Mondraker Factory Racing riders made the difference all weekend long. Dakotah Norton took the win in the semifinals, securing the final starting position for Sunday's final. Rónán Dunne was to start three positions ahead of his teammate and it looked like we were in for a real spectacle in the grand final. And so it was!
Tricky riding conditions over the week due to changing weather made for an exciting race track that Rónán was keen to get to work on. He showed impeccable technique, being the fastest in three of the four intermediate times and beating World Champion Loïc Bruni by 0.064 seconds.
The Irishman took the hot seat , staying there until the end of the race.
The tension was high when Dakotah took the start ramp, but an unexpected crash when he lost grip, took away his chances of fighting for the final victory and the possibility of seeing two members of Mondraker Factory Racing on the podium.
When Dakotah went down, Rónán knew he was the winner, but waited for his teammate to arrive before celebrating. Dakotah crossed the line, pointing at the big screen where he saw that Rónán had the fastest time and was quick to congratulate him.
The 21 year old Irishman thus conquered his first UCI DH World Cup victory, demonstrating a solid and determined performance on the Polish circuit.
After his victory, Rónán expressed his excitement:
“I loved the track in Poland. The crowd was amazing. It's the second World Cup with the new team. It was perfect and I was psyched to win. I saw Bruni's time and thought 'OK, let's go for it, I'm ready to fight. It was worth it”
Not only does this win mark a personal milestone for Dunne, but it also does for Mondraker as we hadn't been on top of the podium at a World Cup since 2019.
It’s huge for Mondraker Factory Racing too, who after Dakotah Norton's first podium in Fort William and this victory for Dunne, adds the second elite podium in two races.
In the junior women's category, Heather Wilson of the Muc-Off Young Guns team also made her mark, taking her second win of the season in her second race!
The young Scot used her experience on wet terrain to dominate the difficult Bielsko-Biała course, beating Erice Van Leuven by just 0.069 seconds in an electrifying race. Wilson showed great skill and control, especially with the lack of grip on much of the downhill.
Wilson shared her joy after the win: “I can't believe it. Before the start I was just laughing, I didn't feel nervous. I just wanted to have fun and enjoy the race. It was a lot of fun. The whole track was really torn up - It was very physical”
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