Compared to the 64 men that wound their ways to the final round, the women's event was a tiny affair, with only 13 ladies qualifying for a quarter-, semi- and final round of racing. The usual suspects dominated qualifying, those same riders who have always done well in the dual.

One surprise was that World Champ Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Volvo-Cannondale) did not qualify fastest. That honor went to last year's World Cup champion Katrina Miller (AUS, Jamis). Then we were surprised again when Tara Llanes (USA, Yeti/Pearl Izumi) beat Chausson in the semi-finals. We wondered what was going on.

As it turned out, Chausson had crashed hard during downhill practice earlier in the day, and was stiff and sketched during the 4X.

"If that [semi] had been the final, Tara would have won," she said after her win. As it turned out, Chausson stepped up in the finals to beat Tara, along with Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Intense Cycles) and Celine Gros (FRA, Morzine-Avoriaz) to make an all-French podium.

Llanes crashed hard during her final run, going over the bars and hitting the ground so hard she wasn't moving much for a few moments. But the medics helped her to her feet amidst loud applause from the crowd, and she walked it off. Chausson went on to take the win, surprising herself a bit with her speed.

"I didn't see what happened behind me, I just rode as hard as I could," she said. "Last year I got passed while looking around so now I just pedal hard. Today I just tried to do my best, but I was feeling stiff after my crash."

Chausson said she was happy with the debut of the Four-Cross, after racing the Sea Otter Mtn-X and Mont Saint-Anne, Quebec's test event in North America. "I like the passing, it's better for spectators," she said. "And this is a special course, it's short and hard to pass."

Jonnier finished 2nd behind Chausson, while Gros finished 3rd for the day. In the small final, Melissa Buhl finished 2nd, followed by Vanessa Quin (NZL, Intense) and Miwa Sakamoto (JPN).

— Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Correspondent