Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Team), Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) and Harriet Harden (Aon Racing - Tourne Campervans) share their thoughts ahead of the UCI Downhill World Cup in the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała, Poland, while Dan Booker and Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) assess their chances ahead of the second UCI Enduro World Cup.
The start of the downhill season is almost upon us in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and riders are ready and raring to go after a long seven months since they last went racing in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.
The off-season can be a time for change – whether that’s new bike or component setups, training routines or, in some cases, whole new teams – and things can therefore be hard to predict until we get a clear idea of who’s up to speed in qualifying.
One rider who tried to minimise change during the break is Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing). The Irishman has kept everything consistent, even if an injury in February did disrupt his pre-season preparation for a couple of weeks. And, as last year’s UCI Downhill World Cup winner in Bielsko-Biała, he goes into this weekend with added confidence.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Dunne said: “I was really happy with the off-season. I’m a bit more prepared this year and more used to the bike than last year. We have the bike pretty similar to how we ended the season last year so it was a lot easier. [The off-season] was more riding and speed-wise rather than messing around with set-up and trying all these different things.
“I got injured, but it wasn’t too bad. I had a few weeks off the bike and then back on for about a month and a half. Everyone has had big injuries in this sport. I wasn’t going to miss any races because I knew I’d have time to come back to build up speed, so I wasn’t too worried about it. It was the first broken bones, so it was a good experience.
“The [Bielsko-Biala] track is basically the same layout as last year and I loved the layout last year. I’m not going to be messing around too much with lines this weekend. I’ll be sticking to what I know.”
At the other end of the off-season change scale is Camille Balanche (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing). The 2020 UCI Downhill World Champion made the move from Yeti/Fox Factory Racing after her old team Dorval AM Commencal shut at the end of the 2024 season.
The Swiss rider spent most of last year battling with the symptoms of a head injury suffered in 2023 but feels back to her best and has one eye on a home UCI World Championships in Champéry, Valais in September.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Balanche said:
“Everything is new – new team, new bike, new mechanic, new coach. It’s motivating and exciting, [but] it’s a lot to learn and adapt to.
“I’m completely healthy again and I could train as much as I wanted so I’m totally fit. Last year was challenging. I still had symptoms, but I didn’t know where they were going to come. Sometimes it worked out not bad, sometimes it was just a disaster – especially mentally to know when I could push and when I couldn’t really ride much. It was super hard, but I was just happy to be there still. This year is different. I’ve had a really good off-season since last December, so I’m super stoked.
“[UCI World Championships] is an objective, but I’ll get to it when it comes because it’s in September. UCI World Championships at home is the dream and the best but it’s far away so I want to focus now on the first UCI World Cup and think about that a bit later.
“I did really well [in Bielsko-Biała] last year so it must be a track that suits me. I had an advantage because it was brand new, and I feel like I can adapt really fast to a new track.”
Another rider who went through a big change in the off-season was Harriet Harnden (Aon Racing – Tourne Campervans). The Brit switched to Reece Wilson’s new outfit after racing all her life for Trek and the 2024 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner is also primarily focusing on downhill, rather than enduro, for the 2025 season. That didn’t stop her from racing and winning in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy) last weekend though.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Harnden said:
“I don’t mind change. I quite like the idea and fun of trying something new and discovering what’s out there and figuring out what works for you.
“The focus is definitely on the downhill. I spent a lot more time on my Gamux Sego this winter and that’s practically all I’ve ridden. I only got a few rides in on [the Nikolai] before the race last weekend. I didn’t get a chance to properly bed her in, but we definitely put in the miles last week. I’m looking forward to riding that a bit more throughout the year and getting it really dialled for the UCI World Champs in Switzerland.
“I really enjoyed the two days of racing [in Pietra Ligure]. My first-ever Enduro World Series event was a two-day race in 2019 so it’s cool to be able to go back to that and enjoy it as a more established enduro rider. I think that’s what enduro is – a big day and adventure and just enjoying being out in the mountains – we certainly did that last weekend.”
“I think [Grit & Glory] is going to be a great way to show some behind-the-scenes and let people feel like they’re more part of the action. I’m excited to see how it’s going to come out. I’m not going to be a part of Enduro so much, so I’ll be following along as much as all the fans.”
It’s not just the downhill athletes who are in action this weekend though, with the Enduro Trails of Bielsko-Biała also hosting the second round of the UCI Enduro World Cup. Riders have only had a short turnaround window after last week’s season opener in Pietra Ligure, Finale Outdoor Region (Italy), and a debut victory still hasn’t sunk in for Men’s Elite winner Dan Booker.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Booker said:
“I don’t really feel like it’s sunk in yet because I’ve been so busy since it happened. Since I crossed the line at the race it’s been flat out, travelling all the way up here. My focus has pretty much gone straight into this race. Maybe when we have the break after this round, it’ll sink in a bit more.
“I’m just going to take this year race by race and do the best I can. I’m super happy on the [privateer] set-up I’m on at the moment, so I’m not really looking to make an impression to any other teams. I want to do it for myself and hopefully it would be great to bring another person on board – whether that’s a mechanic or someone just to help out with errands – but that’s the only thing I’d change.
“There are some really tough parts about the way that I run the program, especially on days like today in practice – my bike’s sitting muddy in the back of the car, and I’ve got to go and wash it! But when the conditions are good, you feel a lot of freedom running your own program, so I enjoy it.”
The man Booker pipped to first place last week, Slawomir Lukasik, was humble in defeat and believes that the level of competition in Enduro means that even home advantage counts for little on the Enduro Trails of Poland during tomorrow’s finals.
Speaking at the press conference, Lukasik said:
“I was so stoked to see [Dan] in first place. The battle was really tight. It’s even better for the sport and those who follow the race.
[There is a home advantage] but it’s not as big as people think. I think the level of the sport is pretty high – all of the top 20 guys can ride really fast on that kind of track without losing speed.”
Watch the full press conference HERE.
