Britain’s Bankes reigns in Spain, silver lining for home hero Eguibar
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The FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup double-header in Sierra Nevada, Spain didn’t quite have the fairytale ending the home crowd had hoped for on Sunday, with Lucas Eguibar having to settle for silver in the second men’s event of the weekend.
The same could not be said of Charlotte Bankes, who well and truly put the disappointment of the recent world championships in Bakuriani, Georgia, behind her. The British boarder made it two golds for the weekend and in doing so hit the top of the World Cup standings as the season passes its halfway point. Likewise, Eguibar now tops the men’s standings after previous leader, Martin Noerl of Germany, failed to make it past the 1/16 final.
Bankes cashes in
“I’m looking forward to a good fight with the girls out there today and have fun,” Bankes said, ahead of balmy conditions for the second day of racing in Andalusia. With temperatures hitting 13 degrees in sunny southern Spain, many of the crowd were in short sleeves but, despite a good covering of snow on the 1km course, conditions were less friendly for the competitors.
And so it proved, with rut lines on the tricky berms claiming many contenders. Eva Adamczykova (CZE), Josie Baff (AUS) and Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) – gold, silver and bronze medallists respectively at the world championships – all crashed out at the quarter-final stage.
World Cup leader and Olympic silver medallist Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) looked to be heading the same way in the second semi-final after a coming-together left her adrift in third place. But Pia Zerkhold (AUT) then fell under no pressure to earn the French boarder a reprieve.
Both Trespeuch and Bankes – who were separated by two World Cup points going into the race – started the Big Final well and came into contact on the first berm. But once Bankes hit the front – after taking a daring high line into berm two – she looked imperious, especially on the tricky turns that had caused problems for so many other riders. Trespeuch overtook teammate Manon Petit Lenoir on the final corner to snatch silver.
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