Canadians Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) continue to make waves in the Downhill scene, clocking the fastest qualifying times for tomorrow’s UCI Downhill World Cup Finals in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy. Hemstreet, aged 20, has won two UCI Downhill World Cup rounds already this season, but this was the first time she has qualified fastest. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Goldstone leads the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall standings and qualified quickest for the second time this season. The alpine ski town of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta is hosting the UCI Downhill World Cup for the first time and the specially designed track is set to provide some exciting racing. The technical, steep and fast 2.3-kilometre downhill course has an average gradient of -27% as it drops 641 metres in elevation. Both Hemstreet and Goldstone took advantage of the fast, flowing white-knuckle ride down towards the finish line as they set fastest times in the final sector to go quickest. Meanwhile, the new qualifying format for this season made for intense racing. Fourth placed overall rider in the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup standings, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction), suffered difficulties in Q1 and narrowly booked his finals place in Q2, along with Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity). In the women’s and men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup categories Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) and Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) impressed by posting the quickest time in their respective events. HEMSTREET FINISHES QUICKLY TO POST QUICKEST TIME A blistering final section was enough for Hemstreet to overcome her rivals to finish quickest qualifier. The Canadian was also the fastest qualifier in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) before placing fourth in the finals the following day. On this occasion, she was just 11th quickest in the opening split and was over a second behind her rivals before battling back to post the fastest time. One of the non-starters at the new downhill venue was fourth placed rider overall Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) after having surgery on her hand. Also choosing not to start in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta was Harriet Harnden (AON Racing- Tourne Campervans) following a crash in practice. Experienced British rider Tahnee Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) won the opening round of the series in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) but had a tough ride two weeks ago in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) when a crash resulted in a 15th place finish, damaging her overall hopes. Seagrave was determined for revenge and set the quickest time through the opening three sectors and was over two seconds quicker than Hemstreet. However, Hemstreet hit back with a blistering fourth sector to overturn the deficit and then stretched her advantage out to stop the clock in 4:04.9 - beating Seagrave into second by +1.13 seconds. Swiss rider Camille Balanche will be looking for her first podium finish of the season in tomorrow’s final. The Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team rider was in the mix for quickest qualifier and held the fastest time after the fourth split, before struggling through to final section, to qualify third fastest and 1.549 seconds behind Hemstreet. UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader and UCI World Champion, Valentina Höll (YT Mob) is looking for her first win of this year’s series. The Austrian rider, who finished runner-up in Val di Sole, had a consistent qualifying run to finish fourth and just +2.4 seconds behind. Quickest in Q2 to book their place in tomorrow’s final was Phoebe Gale (Orbea/FMD Racing) who stopped the clock in 4:14.5. GOLDSTONE OVERCOMES CHALLENGE TO GO FASTEST Goldstone recorded a perfect weekend two weeks ago in Val di Sole – Trentino by qualifying quickest and winning the event. The Santa Cruz Syndicate rider has a healthy lead in the UCI Downhill World Cup overall standings following three wins from the opening five events. The lightweight rider has been forced to battle back against his more powerful rivals already this season and it was a similar scenario in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. UCI World Champion and overall challenger Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) had the perfect start to the weekend going quickest through the first half of the course and had a 1.1-second advantage over Goldstone. The fourth sector was costly for Bruni who slipped from leading down to fourth position. Meanwhile, Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) will be bidding for his first podium place of the season after setting a competitive qualifying time. The American was competing for the quickest time throughout and led after the fourth sector. However, Goldstone went quickest through the final section to overturn a 0.8-second deficit to win in 3:33.7 – just 0.4 of a second faster than Shaw. Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob), a third 0.5 of a second behind Goldstone and Bruni, was fourth. The depth of competition in the men’s Elite field meant that Amaury Pierron and Williams were punished for their mistakes in Q1 and had to battle through Q2 in a bid for a Finals spot. With just 10 men qualifying from Q2, their place in tomorrow’s final was far from certain and Pierron risked losing vital points on his overall challengers. After a disastrous Q1 in which he finished 70th, Pierron was an early starter in the second round. Despite starting well, the Frenchman posted a time of 3:38.7 which made for a nervous wait. Columbian rider Juan Fernando Muñoz (Axess Intense Factory Racing) was quickest in Q2 after posting a time of 3:35.7, while Williams was eight +2.5 seconds behind and Pierron claimed the final qualification spot in 10th. ZIERL AND VERMETTE IMPRESS IN JUNIOR QUALIFYING Men’s Junior UCI World Champion Vermette posted the quickest time in the Junior Downhill Qualifying. The Frameworks Racing/5DEV rider has yet to win a round of this season’s UCI World Cup with podium finishes in the last two rounds. With the men’s Junior Qualifying being closely fought, Vermette took the lead after a quick second sector and held on to a slender advantage – stopping the clock in 3:36.3. Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) leads the overall standings and finished quickly to finish second fastest 0.205 of a second behind. His twin brother Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) won the previous round at Val di Sole – Trentino and qualified third quickest just +0.278 of a second slower then Vermette. Meanwhile, Zierl came into the weekend with a healthy overall lead in the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup standings after taking wins in the previous two rounds. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) finished runner-up in both of the previous events and brought the challenge to the Austrian once again. Ostgaard had a slender lead through the opening two sectors before Zierl came fighting back to go quickest by 1.66 seconds in a time of 4:18.7. Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) will be looking for her first podium finish of the season in tomorrow’s Finals after finishing third in qualifying +4.4 seconds behind the leading rider. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta tomorrow with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals.
For the third and final consecutive weekend of racing in Italy, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Gravity contingent heads to a brand-new UCI World Cup venue with the UCI Downhill and UCI Enduro World Cups taking to the trails of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. We look at everything you need to know about the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the Enduro and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Italy starts with the UCI Enduro World Cup at 11:00 (UTC+2) on Saturday, July 5 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 14:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, July 6. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Saturday, July 5 11:00 – UCI Enduro World Cup 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite Sunday, July 6 11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the Gravity-packed action unfold at Italy’s final UCI World Cup rounds of the 2025 season. For the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup round of 2025, there will be a course preview featuring the route and its key sections, practice day and race day video highlights on the official YouTube channel, key race moments on social media and live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website. The UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day can also be followed on live timing and across social media. For the fifth UCI Downhill World Cup round of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the Men Junior and Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on Max, discovery+* and MTBWS TV, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa All African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH While La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta might be a new addition to the UCI World Cup calendar, the venue has previously featured in the UCI Enduro World Cup’s precursor, the Enduro World Series – hosting five rounds between 2014 and 2021. For Enduro, it’s therefore a return to a fan favourite, while the UCI Downhill World Cup riders are being treated to a brand new race track – as tested by Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) in the off-season. To mark its return to the Enduro series, La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta has prepared a challenging and spectacular course, featuring three demanding stages, including a high-altitude start above 2500 metres. Riders will face technical terrain, big mountain descents and the raw, natural trails that have made La Thuile a favourite among enduro fans. As a final touch, the day will wrap up with a short night stage, lit by floodlights – a unique addition to an already epic race day. Less than a week after the dust has settled on Val di Fassa’s Dolomite two-dayer, the Enduro athletes are going again 530km west on the trails of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. In the Men’s Enduro competition, Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) has built a commanding lead in the overall series – his second win of the season in Val di Fassa – Trentino continuing an impressive run that has seen him stand on the podium at all five rounds to date in 2025. He leads the next closest Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) by 550 points and could claim the overall title with a win in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Melamed is one of only three riders to take a UCI Enduro World Cup win all year, so is in contention in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, while the other rider to stand on the top step in 2025 – privateer Daniel Booker – will be targeting a return to form after a disappointing 90th position last time out. One rider who won’t be contesting the win is the last rider to win at the venue, Jack Moir (YT Mob) – the Australian injuring his ankle prior to racing in Val di Fassa – Trentino. Privateer Ella Conolly meanwhile, made it a hat-trick of wins last weekend, and needs to do even less than Lukasik to confirm her first overall series. Her lead of 580 points over Simona Kuchynkova (Cube Action Team) means a win in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta will also be enough. With three wins and two second places to her name this series, expect her to clinch her crown in style. The Brit won’t have it all her own way though, with Kuchynkova, Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team), Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) and Bielsko-Biala winner Elly Hoskin ensuring it’s not a procession for Conolly. While there are two runaway leaders in the UCI Enduro World Cup overall standings, things are finally balanced in the UCI Downhill World Cup as it approaches its halfway point. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) has won three rounds back-to-back, but with the La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta a completely new addition, it will be down to who can get to grips with the track the fastest – something Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing), Danny Hart (Norco Race Division), Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) have managed in the past. If the Canadian can make it four in a row, he’ll equal Aaron Gwin’s record for consecutive wins, set in 2012. Despite Goldstone’s dominance, he only has a 100-point lead in the overall on Bruni, who again failed to tame the Black Snake in Val di Sole. The Frenchman is one of the most consistent riders on the circuit though, so he’ll be in contention in the Alps. It looked like there might be a three-way battle for the overall, but with Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) fracturing his collarbone in practice in Val di Sole, rainbow jersey wearer Vergier has some catching up to do to be in with a shot. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) meanwhile finds herself at the top of the women’s overall with a slender, 49-point lead over Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division). The reigning overall series winner and three-time UCI Downhill World Champion’s winless streak continues, but her consistency – the Austrian recording another second place in Val di Sole – means she’s still the woman to beat. Hemstreet failed to make it three wins in a row in Trentino, but the Canadian has proven herself to be a serious contender in 2025, while Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) will be looking to bounce back after her form was dented with a 15th place finish two weeks ago. Racing gets underway on Saturday, July 5 in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
After two fast and furious weekends of racing in Val di Sole -Trentino and Val di Fassa - Trentino, the Italian WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series triple header comes to a conclusion in the Alps and a new UCI World Cup venue – La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. The Gravity-only affair will be familiar to fans of Enduro – the location featuring in the UCI Enduro World Cup’s predecessor (Enduro World Series) five times between 2014 and 2021 – but the Valle d’Aosta spot is making its Downhill debut courtesy of a brand new race track. THE BIRTH OF AN ITALIAN ICON La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta is a high alpine ski town in the northwest of Italy that’s nestled in the Alps on the Italy-France border. A stone’s throw from Chamonix, France, and Mont Blanc, the town’s 1,450m elevation guarantees amazing views of the surrounding mountain range and down into the valley below. La Thuile Bike Park is home to 170km of routes, featuring some challenging, black-diamond trails packed with long, steep descents. Above the treeline, riders are treated to mellow, meadow fields, but on dropping into the woods the lines become rocky, rooty, and natural, creating a demanding test for both rider and bike. Its latest addition for the UCI Downhill World Cup has been created especially for this weekend by track manager Enrico Martello and Swiss specialists, Trailworks (whose work includes Bike Kingdom, Lenzerheide, Switzerland) and numerous local trailbuilders. The technical, steep and fast 2.3km course has an average gradient of -27% as it drops 641m in elevation. A mix of 40% machined and 60% natural terrain, it represents La Thuile’s character as it passes through dense alpine forests before opening up into a fast, flowing white-knuckle ride down towards the finish line. Standout section Shanghai is bound to become a fan favourite courtesy of a series of banked berms, while a 13.5m road gap will test even the most committed riders. The venue’s Enduro stages meanwhile take in the best trails of the Aosta Valley. Known globally as a natural trail area, La Thuile has become a reference point in the enduro world thanks to its raw character and deep connection to the mountain landscape. The UCI Enduro World Cup will see athletes take on four stages as part of a 48.21km course featuring 2,732m of descent during the race stages and 1,330m of pedal ascent during liaisons. The first three stages are drawn out affairs – the 6km with 988m descent Chaz Dura Express the longest of the lot – while the venue is pulling out all the stops for the final stage, Nightfall. For the UCI World Cup’s first-ever night stage, riders won’t start dropping in until 8:30pm, and will navigate the 600m-long stage lit by 23 floodlights that utilise the same technology as those used in Formula 1’s night races to ensure there are no shadows. GOLDSTONE ON FIRE AND CONSISTENT HÖLL IN CONTROL Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob) are the riders leading the downhill charge as we approach the season’s halfway point, but both have got to the top of their respective standings in different fashions. Goldstone is in a red-hot streak with three back-to-back wins that have rocketed him above Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) in the overall. The Canadian seems to be making up for lost time having missed last season due to injury, and is a win away from equaling Aaron Gwin’s (Gwin Racing) record for wins in a row (four) from 2012. To do so, the 21-year-old will have to do something he’s never done before – win on a brand-new UCI Downhill World Cup track. Second in the standings Bruni is one rider who has done this, plus with experience testing La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta’s course in the off-season, the reigning overall Series champion has the upper hand on his competitors. Third-placed Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) was the other rider present that day, and the UCI Downhill World Champion is edging closer to a podium finish – fifth place in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) his best result of the season. Others to look out for include wild card entrant Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing - SR Suntour) and second place in Val di Sole Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), while one rider who won’t be competing is Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) – the Frenchman injuring his collarbone in practice last time out. For Höll, she finds herself in first despite not winning all year – the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion and overall series winner in the top spot through consistency. Her second place in Val di Sole was her third podium of the season, but her UCI Downhill World Cup winless streak goes back to Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) in June 2024. If the Austrian fails to win this weekend, it will be her first Elite season where she hasn’t won one of the opening five rounds – a record that highlights her dominance since 2021. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is breathing down Höll’s neck, 49-points in arrears, and will be looking to secure her third win of the season in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) is another rider looking to bounce back after a disappointing time in Trentino – the Brit and round one winner finishing down in 15th place. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) meanwhile became the third different rider to win in 2025 in Val di Sole, highlighting the competitiveness in this year’s competition, and with six rounds to go, she won’t have written off her chances in the overall just yet. LUKASIK AND CONOLLY COULD BE CROWNED THIS WEEKEND While the downhill series is only approaching its halfway point, the Enduro contest is nearing its conclusion with La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta hosting the penultimate round. And with Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Ella Conolly continuing their dominant form in Val di Fassa, the pair could wrap up the overall before August’s finale in Morillon, Haute-Savoie (France). Lukasik secured his second UCI Enduro World Cup in the Dolomites, winning two stages over the two-day race to outgun all others including teammate Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). With Rude Jr back to Downhill racing this weekend, he’ll have one less rival to contend with in the Alps. The Pole only needs to finish fourth or better to clinch his first overall series win and given he hasn’t finished outside the top three all year, has a good chance of doing so. Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) is the only rider who can realistically stop Lukasik from winning the overall – the Canadian needing to add a second UCI Enduro World Cup win to take this season’s Series to the final round. Privateer Dan Booker meanwhile will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 90th place in Val di Fassa – the two-time UCI Enduro World Cup winner’s David vs Golliath bid ultimately undone by his low-scoring results in Trentino and Enduro Trails - Bielsko-Biała (Poland). One privateer who hasn’t had this issue is Ella Conolly. The Brit has finished within the top two all year and made it a hattrick of wins in Val di Fassa. She only needs to come seventh or better in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta to ensure her first overall series win. The women’s competition may therefore become a battle for second, and with Simona Kuchynkova (Cube Action Team) and Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) tied on 1320 points and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) not far behind on 1250, things are nicely poised with two rounds remaining. Racing gets underway in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on Saturday with the UCI Enduro World Cup – full schedule and events details are available here.
