As well as the venue’s notorious altitude, riders also had to contend with warm, sunny conditions on the course, which was as dry, dusty and fast as ever.
Plus, coming hot off the heels of La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta, Pal Arinsal - Andorra offers riders the chance to carry momentum or pick themselves up quickly if they had a disappointing result in Italy.
HÖLL ON COURSE FOR ANOTHER PERFECT WEEKEND
While Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) already looks nailed on for her fifth UCI Downhill World Cup overall title, the Austrian is chasing her own personal records. A win in Andorra would be her fifth of the season, which would beat her previous best with three rounds still to go, and she gave herself the best possible shot at achieving it by qualifying fastest.
After a sluggish first split, Höll turned things around, putting in a blistering lower half to record her third qualifying win of 2026. Back it up with a win tomorrow and that would be three perfect weekends (and another 250 points in the standings) for the 24-year-old.
Second place went to Sacha Earnest (Trek - Unbroken DH) – the New Zealander backing up her second career podium in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta last weekend with another impressive performance in Pal Arinsal, finishing less than 0.5 seconds off the pace.
Gloria Scarsi (MS Racing) and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division) were the only other two riders to get within a second of Höll.
At the other end of the Q1 results table, both 2023 UCI Downhill World Cup winner in Pal Arinsal Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and the only rider other than Höll to win a round this year, Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / TRP) missed out on a top 10 run and were forced to go again in Q2. Both made it through at a second time of asking, along with Valentina Roa Sanchez (MS Racing), Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory Racing) and Phoebe Gale (Orbea FMD Racing).
One rider absent from proceedings was Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC OFF by Riding Addiction). The two-time UCI Downhill World Champion crashed in practice yesterday, dislocating and breaking a finger.
STEVENS-MCNAB CLINCHES FIRST QUALIFYING VICTORY WITH PERFECT RUN
Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek - Unbroken DH) has shown his potential during his four years in the Elite class, securing two podium finishes and qualifying second fastest back in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) last month. But the New Zealander took it up a notch in Pal Arinsal, laying down a 2:46.1 qualifying run where he was in the green from the top to the bottom of the mountain.
Only wildcard entrant Bode Burke (Crestline Speed Shop) could get within the 2:46 bracket to finish second in only his sixth Elite UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying round. The American has so far made it through to finals three times, with 25th in La Thuile - Valle d’Aosta his best result to date.
Completing the qualifying podium was Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) – the Canadian up to speed again following a check of his momentum in Italy last week. Last weekend’s winner Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) showed the result was no fluke by qualifying fifth, while series leader Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) was one place back in sixth.
Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate), Aaron Gwin (Frameworks Racing / TRP) and Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) also snuck in through Q1, finishing 17th, 18th and 20th respectively.
In Q2, Ethan Craik (Scott Downhill Factory) topped the times as one of 10 additional riders to secure a place in tomorrow’s finals, alongside high-profile names Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing) and Danny Hart (Norco x adidas Race Division).There won’t however be a spot in the start hut for Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate) or Benoit Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory).
WILLIAMSON AND OSTGAARD FASTEST IN JUNIORS
Overall leader Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) showed that his 17th last weekend in La Thuile - Valle d'Aosta was a blip, putting the loss of his 100% win record behind him to get back on the top spot in the men's Junior qualifying – the New Zealander recovering from being 0.5 seconds back in the first intermediate split to finishes fastest with a time of 2:52.245. Kasper Hickman (Cube Factory Racing) was the only rider who could get within a second of Williamson, while privateer Ažbe Kalinšek’s third place gives the Slovenian a realistic chance at recording a second Junior podium of his career.
The Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) meanwhile has carried over her speed from the Alps to the Pyrenees, going fastest in an incredibly competitive field and beating Elite women's Q1 winner Vali Höll's time by almost a second. Third place in the overall standings Rosa Marie Jensen (Specialized Gravity) could only just get within three seconds of Ostgaard's blistering time, while Indy Deavoll (Stoic Racing) went from first fastest in split one to third fastest by the bottom of the hill, finishing 5.048 seconds off the best time.
Racing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, July 11) in Pal Arinsal - Andorra from 11:00 CEST with the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Find out how to watch here.
