Just one week after the La Thuile–Valle d’Aosta (Italy) quadruple-header, the downhill and cross-country stars traded the Alps for the Pyrenees as they returned to action in Pal Arinsal-Andorra. The venue hosted the final UCI World Cup round before a six-week summer break across the three formats: cross-country short track (XCC), cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill.
Racing got underway on Friday with a fast and furious UCI XCC World Cup, where riders left nothing in reserve on the high-altitude course. The intensity continued throughout the weekend, culminating in a thrilling UCI XCO on Sunday that kept fans on the edge of their seats right through to the final rider crossing the finish line.
Pal Arinsal - Andorra witnessed a number of firsts in the cross-country: Bjorn Riley (Scott-SRAM MTB Race Team) winning his debut XCC, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) becoming the first-ever woman to win three XCC-XCO doubles, and Adrien Boichis (Specialized Factory Racing) victorious in the XCO for the first time in what is the Frenchman’s adopted home track.
In downhill, the winners’ circle looked familiar, as Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) and Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) repeated their victories from the previous round. Yet Andorra’s dry, technical course still produced several milestones.
Höll’s triumph marked her fifth UCI Downhill World Cup win of the season, setting a new personal record for victories in a single campaign. In the men’s race, Williams was joined on the podium by Reece Wilson (AON Racing), making it the first time since Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria) in 2022 that two British riders have occupied the top two spots on a UCI Downhill World Cup podium, when Matt Walker and Danny Hart achieved the feat.
But the winners in Pal Arinsal are just one part of the story.. From Reece Wilson’s emotional journey to an injury update from Victor Koretzky (Specialized Factory Racing), here are some of the behind-the-scenes highlights from this week’s THE B LINE.
TRIUMPHS, FRUSTRATIONS AND MOMENTUM AHEAD OF THE SUMMER BREAK
Emma Stewart caught up with a number of the top performers from last weekend’s race, gaining insight on the thoughts and feelings of the format’s biggest stars.
Reece Wilson (AON Racing) won the sport’s biggest one-off race when he became UCI Downhill World Champion in 2020, but the Scotsman’s first podium since 2024 will live long in the memory because of its David vs Goliath-like undertones.
“If someone had told me 15 years ago when I started this downhill journey that I would be standing here as the owner of my own team, on a bike that I basically designed myself and to be stood in second place at a World Cup with the effort that goes in with some of these other teams is honestly outstanding. It’s a bit of history for me and a day I’ll look back on for the rest of my life and probably shed a tear.”
Wilson was just 2.3 seconds off of first place, which went to Jordan Williams for the second consecutive week despite less than ideal prep for the new series leader: “I was struggling this week a bit. Not on the track and riding but I really felt quite drained. Last week was obviously really insane and I felt pretty tired and not so myself. I was waking up tired, I couldn’t recover so amazingly. I had an insane sleep last night and woke up ready for it.”
While Williams was celebrating another victory, it was a different story for the 2022 Elite winner in Pal Arinsal - Andorra, Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate), who put her 11th place finish down to a lack of confidence on the testing terrain: “I had no speed. My race run felt like practice. I couldn’t find it this weekend. I couldn’t find a flow. I was scared of going fast. I couldn’t find a bike set up. I’ve never felt puzzled that much. After feeling good last week, I thought I’d found my momentum, but it’s absolutely gone this week.”
Although the summer break can’t come quickly enough for the German, for Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH), the six weeks between racing arrives just as the American has found his groove and secured his first Men’s Elite podium. But he has a plan to try and maintain the momentum: “I go home, I have National Champs, so hopefully I keep the sleeve, and then rest, train some more and come back swinging for the second half of the season.”
Sasha Earnest (Trek - Unbroken DH) was another podium finisher in Pal Arinsal - Andorra, and the New Zealander is keen to take the next steps on the podium: “I’m always stoked to be on the podium. Last race was my first time on the podium for the season and now I’ve just done it again, so I can’t be disappointed. But always, there’s an underlying feeling of I was close today and I could have it today, but the racing of the top two was out of the park.”
The one rider keeping her firmly off of the top spot is Valentina Höll, who made it back-to-back wins to build a seemingly unassailable lead with three rounds still to go. But despite her success, the series leader is looking forward to a well-earned break: “I can’t wait. This was my only motivation today. One more round and then holidays. I’m going to spend two weeks in Switzerland until we go back testing for Worlds. It’s really much needed. Today really felt like one second longer I would have been terrible.”
BOICHIS SHINES, SCHWARZBAUER REAPS THE REWARDS AND KORETZKY EYES HIS RETURN
Either side of the Downhill, it was the turn of the Cross-country riders in the highest altitude round of the series.
Adrien Boichis clinched his second-ever UCI XCO World Cup win, and the Andorran resident was over the moon with his result on a previously difficult course for him: “It’s super special to win here today. It’s a track I’ve always struggled in the past. To have such a good day today here with the altitude and all the different factors, it doesn’t get much better.”
Joining Boichis on the XCO podium was Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon XC Racing) – the German’s first top three Olympic-distance finish since Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland (Austria) in June 2023. He revealed that he has suffered with doubts in the intervening years, but that working with a mental coach during the off-season has helped to refocus his efforts: “This winter, I worked with a mental coach and there was one point where it was maybe a click moment when he said ‘if you want to leave an impression and footprint in this sport, and change things to a better and more positive thing, then you need to be in the front because that’s what people are interested in’. Understanding this was more fuel on the fire and I think that’s something that’s part of the success.”
One place behind Schwarzbauer was reigning UCI XCO World Cup overall winner Chris Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing), and the American was relieved to be back near the front of the action after a difficult return from injury: “There’s definitely a bit of relief. It has felt like eternity. I had two races back before this weekend and both of them were pretty rough. I knew I’d be part of it just chasing yourself and trying to get back to it but I’ve never been good on this course. I felt so good out there. We had an altitude camp with the team, which I think helped a lot. I think that was the difference.”
While the summer break is coming just as Blevins is refinding his racing form, for Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing), the six-week break offers an opportunity to reset and recuperate after a long period on the road: “I’m super excited. I go home. I will not touch my bike for a week. I will go swimming, climbing, running. I have a bit of an easy week but I want to see my friends and do different things, and I’m excited to go home because I was now five weeks on the road and that’s a long time for me.”
Finally, one rider who wasn’t racing this weekend but was in Pal Arinsal - Andorra was Victor Koretzky, and the Frenchman provided an update on the broken arm that has kept him out for the whole season: “The recovery is going pretty well. I do between three and five appointments per week with the physio. I work a lot on strength at the gym. I’m just waiting to have enough strength on my arm to hold the bar and not feel any pain. Now, when I go downhill and it’s too bumpy, it’s super painful and I can’t control the bike perfectly. I still need a few weeks and I hope to be back in Les Gets but we will see. My legs are ready but my arm is not.”
