Somehow we have come to the final race of the season. It’s passed in a blur of champagne, glory, heartbreak, mud, dust and tears. In both the women’s and men’s racing things have been shifting, new faces have stood higher than the rest and many we are used to have dropped out of signal from the 5 step radio.

Basic info

Meribel: where?

Weather?

Track preview:

Schedule:

 

DOWN TO THE WIRE

The points race is tighter than Mike Rose’s wallet at the pub and heading into the last race it’s all the play for. Manon could take the Women’s overall with a solid qualifying and decent result, Ragot is just 70 points back so it’s in her reach. Atherton is still in touch but at 120 points the gap isn’t going to be an easy one to close.

The Men’s race is open too but the door is only wide enough for the top three. Josh leads Brosnan by just 43 points, and Gwin by 83, Sam Hill is in touch but only just. He would need to win quali and finals with the other top three falling back to take the overall, you never know what might happen!

The Juniors are the tightest, but remember their points system is different. Luca Shaw leads Loris Vergier by just 14 points with Taylor Vernon 33 points back. Loris will be going in with nothing to lose and some home soil advantage but he needs to stay on his bike! Taylor Vernon sitting in 3rd is just amazing after breaking his back last year, winning in Windham was the cake icing but a podium in the overall would be a big ol’ cherry on his World Cup cake.

THE TRACK

Rob Warner Tweeted this shot of the lower section and those turns looks like they will be interesting! Reminiscent of La Bresse maybe and a certain track in Slovakia that we don’t see much of any-marib-or of.