UCI Enduro World Cup leaders Ella Conolly and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) increased their overall margins by taking victories in Val di Fassa – Trentino. Both riders overcame searing temperatures and intense battles with their rivals to take honours after two days of racing in Italy Meanwhile, overnight leaders Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Melvin Almueis overcame pressure from their opponents to clinch honours in the junior events. The gruelling setting of the Dolomites – UNESCO World Heritage site resulted in thrills, spills and mechanicals for enduro competitors across the weekend.Riders took on seven stages over two days – consisting of a 60.1-kilometres course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of ascent. The first three stages on day one resulted in close racing, with little to separate the riders heading into a long second day.While the opening day posed some unknown and new stages the second day included four firm favourites on the enduro circuit - Titans, Glühwein, Tutti Frutti and Ciasates. The 36.7-kilometre course, also longer than the previous day, started with the three-kilometre Titans stage. With line selection difficult a technical test faced riders on the stage, which included a steep descent in the Dolomites. Stage five (Gluewhwin) provided a more physical test with just 150 metres of descending in the 1.2-kilometre stage. nother firm favourite came in the form of Tutti Frutti with riders facing a sandy descent and slated rocks before a steep climb to the finish. Finally, the day finished with the deciding 1.4-kilometre stage of Ciasates, which saw riders throwing caution to the wind and carrying speed over the roots. CONOLLY FINDS RYTHM TO WIN ELITE WOMEN’S CATEGORY The Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup was finely poised following the opening day as Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) had a slender lead over Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Action Team) and Conolly – as all three riders were separated by a second. After struggling to find her rhythm the previous day, Conolly hit back on the opening stage of the day - winning Titans by 7.7 seconds and taking the overall lead. Overnight leader Ellecosta crashed twice and lost 19 seconds on the stage to Conolly and also lost precious seconds to Kuchyňková. Frustrated by her mishaps in the opening stage, Ellecosta hit back going quickest on the short Gluhwein stage but only pulling back a second on rivals Kuchyňková and Conolly. The notorious Tutti Frutti stage proved pivotal to the weekend of racing as an impressive ride by Conolly saw her go 11 seconds faster than runner-up Ellecosta. Meanwhile, a slow puncture for Kuchyňková saw the Slovak rider place fourth on the stage and lose 25 seconds on the leader. Ellecosta also suffered a dent to her wheel at beginning of Tutti Frutti, but was able to keep the air in her tyre for the remaining stage. British rider Conolly wrapped up the overall victory by winning the final stage, while home rider Ellecosta was second and Kuchyňková third on the weekend standings. “I’m really happy to win here,” said Conolly. “It’s really cool to win in a place where I’ve not been on the podium before. It’s nice to finally have a good race here. On day one I was struggling. There’s not a lot of flow on the trails, so you have to generate speed all the time. I was trying to be patient and carry speed, but obviously it wasn’t attacking enough. “I wasn’t that happy with my riding after day one. I watched some videos last night and saw how riders were attacking and sprinting out of every corner.” “Every stage today I feel like I found that intensity which has been really nice. It has been super-hot and we’re at altitude so the sun feels really intense as well. Between every stage I was trying to stay on top of eating and drinking.” ŁUKASIK MAINTAINS PRESSURE AS RIVALS FAULTER Overall Men’s Elite UCI World Cup series leader Łukasik had a healthy five-second lead following the previous day’s shorter stages over Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team). Daniel Booker saw his hopes of overall ended the previous day when a rock punctured his tyre and damaged the rim during a demanding third stage. However, the Australian bounced back with a slender victory in the second day’s opening stage - Titans. Rude Jr finished second and clawed back over a second on leader Łukasik. The American increased the pressure on the series leader by winning the Gluhwein stage and reducing his overall deficit to Łukasik to 1.6 seconds heading into the final two stages. Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) held third overall and had an 11-second buffer over Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The notorious Tutti Frutti high up in the Dolomites had a big impact in the weekend’s final standings. Third place overall Murray suffered a puncture at the top of the stage resulting in a long ride on a flat tyre resulting in him losing 33 seconds on the stage and a frantic ride back to the pits. Canadian rider Melamed took full advantage winning the stage and pulling himself into the final podium position. Rude suffered a similar fate on Tutti Frutti puncturing and losing 12.9 seconds on the stage and finishing six seconds behind Łukasik. Honours in the final stage went to Dutch rider Tristan Botteram (Simplon Trailblazers) who mastered the gruelling Ciasates stage. A third-place finish on the stage for Łukasik secured him the overall victory. Despite crashing on the final stage Rude finished second overall 13.8 seconds back and Melamed completed the podium positions. “I was super-happy after the first day,” said Łukasik. “I felt that I could push really hard and it was a smooth day. I then struggled to sleep and I was really tired in the morning. I tried to push as hard as the day before, but it was really hard with the heat and also the track was sketchy at times.” “I had fun riding so I tried to stay smooth and had good momentum through the whole day. The altitude wasn’t the big issue, the bigger issue was the heat and it was a really hard day. ALMUEIS AND ADAMS SURVIVE SCARES IN JUNIOR CATEGORIES Men’s Junior UCI World Cup overall leader Almueis held a slender overnight lead after an intense first day of riding. Slovenian rider Maks Struna sat just 3.6 seconds back from the leader overall after the first day and looked to overturn his deficit on the longer stages. Struna turned the tables on his rival gaining 3.3 seconds on his way to winning the opening stage of the day (Titans). Gluhwein provided a close contest between the top riders but Struna again took victory to take the overall lead. However, disaster struck for the leader on the notorious Tutti Frutti stage with Struna losing almost two minutes on his rivals and his overall challenge was over. Frenchman Almueis regained the overall lead by winning the stage by 9.7 seconds ahead of Hungarian Áron Babó. Almueis had a commanding 21-second lead over Babó heading into the final stage of the weekend and Canadian Rhys Blair held third. Overall leader Almueis also triumphed in the final stage to secure victory. A strong second day for Babó secured his second position overall and Blair took third. “It was a really hot conditions, today with the weather,” said Almueis. “I’m really happy to win in Val di Fassa – Trentino, the guys behind me were really fast. I kept pushing on these two days and I’m really happy because it’s really hard.” In the Women’s Junior UCI Enduro World Cup overnight leader Adams had a healthy lead of 14 seconds heading into Sunday. French rider Lucile Metge was her closest challenger and increased the pressure by winning her first stage of the weekend at Titans. As Adams struggled to find her form from the previous day, American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) took a slender win on the subsequent Gluhwein stage and Metge pulled back to eight seconds behind overall leader Adams. Tutti Frutti turned the race on its head as Metge triumphed by 7.6 seconds and was just 0.4 of a second behind Adams overall going into the final stage. On the final stage Adams did enough to win the stage by a second and the overall from a valiant Metge. “I’m super stoked,” said Adams.“It was definitely a hard day on the bike. I had a bit of a slow start on stage four and five, but got the flow on the last two stages, so I was pretty happy with that.” “It was a bit of a slow start, but I brought it back which was nice. The trails were in an awesome condition. There was a couple of loose sections on Tutti Frutti, it was pretty dry out there. The last stage was really fun, rough on my hands but fun.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series gravity events continue next weekend at the alpine ski town of La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy) when enduro and downhill riders will take to the slopes in search of glory.
