World cup leader Nicolas Vouilloz (FRA,
Vouilloz Racing Team) continued his domination of the season by winning for the
second week over friend and ex-teammate Mickael Pascal (FRA, Be-One).

Conditions were perfect for racing all week, with
sunny skies and breezes keeping the course fast and dry. Perhaps too dry, as the
track conditions began to deteriorate late in the day, making it difficult for many
racers to keep their bikes under control. With finishing times between 4 and 4 1/2
minutes, Maribor’s course was only marginally faster than last year but significantly
longer than the past two races.

For Vouilloz, racing on a longer course was good,
the eight-time World Champion stating his preference for longer tracks and especially
this course in Slovenia. "I felt good on the bike, and just had to stay clean,"
he said. "I was in the middle of my run and got a report to go, so I thought
I was going slow and rode faster."

Vouilloz won here last year as well, against 5th-ranked
Steve Peat (GBR, Team GT), who managed 3rd place today. Second place
was Mickael Pascal (FRA, Be-One), who was the teammate of Vouilloz last year and
was ranked 4th overall coming into the race. "It was a good run,"
said Pascal "but I was sliding a lot. I think the speed is good preparation
for the Worlds."

Peat, who qualified 3rd-fastest behind Vouilloz (2nd)
and Pascal (top-seeded) was upbeat as well, having stayed within five seconds of
the winner. "I didn’t have that good a run, in the first woods section I
blew both feet off the pedals and had to recover. But overall I’m pleased with my
consistency."

Fabien Barel (FRA, Team GT) posted his
best world cup finish of his career, the fifth-fastest qualifier finishing 4th for
the day. Kirt Voreis (USA, Subaru-Specialized), who along with Barel
occupied the hotseat for a period of time, finished 5th for the day after qualifying
7th fastest.