SCOTT DH Factory Takes on an Unforgettable Week in Les Gets
The seventh round of the season, the World Cup in Les Gets is unlike any other. The mountain is covered with hundreds of flags and passionate fans, creating an atmosphere truly unique.
It was an emotional week, with an incredible crowd but also challenging weather conditions that unfortunately made things difficult, turning Friday’s qualifying day into a real lottery.
After four weeks away from racing, the SCOTT DH Factory team returned fully motivated for the final block of World Cup races of the season.
Unfortunately, Ethan Craik was unable to join the team after his spectacular crash in Andorra left him injured. He stayed home to focus on his recovery, with the goal of returning in a few weeks for the North American rounds.
A Challenging Qualifying Day
With limited practice and track access due to the local logistics, our riders headed into qualifying confident but knowing that the lack of riding time, combined with heavy rain on Friday, would make things particularly difficult.
The track quickly became almost unrideable, and the conditions did not favour most of our riders. They gave everything they had, but it was not enough.
Jess Blewitt narrowly missed out on the final, finishing 6th in Q2, with only the top five riders qualifying. Dakotah Norton was also just a few seconds away from the top 10 in Q2, which would have secured his place in the final. Our development riders had hard time on this challenging track…
Benoît Coulanges, however, fought incredibly hard to make it through, securing the final qualifying spot and giving the team one rider on the start line for Sunday’s race.
Benoît Battles Through
Everything was reset for race day. The weather had improved considerably, although the track had suffered significant damage from the rain, making conditions particularly difficult for the first riders down the hill.
“BC” attacked the track with everything he had. He knew it would dry out and become faster throughout the race, so he put together an incredibly committed run and spent a long time in the hot seat.
But as expected, the track continued to dry and the times kept dropping.
Benoît Coulanges eventually finished 14th in a race brilliantly won by young French rider Max Alran. The crowd erupted as tens of thousands of spectators invaded the finish bowl. Absolutely epic!
A Special Moment with the Fans
After the race, we invited fans to meet the team around our newly decorated stand.
Hundreds of people came to say hello, meet the athletes and grab an autograph. The riders were more than happy to spend time with the fans and sign countless jerseys, posters and bikes.
It was another reminder of what makes Les Gets such a special stop on the World Cup calendar.
Looking Ahead
Despite a difficult weekend, the team and riders managed to maintain their positions in the overall standings, which is encouraging as we head into the final part of the season.
And now, there is no time to rest.
The World Championships are next — the unmissable event of the season. As we write these lines, the team is already on its way to Val di Sole, Italy.
A testament to the strong performances throughout the season, SCOTT DH Factory has four riders selected to represent their countries at the World Championships. We would even have had five if Ethan had been fit enough to race.
Benoît Coulanges and Dakotah Norton will line up in the Elite Men’s field, while Jess Blewitt and Vicky Clavel will represent us in the women’s category.
We can’t wait to show you what we have been cooking up for these World Championships!
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