do settle for the fourth rank after crashing in the final.

And it was this misfortune of the Czech who had been riding faultless so far which opened the door to victory for Vaultier who had also won the SBX season's opener in Chapelco, Argentina before. Before that, the 22-years-old had proved his excellent riding skills by throwing in some nice passing manoeuvres in his eighth and quarter finals.

"Due to my bad qualifying time I couldn't chose the start gate I wanted. In addition I was pretty nervous and under a high pressure. I don't know why but it seems that I have to prove to myself in the heat duels that I'm one of the best riders. Therefore, I gave everything I can to pass the others." Just in the semi finals Vaultier was able to lead down the pack from the start into the finish.

According to this, the 2006 Olympian (35th) was very relaxed after his triumph, another one after coming back from a long injury break (compression and fracture of the L1). "I'm very happy but I'm also very tired. It's the altitude which is very exhausting."

Robert Fagan who had missed the big shot twice last season by placing fourth in Stoneham and Sunday River was also pleased with the result although he still felt a little bit of frustration about having been close to his first ever World Cup win. "Well, I'm not really disappointed. It's a big year for me. I can live with the second rank if I take the first one at the Olympics" the 33-years-old said after his career's third podium.
But the Squamish resident also added in the same breath that "it will be very hard to make it in the Olympic team for Canada. But today definitely was a good show for me so I hope I will make it to Vancouver next February."

Maelle Ricker also on fire

Just like Pierre Vaultier on the men's side, it was Maelle Ricker who also secured her season's second World Cup win; although she had to weather a moment of shock in the quarter finals when she and Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) ran into each other. However, unlike Jacobellis, the 31-years-old could ride on and proceeded to the semi finals. From there on, everything went just nice and smoothly for Ricker who had missed the podium at the 2006 Olympics as fourth: "I had luck with the starts. I was always in front and stayed on my line."

Switzerland's runner-up Simona Meiler was - just like triumphing Ricker - all smiles. No wonder, after the 20-years-old Flims resident had brought home her career's best World Cup result: "So far, I sometimes made it into the top-8 and today I just made it into the finals." A fact which wasn't of such a surprise for Meiler as the third best ladies' qualifier had at least hoped for a good result. "I definitely was expecting something good after I was getting along so well with the course in the training and the time trials. I hope that it will go on like this from now on."

FISsnowboard.com
Sunday 20 December 2009

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