Home favourite Nadine Ellecosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Racing) and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) hold the overnight leads in the UCI Enduro World Cup after a gruelling day of action in Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy). Ellecosta leads a three-way fight in the Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup - with a single second separating the Italian from Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Action Team) and Ella Conolly. Łukasik was also put under pressure in the Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup and the overall series leader has a five-second lead heading into a daunting second day. Meanwhile, series challenger Daniel Booker saw his hopes of glory in Val di Fassa – Trentino ended when a rock punctured his tyre and damaged the rim during a demanding third stage of the day. Lacey Adams (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) has a healthy lead in the Women Junior UCI World Cup after a dominant day which saw the Australian win every stage. Meanwhile, Men’s Junior UCI World Cup overall leader Melvin Almueis battled to take a slender overnight lead in that category. Val di Fassa – Trentino has become a home for enduro events and held the first ever UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships last year. The beautiful setting of the Dolomites – UNESCO World Heritage site are hosting seven stages over two days – consisting of a 60.1-kilometres course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of pedal ascent. The opening day’s course consisted of 23.4 kilometres with three testing stages. The Pecedac and Fassa and Furious set the scene at 1-kilometre and 1.4-kilometre long respectively. Concluding the day was the 9.90 stage (3.5km with 37m ascent and 621m descent). A tough climb at altitude started the day’s final stage which was followed by a steep and physically demanding descent. ELLECOSTA DELIGHTS HOME FANS TO TAKE LEAD INTO DAY TWO The Dolomites was the scene of an enthralling day of action in the Women’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup action. German rider Raphaela Richter got her weekend off to a perfect start by winning the opening stage in the women’s category. Richter finished fourth in the opening round at Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) before missing the subsequent rounds. However, Richter returned to the series with a bang as her time of 2:30.3 was an impressive 1.9 seconds faster than home rider Ellecosta. The second stage contained a short but technical wooded section which prevented riders finding their flow and including a section requiring pedalling at the bottom. Overall series leader Conolly won the previous two rounds and was looking to extend her overall lead further.The British rider showed her power in the second stage to win the sector by 2.9 seconds ahead of Ellecosta and Kuchyňková (was a close third). The longest stage of the day saw an intense battle for the overnight lead with Kuchyňková winning the sector - finishing just 0.47 of a second faster than Ellecosta and Conolly was third. Italian home favourite Ellecosta has the overnight lead but is just 0.8 ahead of Kuchyňková and Conolly is also poised just one second behind the leader. “It was so awesome,” said Ellecosta. “I had a really good day out there. I had so much fun in this race. The love all the trails. “I know that tomorrow is going to be a bigger day. I’m already keen for it. I’ll go home for some rest, eating and sleeping and then hopefully I can recharge the batteries for tomorrow. “Tomorrow is going to be really hard, really physical, there are some really long stages, but I’m looking forward to it.” ŁUKASIK REMAINS CONSISTENT TO TOP OVERNIGHT STANDINGS After four UCI Enduro World Cup rounds the Men Elite riders descended on Val di Fassa – Trentino looking to show their strength in the Dolomites terrain. Australian Jack Moir (YT Mob) sat fifth overall after a consistent start to the season but missed the round due to injury. After testing himself in downhill action in recent weeks Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) returned to Enduro bike action.The American was pushing at the top of a close leaderboard during an intense opening stage but had to settle for second as Australian Booker went three seconds faster. Meanwhile, Men’s Elite UCI Enduro World Cup series leader Łukasik was fourth on the opening stage. However, the Polish rider cut his deficit to win the second stage by 0.7 of a second from Rude Jr as Booker placed third. Łukasik then stamped his authority on the longest stage of the day to win the sector by 2.7 seconds ahead of Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity) and Rude Jr in third (5.02 seconds back). A flat tyre and broken wheel for Booker after hitting a rock on the third stage ended his overall chances going into the second day. Consistent riding throughout the day by Łukasik gives him a 5.2-second overall lead ahead of Rude Jr and Murray is 9.9 seconds back. “It was pretty fun,” said Łukasik. “It was really good conditions and I felt like I could push way faster and harder on each stage. “I tried to keep the flow, it was a really good day. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I expect it to be harder with two big stages.” ADAMS AND ALMUEIS TAKE JUNIOR LEADS INTO SECOND DAY Adams dominated the Women’s Junior category at both Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) The Australian was in a determined mood once again as she took an early lead on the opening stage. However, she was pushed all the way on the one-kilometre stage by French rider Lucile Metge who was just 0.4 seconds behind and American Chloe Bear (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) was also in close contention. Adams then blew her rivals away in the second stage to continue her winning run and extend her overall lead over Metge to 2.5 seconds, while Bear had cemented her third place. The Australian also triumphed on the toughest stage of the day with her time over the 3.5-kilometre stage 12 seconds quicker than Metge. Coming into tomorrow’s stages Adams has a healthy 14-second lead over Metge, while Bear sits 33 seconds back. “It was a short first stage to start off and it was perfect conditions out there,” said Adams. “The second stage was a bit longer, but the conditions were amazing and it was super fun.“The third stage was pretty long, I was pretty fatigued halfway through but I just kept pushing through. I’m stoked to be leading.” Meanwhile, Almueis has work to do in the Men’s Junior UCI World Cup category to extend his overnight advantage tomorrow. Swiss rider Noé Forlin was a surprise early leader after posting an impressive time of 2:14 on the short opening stage. However, series leader Almueis was in close pursuit and sat just 0.4 of a second back. Forlin then dominated his opposition in the second stage with his time five seconds faster than his opposition. Almueis finished fourth on the stage following a close competition for the top three positions. However, mistakes on the final stage for Forlin saw him finish 14th on the sector and drop down the overall. Almueis took advantage winning the 3.5-kilometre stage by just 0.7 of a second from Maks Struna and Canadian Rhys Blair was third (6.9 seconds back). Competition is tight going into the second day as Almueis has a 3.6-second overall lead ahead of Slovenian rider Struna and the pair of Blair and Áron Babó are nicely placed 10 seconds back on overall. “Today was a really good day for me in dry conditions,” said Almueis. “Yesterday during practice I didn’t like the first stage, but today was a very good result. The second stage was quite difficult for me with many pedalling at the bottom of the stage. “The third stage I tried to do my best and managed to finish second. Tomorrow, let’s see what we can do.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues on Sunday when the UCI Enduro World Cup competitors will take to the hills surrounding Val di Fassa – Trentino once again. With four stages and a course length of 36.7 kilometres all could change and everything is still up for grabs.
The penultimate round of the UCI Enduro World Cup 2025 is nearly upon us, and the course has been released! Back-to-back race weekends in Italy will take us from Val di Fassa, Trentino, to the much anticipated La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta next week. La Thuile, a previous Enduro World Series venue, will host both the UCI Downhill and Enduro World Cups - a full gravity weekend of racing - for the first time. This is the final one-day race of the UCI EDR World Cup season (concluding in Morillon, Haute Savioe with a 2-day epic), and will feature four incredible stages - including the race series' first ever night stage! The full course is 46.77km, with over 2700m of descending. You can check out the stages on the interactive map, or take a fly through the animated version.
After four fiercely contested UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, the 2025 series enters its second half with three weekenders of racing and the outcome of both men’s and women’s overall titles still up for grabs. Val di Fassa, Trentino (Italy), is the setting of this weekend’s action, and with only Enduro on the cards, riders and fans will see a return to a two-day UCI Enduro World Cup round. A staple of the UCI Enduro World Cup and its precursor – the Enduro World Series – since 2019, the Dolomite-based location is regarded as one of the best venues in the world. With a racing history dating back to 2015, it was fitting that it hosted the inaugural UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships last year. NEW TESTS AND OLD FAVOURITES UCI World Cup locations don’t get much better than the Dolomites. The mountain range will provide a jaw-dropping backdrop to the all-out, Gravity-fuelled action, but its terrain will also make for some amazing racing. The charming town of Canazei will play host to the race headquarters, while the riding will stretch across three sectors of the Val di Fassa - Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella and the Ciampac area. For the UCI Enduro World Cup, athletes will take on seven stages during a 60.1km course featuring 3,057m of descent and 3,316m of pedal ascent. The first three stages take place on day one, which can be seen as something of a warm-up for the following day’s action – as it will feature 13km less pedalling and roughly half the ascent and descent. All three stages will be making their UCI Enduro World Cup debut, so could produce some surprises – particularly the day’s last stage, 9.90 (3.5km with 37m ascent and 621m descent). The second day, meanwhile, includes four firm favourites from the region – Titans, Glühwein, Tutti Frutti and Ciasates – and would be a tough enough day’s riding without the Enduro exploits 24 hours previously. RUDE RETURNS TO GIVE ŁUKASIK A TOUGH TEST WHILE CONOLLY TARGETS HATTRICK OF WINS With a week-long break in the UCI Downhill World Cup, reigning UCI Enduro World Cup overall title holder Richard Rude Jr (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is set to return to his Enduro roots in Trentino. The American has had mixed results since turning his focus to Gravity’s other format this season, but showed he’s still at home on an Enduro bike at the opening round in Pietra Ligure - Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) when he finished sixth. His presence has the potential to shake things up in the Val di Fassa - Trentino standings, even if it won’t dramatically alter the overall, with there being only one more round after this weekend that doesn’t clash with a UCI Downhill World Cup. Rude is a firm favourite in Trentino, having won three times at the venue (2019, 2021 and 2022) and taken bronze at last year’s UCI Enduro World Championships. Rude’s teammate, Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), leads the men’s overall series, and hasn’t finished off the podium all year. Although the Pole is yet to back up his debut UCI Enduro World Cup win in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), expect him to contest for a top spot in Italy. Privateer Daniel Booker’s two wins mean he’s closest to Łukasik in the standings, while others to look out for are in-form riders Charles Murray(Specialized Gravity) and winner in Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland (Austria), Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). One rider who won’t be in Val di Fassa - Trentino is last year’s winner at the venue, UCI Enduro World Champion Alex Rudeau. In the Women Elite, Ella Conolly appears unstoppable in her pursuit of a debut title. The Brit has dominated the last two UCI Enduro World Cup rounds, hasn’t finished outside the top two all year, and only seems to be growing in confidence. One rider who has got the better of Conolly this year is Elly Hoskin, winner of the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Bielsko-Biała. The Canadian returns to racing having sat out rounds three and four, so will be the toughest challenge Conolly has faced since May. The only other UCI Enduro World Cup winner in the field, Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing), is also back on the startlist again having sat out Saalfelden Leogang-Salzburgerland after a crash in practice. Conolly’s series lead currently stands at 490 points, with Simona Kuchynková (Cube Action Team), Morgane Charre and Nadine Ellecosta(Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) the only riders within 600 points of the in-form privateer. HOW TO WATCH Race content will be available across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ official platforms, including the YouTube channel, website, and social media profiles. Fans can catch up with the action from Val di Fassa - Trentino with: · A course preview featuring the route and its key sections · Practice day and race day video highlights · Key race moments on social media · Real-time race updates via live timing on the official website Racing gets underway in Val di Fassa - Trentino on Saturday – full schedule and event details are available here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that 16 wildcard teams – eight cross-country and eight downhill – have been selected for round 11 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal (Andorra) on July 10-13. While all eight teams that applied for a downhill spot secured a wildcard, it was a lot more competitive in the cross-country, with only half of the 16 applicants selected. The majority of qualifying teams have already featured in the 2025 series, but there will be a first appearance for Swiss Endurance outfit Bike Team Solothurn. The nine-strong Cross-country team has a strong UCI World Cup history and blends a mixture of experience and youth. Some of its riders have already lit up this year’s WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series too, having qualified based on their UCI ranking points. Fabio Püntener is Bike Team Solothurn’s highest profile rider, recording a podium in the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup round in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) after finishing fifth in the previous round, while Fiona Schibler has been the in-form U23 XCO rider of rounds three and four, following up second place in Nové Mesto Na Moravě (Czechia) with the win in Austria. Elsewhere, Lexware Mountainbike Team is the only Endurance team to continue its 100% wildcard qualification record, while Goodman Santacruz, Rogue Racing - SR Suntour, Team High Country and Kenda NS Bikes UR Team do the same in downhill. The podiums keep coming for wildcard entrants too, with top three spots in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland for BIXS Performance Race Team’s Ramona Forchini (3rd in Women Elite XCO), Lexware Mountainbike Team’s Elina Benoit (1st in Women U23 Cross-country Short Track (XCC) ; 3rd in Women U23 XCO) and Paul Schehl (3rd in Men U23 XCC; 2nd in Men Under 23 XCO), and Trinity Racing’s Vida Lopez de San Roman (2nd in Women U23 XCC). The 16 wildcard teams for round 11 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Pal Arinsal, Andorra are: UCI Cross-country World Cup: 1. BIXS Performance Race Team 2. Lexware Mountainbike Team 3. Bike Team Solothurn 4. Massi 5. Cabtech Racing Team 6. Scott Creuse Oxygene Gueret 7. Trek Future Racing 8. Trinity Racing UCI Downhill World Cup: 1. Gwin Racing 2. Rogue Racing - SR Suntour 3. Goodman Santacruz 4. Team High Country 5. Kenda NS Bike UR Team 6. YT Racing Development 7. The Alliance 8. Future Frameworks
