Second season win for Bankes and Surget with his first World Cup victory

It was a spectacular night of racing once again in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Saturday as the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup tour made it’s return to the scenic Ampezzo Dolomites resort for the second straight season. There we saw Cortina’s thrilling course play host to a triumphant night for Charlotte Bankes, who earned her second victory this season, and the young French athlete Merlin Surget taking home is first ever World Cup win.

Bankes not only winning Qualification, but also Saturday’s big final

Women’s big final here in Cortina saw, qualification winner Charlotte Bankes (GBR) in red, Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) in green, Manon Petit Lenoir (FRA) in blue and Faye Gulini in yellow.

Out of the gate it was Gulini with the fastest reaction time leading the group into the start section, followed by Petit Lenoir, Bankes and Trespeuch. Bankes was riding the first elements in the best way possible and so gained so much speed that she was able to pass Gulini and Petit Lenoir right before the first turn.

Trespeuch also gained a lot of speed in the start strait and tried to take the chance and follow Bankes into the first bank, but the inside line she chose was slowing her down, so she didn`t manage to pass Gulini and Petit Lenoir.

At the roller right before the last turn Petit Lenoir made a mistake, which slowed her down and gave her team colleague the chance to pass her right before the finish strait.

In the end, Bankes crossed the finish line first for the second time this season, Gulini got second, Trespeuch got third and so stood on the podium in every race so far this season and Petit Lenoir got fourth.