Britain's Bankes reigns in Spain, silver lining for home hero Eguibar

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.

Bankes, who was raised in France, and represented the country at the 2014 Winter Olympics, said: “I felt pretty solid this morning. It’s quite tough racing but I showed up super well and it was a big fight the whole way through.”

It now looks like a two-way fight for the World Cup title, with Bankes leading Trespeuch by 18 points.

Eguibar loses battle but is now winning the war

With cries of “Lucas, Lucas, Lucas!!!” ringing out, it was clear who the Sierra Nevada crowd had come to see on Sunday, and Eguibar was confident of making it two golds in two days, having not been on a World Cup podium all season before this weekend.

“I like courses with good turns, hard conditions,” the Spaniard said. “Sometimes you have to be aggressive, sometimes you have to wait to make your move.”

With the course also claiming some big names in the men’s field – world champion Jakob Dusek (AUT) in the 1/8 final, Olympic silver medallist Eliot Grondin (CAN) one round later – Eguibar’s progress to the Big Final was serene until he needed a photo finish in the semi-final to qualify ahead off fellow World Cup contender Omar Visintin (ITA).

And when he took the lead in the Big Final following Merlin Surget of France’s wipeout on the second corner, the crowd sensed victory. But they had reckoned without Kalle Koblet. The Swiss rider had impressed all day with his aggressive approach and once he hit the front, the 25-year-old wouldn’t be denied a first World Cup victory.

Looking somewhat like the Spanish flag in his red ski suit and yellow bib, Koblet punched the air as he crossed the line.

He said: “It feels really good, especially after the world championships didn’t go the way I wanted. I’m really happy. I was just staying on his [Eguibar’s] tail and traying to gain as much speed as possible.”

Eguibar does now lead the World Cup standings, though, seven points clear of Loan Bozzolo (FRA), who stayed out of trouble to finishe third in the Big Final. Victory in the Small Final lifts Visintin to third overall.

Click here for the full results from Sierra Nevada.

The Snowboard Cross World Cup resumes in Veysonnaz, Switzerland on 15 March.