Rachel Atherton triumphed in the UCI Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide on Saturday, staking her claim as “the fastest mum in the world”.
The six-time world champion had raced only once since 2019 after suffering a serious achilles injury and then, in 2021, giving birth to her daughter, Arna. Nonetheless, she won the women’s elite title in three minutes 7.514 seconds to deny Camille Balanche, the semi-final winner, victory on home soil in Switzerland.