Martin Vidaurre Kossman (Specialized Factory Racing) took an historic win for Chile in becoming the first athlete from the country to win a UCI World Cup. The Specialized Factory Racing rider has often watched team-mates Christopher Blevins and Victor Koretzky stand on the top step of the podium. However, on this occasion the 25-year-old took victory passing Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Divison) on the penultimate lap and riding clear, while privateer Fabio Püntener finished third. Meanwhile, Pieterse became the first woman to win back-to-back rounds in both XCO and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup disciplines. The 23-year-old Women’s UCI XCO World Champion powered clear on the second lap and held on to win, despite suffering a crash halfway through the event. She was pushed all the way for victory by Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) who was closing on the lone leader during the second half of the race and finished just 26 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) took third following a close battle with Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO). In the Women’s U23 UCI XCO World Cup Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) returned from injury to seal a home victory for the Italian fans. The home rider finished 30 seconds ahead of fast finishing Fiona Schibler, while fellow Italian Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) completed the podium after leading early on. Meanwhile, Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) took his first World Cup victory in the Mens’ U23 UCI XCO World Cup. The Dutch rider attacked at the midway point and grew his advantage each lap to the finish. Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) backed up his XCC win on Friday night with a determined second placed finish after coming back from a mechanical issue.Meanwhile Benjamin Krüger finished third after fending off the challenge of a chasing group behind. VIDAURRE BATTLES THROUGH FIELD TO TAKE HISTORIC WIN Vidaurre timed his effort to perfection to win the Men’s Elite category with a penultimate lap attack and then grew his winning margin in the final stages. The Chilean won the 2021 Mens’ U23 UCI XCO World Champion in Val Di Sole – Trentino and celebrated his first Elite World Cup win in front of the same Italian fans. Vidaurre had to work his way forward from the fourth row and became stronger as the race reached its conclusion. A frantic start saw Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) take the front position as overall XCO and XCC UCI World Cup leader Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) was in close attendance. Behind traffic on the short climbs into the wooded section delayed some of those riders outside the top 15 positions. Blevins was joined by team-mate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) in setting a scintillating early pace which caused gaps in the field further back. After withstanding the early pace Swiss rider Filippo Colombo (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) attacked on the second lap with a powerful move up a steep climb and was joined at the front by Martin. The move put Koretzky onto the back-foot and he would fall back down the field and out of contention. Italian Luca Braidot (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) slowly worked his way across the seven-second gap to Colombo, but the pace was too high for Blevins who started to drop away. Cannondale Factory Racing team-mates Charlie Aldridge and Martin worked together and after half-an-hour of racing were just a handful of seconds behind the leading duo. Entering the fourth of eight laps the two pairs came together resulting in the pace easing, as chasers Mathis Azzaro and Julian Schelb (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) also pulled themselves back into contention. Also back to the leading group on the fifth lap was Swiss rider Püntener and Vidaurre to make a front group of eight riders on lap five. Colombo suffered heartbreak when a flat tyre resulted in the end of his podium ambitions. The pressure from Frenchman Azzaro saw him form a gap initially with Italian Braidot, before riding clear at the front. After riding himself back into contention earlier in the race Vidaurre reached across to second placed Braidot and the pair continued their pursuit of Azzaro, who had a lead of 17 seconds with two laps remaining. Vidaurre was not content with the pace being set and distanced Braidot on a wooded climb and could see the lone leader as the gap came down. Vidaurre came across to the leader and then immediately took the front of the race to set the pace on the descent. The Chilean rider perfected the descent and had a four-second gap over the fading Azzaro when taking the last lap bell. Behind Braidot narrowly avoided crashing on the descent but lost time as Püntener took third place. Vidaurre controlled his pace on the final lap and celebrated victory with his team, finishing 23 seconds ahead of Azzaro in second and Püntener in third (39 seconds back). Meanwhile, an eighth position for Blevins was enough for him to keep the XCO overall lead, ahead of Specialized Factory Racing team-mate Vidaurre. “It’s amazing, I love Italy, I love the people here, they gave me all the strength today,” said Vidaurre following his victory. “I have such good memories from 2021 when I became U23 World Champion. The whole race I said to myself ‘you can do it’. I just pushed through the bike, the Specialized was amazing over the roots, it’s incredible how fast I can go. “I found my flow, kept it easy at the beginning and then just took energy from the crowd. I needed this win, I’m more than happy. “It has been a long way to be here, it’s my third year as an elite, and to win a World Cup is all that I wanted. This is for my people and for my country. “I’ve watch Christopher (Blevins) win seven World Cups and Victor (Koretzky) win a bunch. Finally it is my turn. It’s the team spirit to push and support each other.” PIETERSE HOLDS FIRM TO ADD ANOTHER WIN TO HER COLLECTION Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) overcame a small crash and pressure from her rivals to record a second Women’s Elite UCI XCO World Cup win of the season. The Dutch National Champion won in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland in convincing style two weeks’ ago on a muddy and gruelling course. Despite a repeat of the race result in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, it was a closer contest in Val Di Sole – Trentino as Maxwell was closing on the leader in the latter stages. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) missed the weekend of racing at Val di Sole – Trentino, while Haley Batten (Specialized Factory Racing) was a non-starter after breaking her finger during the XCC event on Friday evening. Maxwell started from the second row after finishing 12th in the XCC and found herself in 19th and 30 seconds behind after the first lap. After finishing runner-up in the XCC it was Rissveds who powered clear on the opening lap, but had Pieterse and Stigger in close attendance. Pieterse responded from the early pressure and took the front with only Rissveds able to follow the Dutch woman. The persistent attacks of Pieterse eventually told on the second lap and she gapped her Swedish opponent. The UCI XCO World Champion grew her advantage in the following laps as Rissveds fell back to the duo of Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) and Stigger, while Maxwell was chasing with Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Racing) 54 seconds behind the leader. Pieterse looked in control before crashing in the rock garden on the fourth of seven laps and had to regain her rhythm. The chasers came together to form a group of five riders, who following the crash of Pieterse, were 36 seconds behind the leader. Pieterse regained time before the fight for medals saw Stigger and Maxwell pull clear of the chasing pack on the fifth lap. On the penultimate lap Maxwell used her strength in the steep climb and gapped Stigger, while Koller and Rissveds remained in the podium fight. Maxwell then went in pursuit of Pieterse and pulled the leader back to 32 seconds in a tense finish. On the final lap Pieterse rallied and had enough of an advantage to beat Maxwell into second, while a three-rider chasing group battled for third. Rissveds launched her attack in a bid to secure the final podium position, only for Stigger to pull her opponent back on the descent. Pieterse had time to celebrate her win, while Maxwell finished 26 seconds back in second and Stigger powered away from Rissveds in the closing moments to secure third. A fifth XCO podium of the season for Maxwell cemented her place as the overall leader, ahead of Koller and Pieterse. “It’s quite cool,” said Pieterse about her new record of back-to-back XCO and XCC wins. “I already knew from the XCC that she (Jenny Rissveds) was strong, she went out hard and I decided to follow a bit and not go as long (attack so early) as in Leogang. “I noticed a few spots where I was a bit quicker and I tried to make the best of it. I got a gap and had to go for it. “It took a lot today, especially when I heard that they were coming closer and closer. I heard that Samara (Maxwell) attacked and went all in, especially the climb on the back (of the course), it was almost undoable.” Speaking about her crash on the rock garden section, Pieterse added: “Halfway through I lost a bit of my focus, with all the noise around from people cheering. Italy is always crazy and it is hard to focus sometimes. “I made a little mistake and it took me half-a-lap to get into it, and then it was good again. I knew the seconds back because every time in the tech zone they told me. Maybe it looks a lot, but in my mind 30 seconds is nothing.” CORVI DELIGHTS HOME FANS WITH COMMANDING WIN Corvi delighted the home Italian fans as she clinched a solo victory in the Women’s UCI U23 XCO World Cup. The 20-year-old Italian fractured her collarbone in a crash earlier this season and had a winning return to the UCI XCO World Cup. After finishing eighth in the XCC event on Friday night, Corvi took control in front of her home fans in the XCO on Sunday morning. She was joined at the head of proceedings by fellow Italian Cortinovis and the home riders had a healthy lead after the opening lap. The pair worked together to grow their lead until the third of five laps when Corvi took the lead alone. Cortinovis suffered from her early efforts and fell back to the chasing riders competing for the medals. After finishing 25th in Friday night’s XCC event, Schibler had to battle through the field and lost 30 seconds on the leaders on the opening lap. However, the Swiss rider worked her way into the leading group before passing Cortinovis into second position and went in pursuit of the lone leader. Corvi limited her loses on the last lap and held on to take victory by 30 seconds ahead of Schibler. Meanwhile, Cortinovis was rewarded for her early efforts with a second position finish. A sixth placed finish for Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) was enough to maintain her position as overall XCO series leader. “I tried to push super-strong from the beginning,” said Corvi. “I had super-good feelings, it’s amazing here with my crowd and my people. Winning my first UCI World Cup is amazing “Sara (Cortinovis) pushed super-strong from the first lap and I tried to keep the speed high. I’m super-happy that we finished all together on the podium in Italy, it’s a big day for us.” TEUNISSEN VAN MANEN TAKES MAIDEN WORLD CUP WIN Teunissen Van Manen sensed his opportunity and powered away to win his first UCI World Cup. The 20-year-old has finished on the podium twice this year and capitalised on a mechanical for rival Treudler to form a winning gap. Swiss riders Nicholas Halter and Treudler were at the front from the outset and pulled out a small five-second gap on chasers Paul Schehl (Lexware MountainBike Team) and Teunissen Van Manen. The fast pace of the opening lap took its toll on the Under 23 riders as the field started to spread out on the Val di Sole – Trentino course. Dutch rider Tom Schellekens (KMC Ridley MTC Racing Team) was also amongst the riders within 10 seconds of the early Swiss leaders. Treudler won the XCC World Cup on Friday night but suffered some mechanical issues and lost time, dropping down to seventh position. German pairing Krüger and Schehl were joined at the front by Heby Gustav Pedersen (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Racing) and Teunissen Van Manen. On the fourth lap Teunissen Van Manen made his bid for glory and distanced his rivals by 14 seconds. The Dutch rider continued to grow his leading advantage, while Treudler pulled back the chasers to battle out the medal positions. On the penultimate lap Treudler showed his power and distanced his podium opponents but sat 40 seconds behind lone leader Teunissen Van Manen. A last lap crash for Teunissen Van Manen saw his winning margin reduced to 34 seconds on the final lap ahead of Treudler. Meanwhile Krüger gapped his podium opponents for third but had to fend off a late charge from Swiss rider Khalid Sidahmed. “It is everything that I’ve ever dreamed of,” said Teunissen Van Manen. “To win here on this course couldn’t have been any better. “In the last lap on the first downhill I got stuck in between some roots, in the dust, and went down. “Luckily it wasn’t anything bad and I could continue.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues next weekend when the UCI Enduro World Cup hits the slopes of Val di Fassa – Trentino. Meanwhile, the endurance riders are next in the XCO and XCC UCI World Cups in Pal Arinsal - Andorra on 9-13 July.
Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) showed fearless technique as they took victories in the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals at Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy). Canadian youngster Goldstone has fired his way back from an injury-hit 2024 and won the previous two rounds heading to Italy – at Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) and Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France). Goldstone dominated the Men’s Elite weekend Qualifying quickest and then finishing quickest in the Finals by 2.42 seconds ahead of Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) in second and Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour) took third – despite riding most of his run with no chain. Meanwhile, French woman Cabirou took her ninth Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory. She fended off a determined run from UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) in second and quickest qualifier experienced Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing – Tourne Campervans) finished third. The 2.1-kilometre course provided a tough test, with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550 metres, with the dry conditions making for a dusty course. Meanwhile, there was a first UCI World Cup victory in the Men’s Junior category for Till Alran (Commencal-Muc-off by Riding Addiction) and Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) made it back-to-back round wins in the Women’s Junior event. GOLDSTONE TAKES OVERALL LEAD WITH THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN Goldstone felt no pressure as he claimed a third consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory.With victory the 21-year-old also took the overall series lead from the shoulders of rival Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity). Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) also lost ground in the overall standings after breaking his collarbone in practice earlier in the weekend. The quickest time kept falling in the Men’s Elite category Finals as Oliver Zwar (Orbea/FMD Racing) posted a time of 3:44.29 which pushed out Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity). British riders Matt Walker (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Joe Breeden (Axess Intense Factory Racing) crashed out, along with home favourites Christian Hauser (Trek Factory Racing DH) and Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour). Quickest qualifier in the second session the previous day Antoine Pierron (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) held his nerve on the difficult course and clocked speeds of over 60 kilometres an hour. However, when leading Pierron suffered a flat tyre on the final section, which cost him a podium challenge. French National Champion Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing-SR Suntour) lost his chain on the opening section but still went the quickest by three seconds by the midway point. Despite making a few mistakes and having no chain to pedal the final moments the Frenchman went quickest in 3:42.22 - a time which finally held third place overall. American Dylan Maples (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) provided a challenge for the leading time and built speed throughout his run to finish fourth. UCI Downhill Cup World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) was the next to test the dusty course and was in contention in the top section. However, the Frenchman lost time throughout the woods and despite finishing strongly his time was eventually enough for fifth. Overall series leader Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) also lost time on the middle section and found himself off the podium and losing vital points with a sixth placed finish. Penultimate starter Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was second quickest on the top section and was carrying his speed down the steep slopes. Brosnan found himself a second behind before throwing everything at the lower slopes and went quickest in 3:41.28. That was until Goldstone hit the slopes and carried his speed through the top section to keep in contention. The Canadian was in full control and took his third win in as many rounds finishing in 3:38.86 – 2.42 seconds clear of Brosnan in second and Daprela took an impressive third. “That was a really good run today,” said Goldstone. “I felt that I was hitting all my lines good, there was moments where I had to dab my foot three times. “That came from a lot of motivation from my last two wins and the confidence built in practice. It felt like it was going to happen. “I was confident in my run the whole way down. I felt that I didn’t leave anything out there. It was a good one.” Goldstone is the first rider to win three consecutive Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup rounds since Danny Hart in 2016. He added: “It’s a crazy stat to be a part of. I felt like everyone was talking about the wins. I’m just so proud to be able to do it. “The goals is to do the best I can in every single race, no matter where I end up. As long as I’m happy with my run and I’ve been happy with these last three runs and they’ve been winning runs. “I need to keep up that momentum and keep pushing. I’ve got a good training block next week.” CABIROU SHOWS EXPERIENCE TO TAKE WOMEN’S ELITE VICTORY Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) took her ninth Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory of her career. The 28-year-old was without a UCI World Cup win this season coming into the event, after winning two series events in 2024. