Five-time UCI Downhill World Champion Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) took victory on his local course to deny Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) a historic win at Pal Arinsal – Andorra. Meanwhile, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) won a dramatic conclusion to the Women’s Elite event after leader and quickest qualifier Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) crashed coming into the finish.
Goldstone was aiming for a historic fifth consecutive UCI Downhill (DHI) World Cup victory of the season and set the quickest time of the weekend. However, Bruni was seeking revenge after crashing out of the UCI Downhill World Championships on the same course last year. The Frenchman was not to be denied as Bruni found the required speed and lines to better Goldstone’s time to take a second UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season.
Meanwhile, British rider Seagrave returned to the podium top step for the first time since the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland). Young Canadian Hemstreet looked to be heading towards a third UCI World Cup win of the season before seeing her two-second advantage disappear in a late crash. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) was suffering from sickness and kept her overall hopes alive with a second placed finish and Mille Johnset (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was third.
The high-altitude course at Pal Arinsal - Andorra provided a gruelling high-speed challenge for competitors. The Pyrenees venue hosted the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and riders were keen to put any mistakes from last year behind them. The fast and furious downhill course was just 2.1-kilometre long leaving no room for errors as riders dropped from Pic del Cubil down to Fontanals.
The fast and flowing course allowed riders to build speed in the top section before hitting the rock garden. An open section then let them maintain their flow before entering the technical wooded part and dropping down into the finish. Storm conditions forecasted for the afternoon resulted in an early start for the Women and Men’s Elite categories. Meanwhile, the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals were cancelled, and the qualifying result determined the final ranking. The regulation meant that Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Racing) took top positions in Pal Arinsal – Andorra.
BRUNI OVERCOMES GOLDSTONE TO TAKE TOP SPOT
Bruni won his first of five UCI Downhill World Championship titles in Andorra almost 10 years ago and clinched his 12th career UCI World Cup win close to his home. However, the Frenchman has been without a UCI Downhill World Cup win this season since Bielsko-Biała. Young Colombian Fernando Juan Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) took the biggest result of his young career in qualifying by posting a time of 2:40.275. French National Champion and 2023 Pal Arinsal UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) made it through the second qualifying session to finals the previous day.
Daprela sent an early warning to the race favourites by posting the quickest time of the weekend in 2:37.401 – eventually enough for sixth position. UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) won his rainbow stripes on the same course last year. The Frenchman kept in contention with the leading time throughout the opening sections and then showed his speed on the bottom half to knock eight tenths off the leading time and a new benchmark of 2:36.534.
European Champion Andreas Kolb (YT Mob) used his physical stature to his advantage to gain time on the top half of the course. However, on the technical section the Austrian dropped time and was nine tenths off the leader at the finish, to place seventh. Belgian Martin Maes (Orbea/FMD Racing) was the first of the final 10 starters to challenge the time of Vergier. The former Enduro competitor had a slender margin heading into the final rock garden before seeing the clock turn red by three tenths of a second and placed fourth. Italian national champion Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour) was over a second ahead of his opponents and looked set to post the quickest time until a crash in the final rock garden cost him dearly. He was disqualified afterwards. Andorra resident Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was over a second ahead of team-mate Vergier before miss-timing the exit from a corner and going off track.
Looking to make history Goldstone had a tough task on his hands to gain speed on the fast and flowing course. Despite his smaller physique, the Canadian had a lead of five tenths at the second split and was carrying incredible speed. Nailing all the lines and exits the UCI Downhill World Cup leader went quickest by eighth tenths to post a new fastest time of 2:35.646.
However, penultimate starter Bruni bettered the Canadian’s time by over a second in the opening sector. The five-time UCI World Champion held his advantage and speed into the middle section and broke Goldstone’s heart by going 1.2 seconds faster, clocking a time of 2:34.367.
Final starter Muñoz had been fastest all weekend and was looking to make history and become the first UCI Downhill World Cup winner for Colombia. The South American was six tenths behind in the opening sector and then crash while pushing the limits.
Goldstone remains overall series leader and has a 137-point advantage over Bruni heading into the seventh round. After taking a 12th career UCI Downhill World Cup win, Bruni said: “It means a lot. Battling with Jackson [Goldstone] this season and having to let him be better pushed me to come here with so much motivation. I had a lot of redemption and big feelings from last year, crashing at the UCI World Championships.
“I really wanted this one. The track was difficult and fully flat out, not much to do but open the gas. A lot of guys were incredibly fast today, and I’m so happy I could be a bit looser and crazier than everybody. Jackson was on fire again, so it’s really cool to beat him fair and square. It’s been a cool season, and I’m happy to be back on top. One hell of a day.
