Bankes and Noerl defend Crystal Globe
Mar 27, 2023·Snowboard Cross
What a thrilling last day of racing it was on Sunday’s final race of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season in Mont Sainte Anne, Canada, where the young Josie Baff (AUS) claimed her second career win and German Martin Noerl not only won the last race of the season by a hair’s breadth, but more important secured the crystal globe with this win. Besides Noerl, also Charlotte Bankes (GBR) got awarded with the crystal globe as both have been the best overall athletes of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season 2022/23.
As predicted it was snowing 20 cm over the night and didn`t stop snowing until the race was over. The organizers with the many volunteers met super early at the hill and did their best to ensure a good race, which we had.
Baff ending season as she started it
In the last big final women of the season, we saw Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) in red, Josie Baff (AUS) in green, Eva Adamczykova in blue and Pia Zerkhold (AUT) in yellow.
Out of the gate it was Adamczykova who was leading the women into the start section, followed by Zerkhold, Baff and Trespeuch in fourth position. The two young riders Baff and Zerkhold showed some really good riding over the first obstacles and so went into the lead.
Trespeuch who was in fourth position after the start section slowly made her way forward and first overtook Adamczykova and then Zerkhold.
Experienced Adamczykova took the inside line in bank four and overtook Zerkhold and Trespeuch back. But this pass didn’t last for too long as Adamczykova was in the outside line going into the last left turn, lost speed and got overtaken again by Trespeuch and shortly after also by Zerkhold.
Australians Baff stayed out of all position fights and rode all the way down to the finish in first position. Everyone thought Trespeuch will ride to her fifth second place when suddenly the young Austrian pushed her bord in front and won the battle for second position in the photofinish.
Baff who also won the first race of the season now closed her season with a victory. With the second place Zerkhold achieved her career best result, Trespeuch got third and Adamczykova had to accept another fourth place.
World cup leader Bankes only made it to the small final, which she won. She was already almost crying when she crossed the finish line, because she knew, no matter what Trespeuchs gets in the big final, the crystal globe was hers.
Noerl winning by a hair’s breadth
Battle for the crystal globe was still ongoing in the last big final men of the season.
Next to Martin Noerl (GER) and Lucas Eguibar (ESP) which were the last two men standing for the crystal globe battle, we saw previous day winner Eliot Grondin (CAN) and Jake Vedder (USA) who’s best place was a second place in Cortina d’Ampezzo in February so far.
Out of the gate it was once again Grondin with the fastest start, followed by Eguibar, Noerl and Vedder in fourth position.
The first half of the course, the four men were riding in this exact order down the course. Noerl, who was 24 points in front of Eguibar in the overall ranking new at this point, that if he wants to stay in the lead, Eguibar is only allowed to be one position in front of him when crossing the finish line.
Right before the last finish jump, Noerl went all in and started his attack to overtake Eguibar, which was a success. Vedder jumped on the train with Noerl and took his chance to also overtake Eguibar at the last roller before the finish.
The crowed was screaming as hell as Grondin was leading the men until the last meter of the course, and than it became quiet as Grondin, Noerl and Vedder crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. The athletes and the hundreds of spectators were waiting for the photofinish to be revealed. Will Grondin take home the back-to-back win? Will Vedder win his first world cup? Or will Noerl end this season with his third win?
Suddenly the result showed up at the big screen. With the distance it was almost impossible to see the difference, but now it was clear, by hair’s breadth, Noerl won this battle, Vedder got second and Grodin got third. Eguibar who was in second position until the last meters got fourth in the end.
By winning Sunday’s race, Noerl defended his overall winner title from last year and so took home another crystal globe.
Second crystal globe for Bankes
Charlotte Bankes who was unbeaten for the last six world cup races until yesterday also took home the crystal globe last year. In total she already won 15 world cup races, 22 podium and two world championships gold medals, one in single event 2021 and one in team event this year. This makes her the most successful women of this year’s snowboard cross season.
In second position in the overall ranking we saw Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) and Josie Baff (AUS) who did her best snowboard cross season ever achieved the third position in the overall ranking.
Noerl retains crystal globe title
29-year-old Martin Noerl (GER) who already won the crystal globe last year also won it this year. By winning three races, getting second and third once, he collected the most points on men’s side and can call himself best snowboard cross athlete of the season. Besides that, Noerl got vice world champion this year in Bakuriani (GEO). In total, he stood on top of the podium seven times and in second or third position ten times.
Lucas Eguibar (ESP) who won the crystal globe already once in 2015 got awarded as second best snowboard cross athlete of the season and by showing two days of amazing riding, Canadian’s Eliot Grondin made it into third position in the overall ranking.
Next to the big globes also the Rookies of the year got awarded. Both globes went to France, in fact to 17-year-old Lea Caster and 18-year-old Aidan Chollet. For both athletes it was the first world cup season where they already showed some amazing riding and good results.
As her coach described her, Caster is a hardworking, talented, and athletic athlete and for her age already has an amazing felling for her board. At her first world cup in Les Deux Alpes (FRA) beginning of the season she came in with a boom and got third.
Chollet is a tall guy. He is a really good starter and also has a brilliant feeling on his board. In the strong field of men he got sixth in Cortina (ITA) and ninth in Sierra Nevada (ESP).
Keep these names in mind because these are the snowboard cross athletes of tomorrow!
Last but not least, to cape of the successful season for team France, they also got honoured as the most successful team of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season 2022/23.
And that’s it for this snowboard cross season. Thank you to all organizers, volunteers, athletes, and everyone involved for making it another amazing season to remember.
See you all again next season!
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