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) was another victim of the technical Black Snake course and failed to start qualification after breaking her hand during practice. Former winner at Val di Sole – Trentino and overall hopeful, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing), had a weekend to forget and mistimed a wooded turn which saw the end of her challenge. Fast finisher Cabirou was the first rider to beat the long-standing time of Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory Racing) and took first position. After taking two consecutive UCI World Cup victories Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) lost time on the upper sections of the course and despite pushing the technical sections the Canadian had to settle for fourth position - two seconds behind. UCI Downhill World Champion Valentina Höll (YT Mob) rode a commanding top section and was matching Cabirou time in the woods. There was little to separate the two riders, but the strong final section from Cabirou was the difference as Höll finished 1.27 seconds back. Quickest qualifier Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing – Tourne Campervans) put down a consistent run but struggled to find the pace of the previous day to finish third. “My beginning of the season was not super-good,” said Cabirou. “I was fighting a bit to be on the podium and at the top again. “I’m really happy to win today. It was a really challenging weekend. The track was really destroyed, I gave my best and finally that paid off. Adding about the changes she made after placing fifth in qualifying, she added: “I just tried to push even more and find a better flow. “I did too many mistakes yesterday [in qualifying] and just didn’t feel good on my run. I just tried to relax, enjoy and take some good momentum on my bike. “I really liked the last part of the track so I tried to push even more on that section because I lost a lot of time on a big mistake at the top. I didn’t think that would be the run for the win, but finally it is.” A second placed finish for Höll was enough for her to leapfrog Hemstreet into the overall series lead after five rounds. ALRAN BROTHERS FINISH ONE-TWO AFTER DOMINATE PERFORMANCES Till Alran (Commencal-Muc-off by Riding Addiction) took his first Men Junior UCI World Cup victory after beating twin brother and team-mate Max Alran by five hundredth of a second. Estonian rider Riko Mäeuibo was the quickest of the early Men’s Junior starters with his time eventually good enough for a top-10 finish. Even the top section of the Black Snake course was causing problems and Kasper Hickman (Cube Factory Racing) crashed to end his challenge. Oli Clark (MS-Racing), won at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ ago, but made a mistake in the woods and despite going quickest at the time he finished fifth. The raw speed of Tyler Waite (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) set a new benchmark for the later starters and was five seconds faster than those who finished before him - to eventually take fourth. UCI World Champion Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) is still looking for his first win of 2025 and went quickest through the technical section for third. His time held until Till Alran went quickest in every sector despite unclipping at the top of the course. Undeterred the French rider beat the best qualifying time from the previous day, in what would turn out to a winning run of 3:42.09. Final starter, Max Alran, went close to his brother's time but had to settle for runner-up 0.50 of a second behind. “I’m very happy to take my first World Cup and first podium of this year,” said Till Alran. “It was pretty dusty, gnarly and really destroyed. I’m happy to have my brother on the podium one and two, I’m very happy.” ZIERL RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WOMEN JUNIOR WINS AFTER CLOSE BATTLE Women’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup series leader Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) completed a perfect weekend in Val di Sole – Trentino. Following her win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ earlier Zierl was firm favourite after qualifying quickest. Early starter Matilda Melton (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) held the lead, with her time eventually good enough for fourth. Fellow American Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) provided a standout performance to post a time which was the second fastest of the day. The notorious Black Snake course provided a tough test on the competitor’s upper body strength the bike suspension. Both Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) and Marlena Rieger crashed on the technical course which ended their chances. Riding just her second UCI Downhill World Cup event Kate Hastings pushed the leading time before some final mistakes proved crucial as she eventually finished third. Austrian favourite Ziegler found herself behind the time of Ostgaard on the opening open section. However, the series leader came fighting back in the most technical sections and took victory by six tenths of a second. Ostgaard was rewarded for her efforts with a second placed finish and Hastings placed third. “It was definitely a hard run, my hands are done” said Ziegler. “It was pretty good and I just wanted to repeat what I did yesterday [in qualifying]. It worked out well. “I had good runs and I was just happy on the bike.” The UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns next weekend (27-29 June) for gravity riders with the UCI Enduro World Cup round in Val Di Fassa – Trentino (Italy). However, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series is not over for this weekend as Sunday sees endurance action return when the UCI Cross-county Olympic World Cup races take to the Italian tracks.
Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Monika Hrastnik (AON Racing-Tourne Cambervans) mastered the difficult terrain in Val di Sole - Trentino to qualify quickest for tomorrow’s UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Goldstone has won the last two UCI Downhill World Cups and looks like the rider to beat during a consistent run, which was six hundredths of a second quicker than his nearest challenger. Meanwhile, Hrastnik used her experience and knowledge of the Black Snake course to qualify fastest woman. The Slovenian was clearly the quickest and stopped the clock nine hundredths of a second faster than her rivals. The 2.1-kilometre course will provide a tough test all weekend, with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550 metres, several riders have already crashed heavily in practice and qualification. GOLDSTONE CONTINUES DOMINANT RUN The Black Snake run in Val di Sole-Trentino, is notorious for providing a challenging course for downhill competitors. The tree roots which litter the steep tracks again caused problems during qualification. Five riders failed to finish the first men's Qualifying session and several more also had issues on the Italian slopes. Full of confidence following his last two UCI World Cup wins Goldstone had few issues as he flew down the course in 3:42.21. Australian Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) finished seventh in the previous round at Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria). The winner of last year’s UCI World Cup round in Mont-Sainte-Anne went second fastest, less than a second back in 3:42.82. Overall leader Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) will be looking to defend his position tomorrow and qualified third quickest just +1.766 behind Goldstone. Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) lost ground in the overall standings with an 18th position in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. The Frenchman will lose further ground overall this weekend after breaking his collarbone during his final practice run in Val di Sole-Trentino. Antoine Pierron (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) could be in contention tomorrow after dominating the second qualifying session with a time of 3:42.99 – over two seconds faster than his nearest challenger. HRASTNIK RETURNS TO STOMPING GROUND Multi-time European UCI Downhill Champion, Hrastnik, has had previous success on the notorious Black Snake course and will be one to beat again tomorrow.The Slovenian, who finished third last season, has yet to clinch a podium this campaign. However, the 31-year-old used all her experience to post the quickest qualification time of 4:15.13. Valentina Höll (YT Mob) will be looking for her first UCI World Cup win in a year and posted the second quickest time of 4:16.05. Following two wins in as many rounds, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division), continued her good form to qualify third quickest (4:16.44). Fellow overall challenger and last year’s winner in Val di Sole -Trentino, Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) will be hoping for a better final run after qualifying eighth fastest over six seconds off the pace in 4:21.53. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) was another victim of the Black Snake and failed to start qualification after breaking her hand during practice. SERIES LEADERS ALRAN AND ZIERL QUICKEST JUNIORS Junior UCI Downhill World Cup overall leaders Max Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) sent a message to their rivals by qualifying quickest in Val di Sole – Trentino. Frenchman Alran won the opening round at Bielsko-Biała before being beaten into second position two weeks’ ago. The youngster posted the quickest time on each section to stop the clock in 3.42.37 – nearly two seconds clear of his nearest competitor. Teammate Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) finished fourth in Saalfelden-Leogang and will be looking for a first podium tomorrow after going second quickest in 3:44.36. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/5DEV) was third fastest qualifier in 3:46. After winning in Saalfelden Leogang two weeks’ ago Oli Clark (MS-Racing) will need an improved time tomorrow to challenge for the podium after qualifying 10th quickest. Meanwhile, in the women’s Junior event, Austrian rider Zierl mastered the difficult course to qualify five seconds faster than her rivals. The Cube Factory Racing rider stopped the clock in a formidable time of 4:23.30. New Zealanders Kate Hastings and Bellah Birchall (Team High Country) finished in second and third places respectively and will be in the podium fight tomorrow. After winning in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) earlier this month Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) had to battle for qualification and was eighth quickest 13 seconds off the pace. The UCI Downhill World Cup continues tomorrow (Saturday) with the final runs for elite and junior competitors.
History making Blevins became the first person to win the opening five UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup rounds of the season. Meanwhile, after missing the opening two rounds Pieterse won her third consecutive UCI XCC event with another blistering finish. The hot conditions and dry 940-metre track in Trentino resulted in close bunch racing and jostling for positions throughout. Both Blevins and Pieterse kept inside the top 10 positions throughout and then launched blistering attacks on the last lap before holding on to the finish. Meanwhile, Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) extended his lead in the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup after taking back-to-back series wins. Canadian Nicole Bradbury overcame a first lap crash to clinch her first Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup victory. BLEVINS CONTINUES PERFECT XCC SEASON IN VAL DI SOLE Blevins returned to the course where he was crowned UCI XCC World Champion in 2021 to continue his winning streak in this year’s UCI XCC World Cup. Another former UCI XCC World Champion, Samuel Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won at Val Di Sole last season, but was absent in Italy after recently becoming a father. Blevins has dominated XCC this campaign and was leaving nothing to chance on the fast course in Trentino. Meanwhile, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) finished third two weeks’ ago but struggled in a tight opening and was shuffled back outside the top-20 positions. Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) upped the pace in a bid to break the large leading group which was tightly packed together. With riders using every inch of the track to position themselves Ondřej Cink (Cube Factory Racing) tangled with the course marking tape and lost his position at the midway point. Blevins and Specialized Factory Racing team-mate Victor Koretzky were amongst those who were battling for position as Schwarzbauer controlled the front.Heading into the final two laps all-but-one of the 39 starters were separated by less than seven seconds. Schwarzbauer continued to hold the front position and was powering up the small climb to maintain his position to take the last lap bell. However, Blevins took the front and launched a blistering attack up the final climb and pulled out a winning advantage. Koretzky had to tighten his shoe coming into the last lap, but powered through to finish runner-up behind his team-mate for the fourth XCC event this season. Meanwhile, Schwarzbauer was rewarded for controlling the front positions throughout the race with a third place finish. “I really try to start from zero every race, it’s easy to let the ideas of what you’ve done or the fear of losing it accumulate,” said Blevins after recording a record fifth consecutive XCC win of the season. “That’s what is working for me, coming back to ground zero, every race is a new race. I executed it really well today and had the kick on the last lap that I needed. It was always the plan. That’s how you win these short tracks that stay together. I’ve got a lot of confidence in that, as long as I can get there recovered enough. “Thankfully I was in a good position, it was super dusty and loose so. It was a course where you were prone to mistakes. I did it as well as I could. (Being at the front) was super important. It’s the switch that I’ve made with short tracks this year. “It was an interesting race in terms of equipment, we raced the gravel tyres on half of the short tracks this year. This time we were on super wide and fast tyres, which on these bumps were really good. “It was super cagey, you probably bump at last a dozen times out there. The skill level is so high with everyone, that everyone is comfortable even when bumping around these loose corners. That’s the coolest thing about short track titles.” PIETERSE MAINTAINS UNBEATEN RUN WITH LATE ATTACK Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) took her sixth career UCI XCC World Cup victory with another attacking display. UCI XCC World Cup series leader Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing – Pirelli) had a commanding overall lead after winning two of the opening four rounds. However, after finishing sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks’ ago the British rider decided not to travel to Val di Sole. It was Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) who led away from the start and up the climb, before being swamped by the early pace and slipping back in the tight course. After starting on the second row Pieterse had to battle her way to the front following the opening lap. Canadian Jennifer Jackson (Orbea Fox Factory Team) took the front and was holding a commanding position in the front row in the opening laps. On the fourth of 11 laps Pieterse launched a blistering attack up the course’s short climb but failed to break a compact front group. The Dutch National Champion attempted to break the close bunch again on lap seven, but saw her effort matched by the large front group. With four laps remaining the top 26 riders were separated by a handful of seconds as Pieterse continued to control the front. The close racing resulted in several crashes and Loanna Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) came down on the hard surface and was a non-finisher. Heading into the final lap a long string of 16 riders remaining in contention for the podium positions, led by Jackson. A close battle into the final corners saw Pieterse lead and then attack into the final climb. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) was the only rider to respond as they descended down to the finishing straight.Pieterse launched her winning sprint finish and gave it everything to hold off a quickly finishing Rissveds. Meanwhile, Jackson was rewarded for her efforts during the race with a third placed finish. “It was quite cagey, the whole race actually,” said Pieterse. “After a few laps you could see where people could overtake and where it wasn’t possible.’’ “In the last lap I knew that I would have to go early, because the sprint finish is a bit shorter than the last few years.’’ “I thought that I needed to try it from the front, luckily it worked out. It was really important to be in the second or third wheel, my start wasn’t too good, you could feel how tight everything was and how crashes are there. I knew just to stay in the front." Pieterse continues to mix her mountain bike and road racing ambitions and added: “I’ve been with my road team doing some recons of the Tour de France stages, so I had some big days on my bike. I hope to be fresh this weekend. I think I’m quite fresh.” After missing the round Richards has seen her overall lead reduced to 40 points. BRADBURY TIMES EFFORT PERFECTLY FOR FIRST WIN Canadian Nicole Bradbury was the day’s surprise winner after coming back from a first lap crash to win the women’s Under 23 event. A first lap collision with fellow Canadian Ella Macphee (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) saw both women have to battle back through the field. Gaps started to open after 10 minutes of racing after the efforts of Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) and Anina Hutter started to tell However, the fast course resulted in the field remaining in one line separated by seconds on the Italian course. Home rider Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing) and British youngster Ella Maclean-Howell (Cube Factory Racing) were also amongst the leading charge, with the leader changing each lap. As the race reached its conclusion the Austrian duo of Katherina Sadnik (KTM Factory MTB Team) and Katrin Embacher (Trek Future Racing) came to the front, along with Bradbury. It was Bradbury who was the fastest to surprise herself with victory, beating series leader Sadnik into second and Embacher third in a tight finish. “I definitely didn’t expect that at all,” said Bradbury. “I was worried this morning as I just didn’t feel too good. It was super-hot, so I was a bit nervous about all the different factors. It’s my fourth short track, I was really nervous and aiming for a top-20. “I crashed on the first lap with Ella Macphee. I thought both of our races were probably over. In the last three laps I found myself at the front and made the moves that I need to do to get into the top four and five with two laps to go “It seemed that everything opened up and I could do what I need to do. I can’t believe it.” TREUDLER RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK WINS Finn Treudler (Cube Factory Racing) followed his win in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland two weeks ago with another success in Val Di Sole. The men’s Under 23 race was equally as fast and furious as the women’s event before it, with German Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountain Bike Team) and overall UCI XCC World Cup leader Treudler pushing the early pace. Rens Teunissen Van Manen (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team) and Norwegian pairing Sondre Rokke and William Handley were also in the mix as the fast race reached its conclusion. Treudler was the most powerful rider at the finish to take a two-second victory ahead of challenger Van Manen. Meanwhile, Schehl completed the podium after riding from the front on the fast terrain. “I knew that this short race was going to be really hard for me to make a good result,” said Treudler. “It’s super-flat and I’m a rider who needs some climbs to make a difference.’ “I felt super-strong and tried to be at the front in the whole race to keep it easier with positioning. I’m super-happy to take the win.” The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Val Di Sole-Trentino this weekend with the UCI Downhill World Cup Finals on Saturday, followed by the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup on Sunday.
