Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will start the final downhill of this season last off the ramp after qualifying quickest in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada), presented by Events.com.
Super Bruni is bidding for his fifth overall series victory in Canada on Saturday and needs to finish on the podium to secure the crown. The Frenchman sent a huge message to series rival Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) by setting a time which was three seconds quicker than the Canadian.
The legendary Canadian bike park at Mont-Sainte-Anne welcomed downhill athletes for a record 30th UCI World Cup and the final round of this year’s 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Meanwhile, Nicole will be bidding for her first Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season after qualifying quickest. However, she faces a tough battle after the top five qualifier were separated by just three tenths of a second. The Mont-Sainte-Anne course provided drama in women’s qualifying as series winner Valentina Höll (YT Mob) finished seventh.
Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) showed her talent again in women’s Junior category by qualifying quickest and she was also faster than any Elite woman. Meanwhile, fellow American rider Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) was the quickest qualifier in the men’s Junior category.
BRUNI LANDS PSYCHOLOGICAL BLOW ON RIVALS
Jackson Goldstone’s dream of sealing a home overall victory this weekend was dealt an early blow in qualifying by Loïc Bruni. Newly crowned UCI World Champion, Goldstone, has to win and hope Bruni finishes off the podium in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) to leapfrog his rival and take the crown. However, the experienced Bruni responded in style by setting the quickest qualifying time of the day (3:33.5).
Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is up for the battle for third overall and also landed a psychological blow on his challengers by finishing second in qualifying, while Goldstone was third. Shaw's rivals for third place overall Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) qualified in fourth and seventh respectively.
Meanwhile, Antoine Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) failed to finish the first qualifying session and did not start Q2 as a result. Youngster Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) and Andreas Kolb (YT Mob) were amongst those who had to book their finals spot through Q2. Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) and Richard Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) were some of those competitors who missed out on a Q2 qualifying spot through to the finals.
NICOLE SNATCHES POLL BY NARROWEST OF MARGINS
The experienced Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will be the last women’s elite starter in the finals after qualifying fastest by just seven hundredths of a second. The 35-year-old has had an illustrious career in downhill with two UCI World Championship titles and 10 UCI World Cup wins. After finishing a season’s best runner-up at Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, last weekend Nicole will look to go one better in Mont-Sainte-Anne on Saturday.
Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) came into the final round in fourth position overall following a consistent season. The Swiss rider looks set for another good weekend of racing after qualifying second just seventh hundredths of a second further back.
Fellow Swiss competitor Lisa Baumann completed an excellent qualifying session for Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction by finishing third in Q1 and just two tenths slower than the quickest time.
UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) recorded the perfect weekend in Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, last week. The Austrian completed a solid Q1 run to place seventh just 1.79 off the quickest pace.
In the battle for second overall Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) qualified in sixth fastest in her home country. Her challenger for second Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) struggled in Q1 to finish 13th and did not start Q2, marking an end to her weekend. Meanwhile, youngster Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory Racing DH) qualified in eighth, despite finishing with a flat tyre.
AMERICANS OSTGAARD AND VERMETTE TOP JUNIOR QUALIFIERS
Aletha Ostgaard took a home victory in the women Junior category at Lake Placid Olympic Region, New York, last weekend and looks just as comfortable on the Canadian course. The American has an outside chance of overall victory if she wins a fourth UCI World Cup win of the season and Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) fails to finish in the top-eight. However, Zierl showed the credentials she has shown all season and placed fourth in qualifying.
Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) qualified second and third quickest.
The men’s Junior overall series is going down to the wire with quickest qualifier Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) throwing down the gauntlet to his rivals. Vermette came into the weekend just 32 points behind Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and they qualified first and second respectively.
Frenchman Alran is also looking for a fifth UCI World Cup win of the season and was just eight tenths off the pace in qualifying, while Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) qualified third quickest. 
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) on Saturday with the downhill finals.