“I looked at Loris [Vergier]’s time, and it was insane—2:36 was the fastest time of the whole weekend by far. I wasn’t sure I could beat that, but I gave everything I had, and in my head, I thought, ‘It’s time, enough messing around.’ I’m really happy I avoided mistakes and took a risk in one section, which paid off.”
SEAGRAVE TRIUMPHS FOLLOWING DRAMATIC FINISH
Having experienced what it was like to stand on the podium in Andorra after finishing third in the UCI Downhill World Cup in 2023, Seagrave climbed to the podium top spot and clinched the 11th Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup win of her career this weekend. Canadian Hemstreet was looking for her third UCI Downhill World Cup triumph of the season and qualified fastest in a time of 3:00.955. However, Seagrave provided pressure for her opponent and was just a tenth slower in qualification.
Colombian national champion Valentina Roa Sanchez (MS-Racing) was the second starter and built an aggressive run to set the early benchmark of 3:02.389 - which earnt her sixth place. New Zealander Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) took over a second off the leading time as she built speed through the bottom section of her run and stopped the clock in 3:01.106 – quick enough for fourth position. Last weekend’s winner – and 2023’s winner at Pal Arinsal in 2023 – Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was the first of the five riders away from the start-gate but crashed on top corner to end her hopes.
UCI Downhill World Champion Höll has won twice previously on the new track in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. She had an explosive start and was three tenths ahead in the opening sector. The Austrian carried her speed through the rock garden, built her advantage in the bottom sector, and became the first Women Elite rider to break the three-minute barrier, stopping the clock at 2:58.651.
After qualifying third fastest Johnset was challenging the time of Höll before a small mistake resulted in her losing vital time on the second sector. The Norwegian threw everything at the remainder of her run and finished just a tenth behind Höll for third.
Experienced rider Seagrave accelerated through the top two sections and was 2.3 seconds ahead of Höll heading into the final rock gardens. The British rider held on to her advantage during a flawless run to set a new best mark of 2:56.835. Quickest qualifier Hemstreet struggled to match the speed of her rival in the top section and had six tenths to find after the top section. Renowned for her technical ability, the young Canadian found incredible speed and reversed the deficit to gain the lead by four tenths. With a two-second advantage coming into the finish, Hemstreet crashed exiting the final section - resulting in a fifth-placed finish over five seconds behind.
Despite being ill for the event, a second placed finish for Höll keeps her position as Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader heading into the seventh round.
Speaking after taking the victory Seagrave said: “I knew Gracey [Hemstreet] was going to win. She was so pinned at the bottom, I’m kind of gutted that she crashed so close to the end.
“I’m happy with my performance today. I wasn’t committed as some of the other girls [in the rock garden] so I knew I had to do as much damage as I could where I was good. Gracey [Hemstreet] was a bit further back than me yesterday [on the top section], so when I saw that she was within a second I knew she was going to do something special.
“This season has been a bit frustrating, but I feel like during such a long season you have to sacrifice a few races here and there. Hopefully mine are done.”
ALRAN AND OSTGAARD CHARGE TO JUNIOR VICTORIES
Alran snatch back the overall UCI Downhill World Cup Men Junior lead after winning in Pal Arinsal – Andorra. The French rider crashed in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) last weekend to finish 14th and lost vital points in the overall standings. However, his qualifying time of 2:39.151was enough to scoop the maximum points this weekend.
Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) remains in the overall hunt for a first Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season. The American was just five tenths back in qualification for second position and a healthy amount of series points. New Zealander Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is also in overall contention and his third place from qualifying picked up some vital points. Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) had led the overall standings coming into the sixth round. However, a fifth placed finish in qualifying cost him vital points and the overall lead to his brother Max.
After winning at La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta last weekend, Ostgaard showed again that she is the Women Junior to beat. Her qualifying time of 3:04.470 was enough for victory and was 1.909 of a second faster than privateer Marie Rosa Jensen.
Overall leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) retains a healthy advantage heading into round seven following a third-place finish.
Ostgaard said: “My qualification was really good, what turned out to be our race, It’s such a sick course, I really liked it and had a great time. I didn’t expect such a short course to be so physical, but it was really good and a very clean run which is what I was going for.”
Action continues tomorrow in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal – Andorra with Cross Country Olympic. The series then takes a break with UCI Downhill World Cup riders next taking to the slopes in Les Gets - Haute-Savoie (France) on 28 – 31 August.