After a well-earned one-week break, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series goes again this weekend with the UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups taking to the trails of Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). We look at everything you need to know about the Val di Sole - Trentino round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the Cross-country Olympic (XCO), Cross-county Short Track (XCC) and Downhill (DHI) events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch. WHEN? The 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy) starts with the Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification 1 at 12:30 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 20 and concludes with the Men Under 23 UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup at 15:30 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 22. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, June 20 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite 15:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite 15:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23 16:25 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23 17:30 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite 18:10 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite Saturday, June 21 10:50 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 11:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 12:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 13:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite Sunday, June 22 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite 13:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite 15:30 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23 WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to watch the action unfold at Italy’s only UCI Cross-country and first UCI Downhill World Cups of the 2025 season. Follow the UCI Downhill World Cup Qualification day on live timing and across social media. For the fourth UCI Downhill World Cup, fifth UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup and fifth UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. The men’s and women's Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services: North America Canada – Flosports USA – Max South & Central America All Central and South American territories – MTBWS TV Asia Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand – Eurosport China - Zhibo.TV (only Elite Downhill races live) All other Asian territories – MTBWS TV Oceania Australia – Stan Sport New Zealand – MTBWS TV Africa Angola, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cape Verde, Cote d'lvoire, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial, Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Niger, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, São Tome and Principe, St Helena and Ascension, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia – Supersport All other African territories – MTBWS TV Europe Andorra – MAX, Eurosport Austria – discovery+, Eurosport Belgium – HBO Max, Eurosport and LN24 (only Elite XCO races live) Bosnia & Herzegovina – Max, Eurosport Bulgaria – Max, Eurosport Croatia – Max, Eurosport Czechia – Max, Eurosport and CT Sport+ (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Denmark – Max, Eurosport Faroe Islands – Max, Eurosport France – Max, Eurosport and La Chaine L’Equipe (only Elite Downhill races live) Germany – discovery+, Eurosport Hungary – Max, Eurosport Ireland – TNT Sports Italy – discovery+, Eurosport and Rai Sport (Women’s XCC, XCO and DHI races live on RaiPlay, Men’s XCO and DHI races live on Rai Sport, Men’s XCC live on RaiPlay) Moldova – Max, Eurosport Montenegro – Max, Eurosport Netherlands – HBO Max, Eurosport North Macedonia – Max, Eurosport Norway – Max, Eurosport Poland – Max, Eurosport Portugal – Max, Eurosport Romania – Max, Eurosport Serbia – Max, Eurosport Slovakia – Max, Eurosport Slovenia – Max, Eurosport Spain – Max, Eurosport Sweden – Max, Eurosport Switzerland – MTBWS TV and SRF/RSI (only Elite XCO and XCC races live) Türkiye – Max, Eurosport United Kingdom – discovery+, TNT Sports All other European territories – MTBWS TV RIDERS TO WATCH The Canadian invasion continues at pace in Downhill, with riders from Canada recording back-to-back wins in the two most recent rounds to propel themselves up the rankings in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) edged Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) by less than a 10th of a second in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland to back up his win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. The 21-year-old appears to be fully recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the whole of last season and has fond memories in Val di Sole - Trentino too – winning the 2021 Junior UCI Downhill World Championships and his first Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at the venue in 2023. Bruni still narrowly leads in the overall and is a favourite for every race he enters, but has never done it at the Italian venue in the Elite class. One rider who has (twice), is Bruni’s career rival, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction). The Frenchman had a disappointing Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, finishing down in 18th, but expect him to raise his game just north of Lake Garda. Another to keep an eye on is Pierron’s teammate UCI Downhill World Champion Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who has shown solid recent form in qualifying and recorded a win in Val di Sole - Trentino back in 2022. Anything Goldstone can do, compatriot Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) seems to be matching – the Canadian following up her first-ever win in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes with the win a week later. She won’t have it easy though. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) is breathing down her neck in the overall, and the resurgent Brit is a three-time winner already at the venue, including last year. Reigning overall series winner Valentina Höll (YT Mob) meanwhile has now gone a full calendar year without a win at a UCI Downhill World Cup, but the rainbow jersey holder is always a threat. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) is a rider on the up worth keeping tabs on, while Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is another with three wins in Val di Sole - Trentino, including the 2021 UCI Downhill World Championships. While the Cross-country contests aren’t as tight on paper, the results in varying conditions in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland have shown that the current XCO series leaders – Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) and Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – aren’t infallible. Blevins will be looking to bounce back after his winning run that stretched back to Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) in April ended with 17th in Austria. The American has never placed higher than 26th in the Elites at the Italian venue, but his early season form suggests that he’ll be competing for the honours this Sunday. His teammate Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) is another who had a disappointing time last time out, DNFing after two laps. Despite this, the round one winner still sits second in the overall, and will be targeting a response in Italy. One man likely to stop them is Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team). The G.O.A.T’s 2025 has got off to a mixed start by his high standards, but the Swiss legend is the king of Val di Sole, having won one XCO UCI World Championships and six UCI XCO World Cup rounds (including in 2024) at the venue. In the women’s field, Maxwell still has a healthy lead in the overall and made it a hattrick of consecutive second-place finishes to go with her UCI XCO World Cup win at round one. Her consistency suggests that the New Zealander will be there or thereabouts, but it’s hard to look beyond one rider for the top spot on the podium – Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The reigning XCO UCI World Champion was in electric form regardless of the conditions in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, winning the XCO-XCC double to propel herself to 12th in the overall, despite not competing in the opening two rounds in Brazil. She has previous successes in Trentino, winning the UCI XCO World Cup in 2023 and finishing second last year behind Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The Flying Dutchwoman won’t necessarily have it all her own way though, and with four different winners in the XCO so far this series, the field is more competitive than ever. It’s a similar story in the XCC, although here Blevins’ record remains unblemished – his winning streak currently sat at a record-breaking four. His teammates Koretzky and Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) have been the next-best riders all series, but don’t expect them to stand in the way of the number one red jersey if it’s a straight sprint for the line. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) came closest to breaking up the Specialized dominance in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland and the Brit appears to be on an upward trajectory. Like Blevins, Pieterse is unbeaten in the XCC races she’s entered this year, and won Val di Sole’s Short Track race in 2024. Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) remains in the overall leader’s red jersey and will hope to be back to full fitness after battling through illness to finish sixth in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Racing gets underway on Friday, June 20 in Val di Sole – Trentino. Full schedule and event details are available HERE.
Next week, enduro athletes will head to Val di Fassa, Trentino for the fifth round of the UCI Enduro World Cup and the second 2-day race of the season. They'll be joined by hundreds of aspiring racers, who'll tackle the Shimano Enduro Open race, in one of the most iconic venues on the planet. The 2-day UCI EDR World Cup course covers over 60km, with 3316m of pedal ascending and 3057m of descending on the regions most famous trails, including Titans and TuttiFrutti. For a more detailed look at the courses, you can check out the interactive map, or take a fly through the animated version.
