Rachel Atherton extends record run

The high-riding Llanrhaeadr ace set a time of three minutes 21.43 seconds in Lourdes to continue an unbeaten streak in the elite competition going back to 2015.

Fellow Britons Tahnee Seagrave and Manon Carpenter, of Wales, were third and fifth respectively.

Former Marches School pupil Atherton, riding for Trek Factory Racing GT, said: “I cannot believe it. The track was so rough. Tahnee has been training so hard this winter and beat me in qualifying fair and square.

“I just thought ‘this is it’ and I’ve just got to out and do what I normally do.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” the 29-year-old added.

“The pressure is mounting and mounting, but at the end of the day I love racing.”

For the third time in three years, Lourdes hosted the World Cup finals.

After clocking 3.21.43, Atherton had to wait to see how Seagrave, the last rider out, fared, but the fastest qualifier could only manage third place, 2.73 seconds behind the winner in 3.24.16.

Tracy Hannah, of Polygon UR, was second on 3.24.00, some 2.58 seconds adrift.

Atherton became the first rider to complete an unbeaten year when winning all seven rounds of the UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup last season, and claimed the world title for a fourth time. She was named Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year award in Monaco and was also shortlisted for the BT Sport Action Woman Awards.

Her remarkable winning run goes back to June, 2015, starting at Fort William in Scotland, while her 14th consecutive World Cup victory has eclipsed her nearest rival, Anne Caroline Chausson, who has nine.

Although used to travelling globally, her roots are firmly established in the region after her family moved to Llanrhaeadr 16 years ago.

She has now won world downhill titles in 2008, 2013, 2015 and 2016, while she also claimed a junior title back in 2005.

Atherton’s brother Gee came 10th in the men’s race in Lourdes in 2.57.48.