Over 300 riders from 24 nations have gathered in Pila for the sixth round of the iXS European Downhill Cup. The race in the ski resort at 1,800 meters above sea level, high above the city of Aosta, is one of the classics of the racing season with its varied and attractive course. Unlike the last two years, the weather remains stable, making the course very fast.

In fact, the lap times are also close to the four-minute mark. Austrian Manuel, who rode the third-fastest time in Saturday's timed run, can go one better in Sunday's race. He is the only rider to stay under four minutes and thus leaves the course as the winner. Around one second behind him, Poland's Slawomir Lukasik took second place, repeating his position from the timed run. Benny Strasser (GER), the fastest of the previous day, did not quite match his performance in the race and finished seventh. Meanwhile, third place on the podium goes to Portugal's Francisco Marques Pardal.

Fueling the hopes of a podium finish for the Swiss is Lutz Weber. With fifth place in the timed run, he underlines his ambitions for the race and shows that the short adjustment to his new Moorewood downhill bike is not difficult for him. On Sunday, Weber was able to improve again. However, this was not enough to confirm his fifth place and so the Bernese rider finished eighth.

Cappellari confirms good form

As in the previous year, it is the young Briton Tahnée Seagrave who holds the sceptre in her hand. She set the same time to the second in both the timed run and the race run, repeating her Pila victory from last year. Seagrave, who has ridden into the top 5 in each of the last three World Cup races, doesn't give her competitors the slightest chance. The Italian Alia Marcellini is already a considerable way behind in second place. Behind Marcellini, third place goes to Carina Cappellari, who was recently selected for the World Championships in Norway.

Just behind Cappellari, Alba Wunderlin finished in fourth place, proving that the Pila course is one of her personal favorites. In her third European Cup race, newcomer Lea Rutz achieves her best result to date with eighth place. Rutz is also riding in the license class for the first time.

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