After seven fast and furious rounds, the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series sets up camp in Italy for three back-to-back race weekends, starting in Val di Sole - Trentino (Italy). Two weekends ago, Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) gave us a four-day festival of off-road racing, with Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro stars digging deep in changeable conditions in Austria. While the Enduro riders have a well-earned break, the Cross-country and Downhill athletes are gearing up to go again and tackle the legendary Val di Sole – Trentino trails. Located in the heart of the Italian Alps, Val di Sole is known globally as a mountain biking paradise. When it comes to top-level competition its pedigree is no less long and illustrious. Since the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships were first held there in 2008, it has never failed to thrill and it has been a regular UCI World Cup venue since 2010. The UCI Downhill World Cup takes place on The Black Snake – one of the series’ most notorious tracks named after the tree roots that litter the trail and throw up sizeable challenges for the riders, especially if the conditions are wet. At 2.1km long with an average gradient of 24% and total drop of 550m, taming this course requires more technical skills than most. The UCI Cross-country Olympic and UCI Short Track races meanwhile take on some of Val di Sole Bike Park’s most testing terrain – both on the ups and downs. The 3.54km Olympic course underwent a refresh last year, but remained just as tough with its 224m of ascent, while the 940m Short Track circuit sees a return to flatter, faster racing after the climb-heavy loop of Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. PIETERSE IN RED-HOT FORM Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) might have missed the first two rounds of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series to focus on the road, but the Cross-country Olympic (XCO) UCI World Champion is making up for lost time. She did the XCO- XCC (Cross country Short Track) double in dominant form last time out to go with her XCC win in Nové Mĕsto Na Moravĕ (Czechia) and has fond memories of Val di Sole - Trentino, having finished on the podium (2nd in 2024, 1st in 2023) in both starts as an Elite. Samara Maxwell (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) is likely to be Pieterse’s closest rival – the New Zealander recording three consecutive second places after her round one win – while Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) and Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) have both shown they’ve got what it takes to stand on the podium’s top spot this season. BLEVINS LOOKING TO GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS AFTER BLIP Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) had an XCO race to forget in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland – the series leader struggling in difficult conditions to finish down in 17th and outside the top two for the first time in 2025. The American will be hoping to return to winning ways in Val di Sole - Trentino, but there will be a number of riders looking to take advantage of any signs of weakness. Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) will be leading the charge. The Swiss rider has an amazing record in Trentino, winning seven XCO races from nine starts (the other two results second and third). He always raises his game for Val di Sole – Trentino, so expect him to be taking Blevins to task. Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing) and Ondrej Cink (Cube Factory Racing) meanwhile are the only riders other than Blevins to have won in 2025. The former pulled out in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland and will be looking for a statement result as we approach the season’s halfway point, while the latter recorded his first UCI XCO World Cup win in 12 years in Austria. Now that he’s secured his first, could the Czech rider make it two from two? SAME AGAIN IN THE SHORT TRACK? Pieterse and Blevins both have a 100% win record from race starts in this year’s XCC series, and it’s hard to look beyond the pair for Friday’s Short Track shakedown. XCC UCI World Champion Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli) can beat anyone on her day, but the British rider looked off the pace in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) meanwhile is the rider who has come closest to breaking up the Specialized Factory Racing monopoly and will be hoping he can hold out long enough to take a first UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup win in Trentino. HEMSTREET ON A ROLL Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) is having a flyer of a series – the Canadian racking up her first two UCI Downhill World Cup wins to find herself top of the standings. She will be looking to make it a hat trick on The Black Snake track and given her form you wouldn’t bet against her. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea/FMD Racing) meanwhile is looking back to her best. The Brit missed out on a podium finish for the first time this series in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland but has three wins to her name in Val di Sole - Trentino, including last year. Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/5Dev) is another rider likely to be in contention, while you can’t rule out Valentina Höll (YT Mob), even if the Austrian has now gone a full calendar year without a UCI Downhill World Cup win. CAN BRUNI FINALLY TAME THE BLACK SNAKE Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) narrowly leads the men’s overall after bouncing back from disappointment in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes (France) with second place in Austria, but to definitely hold on to his status he’ll have to do something he’s never managed – win in Trentino. He’ll be extra keen to break his winless record in north Italy because the man breathing down his neck in second place – Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – has won the last two UCI Downhill World Cups, and knows what it takes to tame the Black Snake having claimed his debut Elite win on the course in 2023. Elsewhere, Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) will be targetting a return to the podium after he could only manage 18th in Austria, while his teammate Loris Vergier (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) are just some of those racing who have recorded UCI Downhill World Cup wins on the circuit’s most notorious course. Racing gets underway in Val di Sole - Trentino on Friday with the Downhill Qualifications followed by the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and events details are available here.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports can confirm that eight wildcard teams have been selected for the fifth Downhill round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series that will take place in La Thuile, Valle d’Aosta (Italy) on July 3-6. Four of the teams will be making their fifth appearance in this year’s Series, while there are returns for several other squads. All eight outfits are crammed full of up-and-coming talent, while there are also established names such as five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall champion Aaron Gwin (Gwin Racing) and UCI Downhill World Cup winner Thibaut Daprela (Rogue Racing – SR Suntour). After three rounds, Daprela is the best-performing wildcard rider – the 24-year-old Frenchman recording two top-10 finishes to find himself 9th in the overall standings. He will be aiming to continue his strong form in Italy, while his team will also consider La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta as something of a home race – the Italian squad also featuring a strong line-up of local riders, including Davide Palazzari, Lorenzo Mascherini and Davide Cappello. With a partizan Italian crowd lining the venue’s brand-new downhill course, there will be extra motivation for the Rogue Racing – SR Suntour athletes as they take to the trail. And with the track continuing to evolve through training and qualifying, don’t be surprised if a wildcard rider makes it onto the podium for the first time this season. The eight wildcard teams for round 10 of the 2025 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta are: Gwin Racing Rogue Racing – SR Suntour Goodman Santacruz Team High Country Kenda NS Bikes UR Team YT Racing Development The Alliance Future Frameworks
The Italian venue will put on a WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series debut to remember with the UCI Enduro World Cup concluding with a first-ever golden hour final stage. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series will be heading to La Thuile (Italy) for the first time this July, and the Valle d’Aosta venue is guaranteeing it will be a race weekend for the ages by putting on Gravity’s first-ever night stage. The golden hour action will be part of the UCI Enduro World Cup, with La Thuile – Valle D’Aosta the setting for the penultimate round of the series. The area’s Bike Park isn’t new to the world of enduro – having hosted five rounds of the Enduro World Series between 2014 and 2021 – but this year marks its return to the top of the sport since it became part of the UCI in 2023. While the race’s first three stages will kick off in the morning and be held in the daytime, the final stage – named “The Nightfall” - will be scheduled to commence at 8:30pm – the sun setting as the final riders drop in. The stage itself will be lit by 23 floodlights, utilising the same technology as those used in Formula 1’s night race to ensure that there are no shadows on course. Tested for feasibility in 2016, the project is finally coming to fruition nine years on and is an exciting new concept to relaunch the pinnacle of enduro racing in the Italian Alps. The Official Sponsor of this exciting night race will be CVA SpA, the Valle d’Aosta-based company and leader in the renewable energy sector, always committed to promoting sport and supporting initiatives that enhance the local area. Although the details of the trail are being kept under wraps until the release of the full course, the local organising committee have confirmed it will finish in the same finish area as the following day’s UCI Downhill World Cup, and the night stage will form part of a major three-day-long show. The finish area, known as the Stadium, will be set up at the base of the lifts. Easily accessible, it will feature a large screen, an expo zone, food and drinks, a VIP lounge, and an awards stage. Three types of tickets are available, sold online: Grandstand: raised seats in front of the finish line Grass area: access to the festive green zone next to the track Lift access: to reach scenic points along the trails and watch the riders up close All information and tickets are available at www.lathuileworldcupmtb.com
The toughest test of the UCI Enduro World Cup so far produced two intense battles for Elite victory as Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) and Ella Conolly proved worthy winners in Austria’s largest Bike Region Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn Trails. A contender for the most challenging course of the year was made even more troublesome by heavy rain after riders had made their one-and-only practice runs in the dry on Friday, with a winter cycle having swept away a lot of dirt from last season leaving more exposed roots and rocks to give riders an extra challenge. And that was reflected in the closer Elite leaderboards as neither Melamed nor Conolly could open up a comfortable gap to the chasing pack while Lacey Adams (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) and Melvin Almueis took their second and third victories of the season in the Juniors. MELAMED EDGES COMPETITIVE MEN’S RACE Jesse Melamed overcame an inauspicious start to triumph in the men’s Elite race, finishing fourth on a long stage one that had looked capable of immediately separating the pack but only produced minor time gaps in the end. The dangerous Bergstadl Trail was followed by the equally daunting (and even longer) X Trail featuring some perilous rutted turns at the bottom and while Melamed claimed the stage, it was only by a tenth of a second meaning Charles Murray remained in the overall lead for Specialized Gravity. The Canadian made a bigger difference on a diverse stage three that finally establish a running order as Murray dropped five seconds and Sławomir Łukasik (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) and Jack Moir (YT MOB) slipped further back in a race where one mistake could mark a rider out of the running. William Brodie took a surprise stage four win as all of the favourites came unstuck, but Melamed lost the least time to cement his advantage - now into double figures. The Canadian was fastest again on the Knappen Trail so staying on his bike was the priority on a stage six that ran along a bonafide downhill trail, and he did just that finishing sixth but only a second behind Daniel Booker. That capped the end of a disappointing overall day for the Australian who ceded more ground to Łukasik in the overall race, the Men Elite UCI Enduro World Cup leader was third in Austria and now enjoys a 290-point advantage while Melamed jumps into the top five, level on points with Moir but ahead courtesy of winning a round. “Honestly it was quite smooth and steady which is saying a lot for how tricky this course is,” Melamed said.“It obviously poured down rain on race day but I was kind of wanting it because these trails are fast and tech at speed so I wanted to be slower. “It just went smooth, I made one mistake, one crash on stage four but other than that it was really clean, so I was hoping for a good overall result just for that so to win is amazing because I just felt like I was riding my bike well.” CONOLLY REMAINS WOMAN TO BEAT BUT KUCHYŇKOVÁ IS COMING Simona Kuchyňková (CUBE Factory Racing) has lived up to the billing so far in 2025 after stepping up to Elite racing and mounted her closest challenge yet to Ella Conolly, though couldn’t prevent the Brit taking her second round of the season. It all seemed to be plain sailing for Conolly when she opened up a 38-second gap on Kuchyňková in the opening three stages, with Nadine Ellacosta (Abetone Ancillotti Vittoria Factory Team) and Winni Goldsbury the only other riders within a minute. However, an uncharacteristic off-stage on the arguably less challenging Hangman 1 brought Kuchyňková and the rest of the field right back into contention, as Conolly fell and lost 20 seconds to her closest rival although Goldsbury and Ellacosta couldn’t capitalise as well. That advantage was whittled down still further when Kuchyňková claimed her second successive stage on a Knappen Trail that made sticking to the right line almost impossible. So Conolly entered the final stage with an advantage of 16 seconds knowing she likely couldn’t be overhauled with a clean run, but any mistakes could hand the round to the Slovakian. But the Brit produced a champion’s response by refusing to lessen her commitment and claiming the stage and the round, while opening up an almost 500-point lead over Kuchyňková in the overall standings at the halfway point of the season. “It was a really really eventful race, I had a good few crashes, made a bit of a lead then lost time on stage four, a couple more crashes, said Conolly. “Even if I slide out, something happened I was just trying to move on all the time and thankfully held onto the win, but it got tight. "The mud was crazy on the last three stages, big roots that came out that were super slippery and just kept catch you off guard.” JUNIOR RACES PRODUCE CONTRASTING RESULTS The men’s Junior race was the closest-fought of all in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland as Melvin Almueis clinched his third victory from four rounds in 2025 by seven seconds from Cooper Millwood. Almueis made up over half his eventual margin of victory on stage one, but he’d only win one of the five remaining stages and suffered a scare on the decider as he lost three seconds. Millwood led by four seconds after stage three but hit trouble on Hangman 1 and hemorrhaged 12 decisive seconds to Almueis, who showed consistency is key in enduro and now has a three-figure overall lead. "Today was really hard for me because I don’t really like to ride in rainy conditions but I kept my flow, and don’t crash,” Almueis said afterwards. And Lacey Adams made it two wins on the bounce with the most dominant performance of the day, taking victory by 25 seconds from Lucile Metge. Adams claimed the opening two stages but ironically it was the first one she failed to win that proved most decisive, with Chloe Bear (Yeti / FOX Factory Race Team) fastest on the Matzalm Trail while Adams trailed by seven seconds, yet put almost double that margin into Metge. The Frenchwoman took time back on stage four but another heavy loss on the Knappen Trail proved the final nail in her coffin as Adams extends her advantage at the top of the overall standings to 150 points. “Last week was super dry and fast, this race was muddy and very crazy, I just tried to keep it upright on every stage, keep it smooth so really stoked,” Adams said. “The course changed a lot, practice was relatively dry then today was just a mudfest, it was very wet and slippery.” The enduro field get two weekends off before returning to action at Val di Fassa – Trentino (Italy) but that doesn’t mean the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series action lets up elsewhere. After starring in a thrilling weekend of all-round drama in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, cross-country and downhill riders will once again take centre stage in Val di Sole – Trentino (Italy) from June 20-22.
