Even with the risks involved, and even though an injury would mean throwing away a championship that is so very nearly in the palm of his hand, Aaron Gwin wasn’t letting up in qualifying. But with a man like Greg Minnaar shadowing you – a faultless racer who can pinpoint the exact result he wants – there isn’t any space to back off the gas.

The two true cool, calm characters of downhill remain 1-2 after qualifying and going into today’s finals. They are racing almost side-by-side down the home straight, they have equally powered vehicles and it would take only disaster or Gwin to ease up thinking he has it in the bag for Minnaar to lunge for the win. But Gwin isn’t going to let his attention falter. This race is down to fate.

Gwin didn’t win qualifying, but that was almost a given from the outset. Troy Brosnan had his name on that number one ever since being pipped to the win in Mont Sainte Anne and crashing out in Windham. He is the hungriest competitor here, and between him and Loic Bruni (third place qualifying) the race win surely has to go to one of them. But then we have a funny feeling Gwin might have more in him… the question is, how desperate is he to prove his speed here? He could cruise it and win the series after all.

QUALIFYING RESULTS AND ROUNDUP HERE
PEATY TALKS WORLD CUP FINALS HERE
WHO CAN WIN THE MEN’S WORLD CUP OVERALL? HERE
“DON’T TELL DIRT” SPY SHOTS FROM THE PITS HERE