World Championships
Are, Sweden
Sept. 15-19, 1999

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France Is Perfect
Vouilloz and Chausson Keep Streaks Alive
Saturday, September 18, 1999

Cross-Country: Rainbows to Denmark and Spain
U-23 Cross Country: Evans Loses Ninth Time
Team Relay: Spain Takes First Medal of Worlds
Schedule of Events
Preview: We Are the Worlds

The French can again thank their collective lucky stars that the two best downhillers in the world ride for their country as Saturday watched the wonder-twins of Nicolas Vouilloz (FRA, Sunn) and Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Volvo-Cannondale) win yet another pair of World Championship rainbow jerseys. After winning the world cup overall in a prolonged battle against the elements and other riders, the two ex-teammates and current country-mates left even little more doubt that they are indeed the chosen ones.

A-C Rules

As the sport's best gather in national uniforms to compete in the biggest single event of their season, the World Championships are a scary, high-pressure weekend of events. And, in the downhill in particular, the pressure is really on as racers get one chance and one chance only to post the fastest time possible, and fulfill or kill their hopes for the rainbow jersey.

Chausson, who won seven of this season's eight World Cup events, came into this year's race with two concerns. One was her fatigue factor, which was high enough in Thursday's seeding run to encourage her to race at less than 100%. The other was the fact that, after three junior titles and three senior jerseys, she is simply undefeated in World Championship competition.

"Even though the weather and track was horrible Saturday, the racing was pretty hot. Lots of crashes, but many spectacular recoveries and amazing rides through the mud..."

Katja Repo had qualified fastest this week, making the pressure even a bit higher. While Chausson was happy with her run down the mud and rocks of Åre, she didn't allow herself to celebrate at all until she knew that Repo had missed her time, giving AC her seventh-straight title.

Katja Repo

Sari Jorgensen (SUI, Tomac/Manitou) took the bronze, after occupying the leader's hotseat for much of the race. Leigh Donovan (USA, Intense) and Tracy Moseley rounded out the top five, but in the Worlds you only send your three best to the podium for the tradition-bound awards ceremony.

Over 11,000 spectators paid admission to the small Åre town center to watch the spectacular finish, enduring the wind and rain as racers flew into the center on a wooden jump/bridge before sprinting to the finish after five minutes of racing. Live TV was broadcast on the jumbo-tron above, as well as across Scandinavia and Europe, making this one of the most-watched Worlds ever.

Nico 'The Alien'

In the men's race it was all Nico, who had only qualified fifth-fastest on Thursday. After several men sat in the cool-style hotseat, Vouilloz arrived at the finish 11 seconds faster than leader-at-the-time David Vazquez.

Four more tried, four more failed and Nico counted to eight on his fingers, as he smiled in the knowledge that he had pulled off his fourth senior title in as many years. Incredible.

"It's all about preparation," says Vouilloz, who works on his bike as much before the race as during it. Yet he definitely works the bike and course, and sometimes we can't even tell where he makes up so much time on such good riders.

His teammate and countryman Mickael Pascal (FRA, Sunn) knows where he lost the race. He says he literally spaced out and lost his concentration during the race (no big deal, just the Worlds) and crashed into a tree. No kidding. That cost him several seconds, and the mind reels thinking about the fact that he only finished six seconds behind his mentor.

Eric Carter

Great news for the USA was Eric Carter (USA, GT), who has matured so much in the last season of downhilling he rides like a new person. He finished 3rd after a standout season, crediting his new bike as well as buddy Steve Peat (who missed racing due to his Mt. Snow injuries). Carter keeps the USA men's DH streak alive, as we're the only country to place riders in the top-five every year, except for last year.

Even though the weather and track was horrible Saturday, the racing was pretty hot. Lots of crashes, but many spectacular recoveries and amazing rides through the mud. Next year should be all about the dust though, as Spain takes their crack at the first Worlds of the new millennium next June.

—MountainZone.com reporters, recording the agony and the defeat in Åre.