Ondřej Cink stunned the cross-country Olympic (XCO) world by taking his first UCI World Cup victory at 34 years young for CUBE Factory Racing while Puck Pieterse (Alpecin - Deceuninck) underlined her supremacy by claiming her second women’s Elite win of the weekend. In sharp contrast to the dry conditions that produced two gripping downhill races yesterday, rain turned The Epic Bikepark into a mudbowl and Pieterse and Cink were the proverbial pigs who took advantage. Those treacherous conditions meant the slipstream benefit of staying in the pack was outweighed by a solo rider’s advantage of being able to choose their line while the packed slate with Gravity riders also in attendance in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland meant the cross-country field enjoyed a rare day off between the cross-country short track (XCC) and XCO races. That helped Pieterse do the double for the first time in her career having attacked very early on, never to be seen again by the chasing pack and Cink seemingly ghosted away also with six laps to go but never enjoyed the same margin, instead triumphing in a nail-biting pursuit. The U23 races saw Finn Treudler make it two wins today for CUBE Factory Racing while Fiona Schibler dominated the women’s field. PIETERSE CAPS PERFECT SAALFELDEN LEOGANG WEEKEND Pieterse missed the opening Araxá, Minas Gerais (Brazil) double-header but has appeared keen to make up for lost time ever since, as only a puncture in last week’s XCO race preventing her from winning all four races since her return to the series. After Samara Maxwell had a poor start for Decathlon Ford Racing Team and slipped back towards 20th wheel immediately, Pieterse dropped the hammer as only Loana Lecomte (BMC Factory Racing) could follow the initial acceleration. But even the French National Champion couldn’t follow those rainbow bands as she was forced to watch her rival’s back wheel escape up the road - something that would become a theme of Lecomte’s afternoon. Pieterse’s attack strung out the field as Maxwell produced a carbon copy kick on the lap two climb, the Kiwi distancing her rivals for the overall World Cup even if the gap to the leaders continued to grow. The torrid weather continued to hamper the pack as Jenny Rissveds (Canyon CLLCTV XCO) slid out on the cyclo-cross section at the end of the circuit - Evie Richards (Trek Factory Racing - Pirelli) would suffer the same fate on the final lap - and Candice Lill opted to dismount and toboggan down the steep rooty section that had earlier caught out Jennifer Jackson (Orbea FOX Factory Team). At the front, Lecomte watched a third rider disappear up the trail on as many laps when Ramona Forchini (BIXS Performance Race Team) jumped clear though she couldn’t make major inroads to Maxwell even after the red jersey slid into an airbag after losing control on a tricky descent. Maxwell was holding her own and even gaining time downhill against Pieterse but she just couldn’t match the Dutchwoman on the climbs, even as she showed signs of slowing down on lap six. At times on the final circuit the entire field appeared to be running in slow motion while Lecomte continued to slide, overtaken by Tamara Wiedmann (Mondraker Factory Racing XC) and mud specialist Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing Team). And that pair would provide the best action at the finish line as Neff won an all-out sprint to claim fourth behind a runaway podium. Pieterse enjoyed a victory margin of 50 seconds with Forchini over half a minute further back en route to claiming her maiden podium, while in seventh place privateer Isla Short finished in the top 10 of a UCI World Cup round for the first time. “It’s been a goal of mine to have the perfect weekend and until now it didn’t work out, but I’m super happy today in this track. I maybe was a bit too eager to get to the front directly, I’m not good at waiting so I decided to go for it, said Pieterse. “Nobody had a perfect race without unclipping or a small tumble or anything so me too, I had some troubles on the upper part of the track but I knew others would make mistakes as well as well so as long as it only happened once it’s not a big problem. “It’s just nice to take my own lines, I couldn’t see what the others were doing but sometimes that’s also good you don’t know if they’re super fast in the descents or catching up on the climb but the only time I really looked back was on the steep climb.” Though outclassed in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, there were still plenty of reasons to be cheerful for Maxwell who overcame that crash and a dropped chain to finish second - saying “no words” as she crossed the line - and further inflate her overall lead to 290 points as Nicole Koller (Ghost Factory Racing) could only manage eighth. TIMELESS CINK HOLDS OFF HIGH-CALIBRE PURSUIT FOR HISTORY The men’s elites didn’t see the same race-breaking moves as the women’s but produced an even more gripping final few laps as Ondrej Cink looked set to be reeled in before finding a second wind to take a historic victory. Martin Vidaurre Kossman led initially for Specialized Factory Racing but the day turned into a nightmare for team that had won every single 2025 Men Elite UCI Cross-country World Cup race until Sunday morning. Vidaurre couldn’t hold the pace and would trail home in 24th while Victor Koretzky stepped off his bike at the end of lap two having plummeted through the order suffering from illness and the effects of a training crash. Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) was also off-colour though without the same mitigating circumstances and did well to limit the damage to a 17th-place finish. Vidaurre was part of a leading quartet that featured Julian Schelb (KMC Ridley MTB Racing Team), Mathias Flückiger (Thömus Maxon) and Cink though only the latter pair could stay ahead as carnage reigned at the beginning of the race. Gioele Bertolini and Loan Cheneval were lucky to escape injury when the Italian fell on the same section as Maxwell (and later Giant Factory Off-Road Team - XC’s Alan Hatherly) and then got straight back up into the path of the Frenchman, with Norwegian National Champion Knut Rhøme (Origine Racing Division) and Vito Albin (Thömus Maxon) also delayed. But Albin showed his powers of recovery when he, Hatherly and surprise package privateer Fabio Püntener bridged across to Vidaurre, then passed the Chilean to join Flückiger as Cink’s main pursuers. Cink never held an advantage of more than 24 seconds, and the gap fell to as low as 11 seconds at one stage Czech’s energy seemed to be fading. But he dug deep to summon more horsepower with the carrot of a maiden victory at this level in sight, crossing the finish line 18 seconds of Flückiger, who had decisively dropped Püntener on the final climb. Cink is the second-oldest male XCO rider to take his maiden UCI World Cup victory behind Ned Overend in 1994 and the first Czech rider to win in the category for 10 years - it’s just the 11th Elite cross-country or downhill victory for Czechia in UCI World Cup history and Cink was unable to explain the miracle afterwards: “I’m super happy, I was waiting for a long time for this, I was second many times and I really like this place, I was U23 world champion here in Saalfeden [in 2012]. I was thinking once that my career is already over because I’m one of the oldest here so I don’t have words for that. “This course suits me very well but the conditions not really, I don’t like the muddy conditions, slippery but I don’t know what happened today, I just did it. With two laps I started to feel really bad but when I saw I opened the gap a little bit I got some power again and I pushed the limit in the last climb.” Meanwhile Specialized still lead the overall standings with a 1-2-3 despite their Sunday no-show with Blevins expanding his lead over Koretzky to 341 points. TREUDLER AND SCHIBLER STAMP AUTHORITY ON U23s Finn Treudler kicked clear on lap 2 and disappeared like Pieterse to win the men’s U23 race by almost the same margin - 47 seconds - to re-establish himself as the undisputed force in the category. Treudler was bested in Nové Město Na Moravě (Czechia) by Paul Schehl (Lexware Mountainbike Team) but hit back in style after his cat-and-mouse XCC victory on Friday in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, a perfect weekend that clearly meant a lot to the Swiss rider. "It’s amazing to finally pull the double with short track and XCO, I’m super happy especially with these tough conditions,” Treudler said. “The track changed lap-by-lap because it got drier so it was a really difficult race today but I’m super happy with my win.” Only Elina Benoit could live with Fiona Schibler’s punishing pace in the opening laps of the women’s U23, and it didn’t take long for the leader to distance her compatriot either. On a day of solo triumphs, Schibler was the most dominant victor of them all as only Monique Halter could get within two minutes of the Swiss rider, who took her first WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series win in fine style. Overall leader Ella MacPhee had her worst XCO race of the season in seventh, but Isabella Holmgren’s absence means she retains an almost 100-point advantage at the top of the standings, while Schibler moves into sixth and said afterwards: “It was amazing, I had a good start, I was in the front with Elina then in the third lap I went and was alone in front. We changed wheels before the race and I just took some lines that were safe”, said Schibler.MacPhee, Blevins, Koretzky and the rest of those leaving Saaldelden Leogang – Salzburgerland disappointed don’t have to wait long for a chance to put things right though as the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns in just two weeks. Cross-country and downhill riders will once again take centre stage in Val di Sole - Trentino, Italy, for the halfway point of the XCO and XCC UCI World Cups.
For the second weekend running, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) ruled the UCI Downhill World Cup for Canada in a scintillating Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland (Austria) round that saw the overall lead of both competitions also change hands. Both Elite races rewarded absolute commitment from lighter riders on a fan-favourite stop of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, featuring the famous motorway section that would prove decisive for Goldstone. Goldstone clinched his win by less than a tenth of a second from Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) while Hemstreet enjoyed a wider margin of victory but was made to wait on the edge of her seat until the very end with Valentina Höll (YT MOB) last off the ramp and looking set to snatch the win until the final metres of her run. Meanwhile Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) gave the packed Austrian grandstands something to cheer about by winning the women’s Junior Finals and Oli Clark (MS-Racing) made inroads on the overall Men Junior title with his triumph. A STAR IS BORN AS HEMSTREET BACKS UP MAIDEN WIN A slow-burn women’s Elite competition exploded into life in the final few runs as Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was absent following a crash in morning practice on the wall run. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) required Q2 to reach the final but showed she was keen to make up for lost time at The Epic Bikepark. Nailing the exit from a tricky root section into the iconic flat-out motorway section is the key to The Speedster trail and Cabirou flew through the first two time checks, smashing Harriet Harnden’s previous best run for AON Racing - Tourne Campervans by four cavernous seconds. As rider after rider crossed the line without even getting in touching distance of Cabirou, a first Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland victory and ninth career UCI World Cup seemed more and more likely… until Hemstreet went down the ramp. Immediately ahead, Hemstreet lost some time in time check three but piled it all back on and more at the next one as she hammered the steep forested section that was the last opportunity to make up serious time. She crossed the line three seconds ahead of Cabirou and the podium soon became Canada followed by America as Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) missed out on a first UCI World Cup win since 2019 by less than a second. That meant it was all down to star-crossed fastest qualifier, home favourite and reigning UCI World Champion and World Cup overall winner Höll, who looked destined to complete a rampant hat-trick on local trails when she went a second up at the penultimate time check for YT MOB. But the Hollywood script was rejected as Höll likewise fell victim to Hemstreet’s scintillating finish and slipped to third to audible groans from the crowd, handing Hemstreet a dream second win in the space of two weekends. She becomes the sixth rider to back up a maiden win with another consecutive win following in the footsteps of a certain Höll and Cabirou in 2021 and 2019. “I definitely didn’t [expect that], I hadn’t really been feeling too confident this week and it just clicked. There actually felt a lot more pressure than I expected, I struggling at the motorway all week but I just pedalled as hard as I could. I felt it at the bottom so I was happy,” Hemstreet said. And Hemstreet’s supremacy means she’s also the new overall UCI World Cup leader after Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) started strongly but appeared bothered by an old injury in the more technical second half as she hemorrhaged time and wound up sixth while winless Höll is still waiting for her title defence to truly ignite. GOLDSTONE FLOATS TO MAPLE DOUBLE The jumbled men’s Elite qualifying meant stars were littered across the startlist and there was action throughout, beginning with the second run of the finals as Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) unclipped but still became the first rider of the weekend to break the three-minute barrier after disappointment in Loudenvielle-Peragudes (France) - he’d finish fifth overall. ‘Double O’ Oisin O’Callaghan (YT MOB) was in touch with his compatriot until he was spat off a tough triple-apex corner and hit the deck hard, before his teammate and home hero Andreas Kolb almost sent the crowd into rapture as he exited the woods in the green but his slender 0.066s advantage was dashed on the run to the line. However, Dunne’s reign ended four minutes later when Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory Racing DH) put together the scorching run he’s been threatening all season - he was ahead at the opening round in Bielsko-Biała (Poland) when he crashed but nothing could stop the Kiwi this time as he went into the hot seat. Despite winning the opening round, Bruni needed a big run to re-establish himself in the overall fight after a poor showing last time out and he produced it, resetting the otherwise tight men’s field by putting 1.4 seconds into Stevens-McNab. It didn’t last long though as Jackson Goldstone played to his strengths - floating like a butterfly over the stump section and motorway before launching an unbelievable pull into the wall run showing commitment which paid off when he crossed the line ahead of Bruni by the blink of an eye - 0.059s. With plenty of household names still to go including fastest qualifier Loris Vergier in the rainbow bands and UCI World Cup leader Amaury Pierron (both Commencal Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), Goldstone was far from home and hosed and he was visibly shaking as he watched the remaining riders. However, the strongest challenge came from unheralded Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team rider Henri Kiefer. The German was the only rider apart from Bruni and Goldstone to lead a sector as Pierron always looked unsettled and nearly came a cropper on several occasions with the green jersey appearing heavy on the Frenchman’s back on the way to 17th place, and Vergier couldn’t replicate his rapid Friday pace as his 1,000-day wait for another UCI World Cup win continues. Goldstone’s win was even more emotional in the wake of fellow Santa Cruz Syndicate rider Hoffman’s crash earlier, while teammate Laurie Greenland finished fifth and was the first to congratulate the Canadian after Vergier crossed the line. “That last split and the stump section going into the motorway, those were the two crucial sections for me that I needed to work on and I definitely felt like I couldn’t have got those better in my run,” Goldstone said. “It’s just crazy, you go through all the emotions of the riders getting close to beating your time and it’s so many ups and downs, you feel for the guys that went down or had mistakes in the run, it’s just a rush of emotions.” Pierron’s slump means Bruni takes over the UCI World Cup lead with an advantage of 45 points over Goldstone, who said in his winner’s interview that Bruni had joked he won’t speak to the Canadian for a week after such a close-fought race. HOME FANS REVEL IN JUNIOR TRIUMPH Rosa Zierl kicked off Downhill finals day in the best way possible for the partisan home crowd, the Austrian national champion was the final rider off the ramp and duly saved the best until last to oust Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). Ostgaard had been the class of the field, over four seconds quicker than the next best rider, but Zierl traded fastest sector times with the American early on. She never decisively pulled away on the course but overturned a deficit of a second at the penultimate intermediate time check to lead ahead of the final section and went clear in the final few hundred metres. “It’s incredible, I’m super happy, tight battle with the girls. I knew this track so I was just keen to ride it and have fun,” Zierl said afterwards. Oli Clark denied overall leader Max Alran (Commencal Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) a second successive Leogang triumph in the men’s junior final, by less than a second. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / 5DEV) had set the time to beat before the two fastest qualifiers were unleashed onto the mountain, but they showed it was a two-horse race as Alran led through the first two sections before letting victory slip through his fingers. “It’s pretty surreal, I’ve been working hard to get here so I’m just happy to be here, I’m glad it’s paying off,” Clark said. “I don’t feel pressure, the only pressure I put on is myself.” Alran and the rest of the UCI Downhill World Cup don’t have long to wait to return to action with just two weeks until the next round at Val di Sole-Trentino in Italy, with qualifying on June 20 and Hemstreet and Goldstone looking for a rare hat-trick on Saturday, June 21. However, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series thrills and spills are still far from over in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland this weekend as Sunday sees the cross-country Olympic and enduro races take centre stage.
