The travelling circus that is the massed ranks of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup may have left Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide for Leogang but it leaves behind it a race that will be talked about, dissected and referenced for years to come. Established and new-found greatness boldly dominated the results but there was plenty of nuance and surprise lurking just behind it. Here’s what we learnt: Rachel Atherton will race again in Leogang this weekend. Rachel Atherton hits 40 When it was announced early in the race week that the six time UCI World Champion, Rachel Atherton (Continental Atherton), would take the start line in the elite women’s race there was a communal scratching of heads. How would she stack up against the contemporary establishment? Would the sport have moved beyond her? A sixth place finish at the same venue 12 months later was the only useful yardstick. What followed was an onslaught of the timesheets. Atherton was just one place behind the 2022 overall title winner Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) in both qualifying and the semi-final before pushing her way past her come the finals. The winning margin was 0.5secs but the look was vintage Atherton - flowing, in control and devastatingly fast. She is racing again at round two in Leogang, this weekend. Jordan Williams made history by becoming the first rider to take the win in his first elite level race. Jordan Williams wrote history Britain’s Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) made history by becoming the first rider to take the win in his first elite level race having moved up from Juniors for 2023. The 18 year-old seemed floored by what he had achieved - flabbergasted that what he had done had been enough. It had been, by just 0.495secs. It remains to be underlined that Williams is a first year junior on a team with an elite rider in his tenth year at the top of the big time, Loïc Bruni. The metronomic master of race runs talked excitedly pre-season about working alongside Williams as a mentor. Those thoughts have been dispelled and all eyes will now be on the rider with the UCI World Champion’s stripes (his sixth set) to see what his response will be in Austria. Vergier (and possibly Kolb) could have upset the applecart Much of the post-race debate has evolved around Williams and Bruni’s internal sparring but had two other race runs gone fault-free the headlines could have been much different. Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing) finished second and looked for all the world that he had the beating of the young Brit for the majority of his 2:39.717 run. He misjudged the landing of one of Lenzerheide’s several road gaps by a matter of inches and was left scrambling to scrub off speed for the following right hander. Vergier on song dances on the very edge of control, perhaps more so than anyone else. But for the aforementioned bobble he may well have done enough. Andreas Kolb (Atherton Racing) showed his trademark physical strength and meteoric (one of those big, dinosaur-destroying meteors) speed. A mechanical scuppered the semi final run and a crash in the first split stymied the finals effort - but it was there. If the Austrian can connect the dots at his home round this weekend then he could well add to his wins tally. Gracey Hemstreet turned heads Jordan Williams may have redefined what can be expected of a first year elite but that shouldn’t take anything away from just how impressive Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Racing) was. The 18 year-old from British Columbia bossed her way to fourth in the semi final and then sixth in the finals on her debut to the big stage. Since Miranda Miller departed for enduro back in 2019 Canada has been in need of a new female downhill heroine. In Hemstreet it may have found her. For the full schedule and more information on this week’s races click here. This weekend’s action will be available to view live on GCN+ globally, on the Eurosport App and discovery+ across Europe.
The UCI World Cups for Cross-country Olympic, Short Track, Downhill, Enduro and E-Enduro will come together in a single event for the first time in mountain biking’s history. Kicking off on Thursday, Leogang will host no less than 18 individual UCI World Cup races when all categories are tallied. It’s the UCI Enduro World Cup that gets racing underway this Thursday, when the fourth round of the series will once more see the fastest enduro and e-enduro riders on the planet take to a huge course that features six and ten stages respectively. In the women’s competition Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) and Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) are currently tied on points, so expect a fierce battle between these two. It’s a similar story in the men’s race, with series leader Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) leading out second place Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) by just 18 points. The racing continues on Thursday with the Junior UCI Downhill World Cup qualification and concludes in the evening with the U23 UCI Short Track World Cup. On Friday it’s another packed day of racing when qualification gets underway for the elite categories in the UCI Downhill World Cup, followed by the elite race in the UCI Mountain Bike Short Track World Cup. It’s all about the UCI Downhill World Cup on Saturday, when the elites get between the tapes not once but twice for the semi-final and final races. After Rachel Atherton’s (Continental Atherton) incredible return in Lenzerheide last week, there’s an air of anticipation to see if she’ll take the start again and if she does, will she be able to hold off hometown hero Vali Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team)? In the men’s race Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) stunned the field in Lenzerheide when he took the win in his first race as an elite, but he faces stiff competition from team mate and reigning UCI World Champion, Loïc Bruni. The weekend’s action rounds out with the Elite UCI Cross-Country Olympic World Cup on Sunday. First to take to the start line will be the women, where Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) will be looking to capitalise on her victory in Lenzerheide last weekend. And with just nine points separating her and series leader Puck Pieterse (Alepcin-Deceuninck), the stakes could not be higher for this race. In the men’s competition Nino Schurter (Scott-SRAM MTB Racing Team) will surely start the favourite after his record breaking 34th win in Lenzerheide last week, but looking to stop him making it a 35th will be the likes of Luca Schwarzbauer (Canyon CLLCTV) and Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC). Alongside the racing, fans will be treated to a Red Bull Air Show with Dario Costa, daily parties, athlete autograph sessions and an expo area. Free shuttles and public transport will also be laid on for spectators and more information can be found here. For the full schedule and more information on this week’s races click here. This weekend’s action will be available to view on Eurosport.com, discovery+ and globally on GCN+.
“The World’s fastest Mum” who took her 40th World Cup at Round 1 in Lenzerheide will take to the track again this weekend in Leogang. Rachel celebrating her 40th World Cup with with daughter Arna. Rachel admits that her victory hasn’t yet sunk in saying that the last 72 hours have been completely surreal. Initial plans were that she would spend a couple of days in Lenzerheide on a family holiday before returning home to Wales to focus on her fitness prior to August’s World Championships at Fort William this August but the temptation to race again proved too strong! Rachel acknowledges that she isn’t yet racing on top form and that two weekends back to back racing will be tough. She said: I don’t want to be stupid and take risks, racing back to back is hard enough when you’re fully fit and strong and I don’t want to get hurt, I have a baby to take care of. But spending time with the Continental Atherton race team and on board the bike that she co-designed with her two brothers is proving too much fun to resist. I’m loving my time with the team, being a racer again, and riding the Atherton bike, showing the world just how great this bike rides and seeing my team-mates Andreas and Charlie doing so well – we talked about it all day Sunday, weighing up the pros and cons, trying to decide WHY I’m doing this. Part of me wants to stop now, no more racing, my last race a win, that was always the dream, but now I’m here I don’t want to stop…so it is decided.. I will go and race at Leogang and just see what happens. A small part of me wishes I didn’t win, because I don’t want any more pressure, I don’t want people to expect me to win or to go well again, I just want to race and ride and be there! Rachel’s 40th World Cup win means that she is within one victory of equalling Anne Caro Chausson’s record for the most Downhill wins ever. For the full schedule and more information on this week’s races click here. This weekend’s action will be available to view on Eurosport.com, discovery+ and globally on GCN+.
Loana Lecomte (Canyon CLLCTV) took a convincing win in Lenzerheide, Switzerland at the second round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cross-country Olympic World Cup.Lecomte powered away from compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers) on the final lap of the rooty, technical course.But in the end it was Anne Terpstra (Ghost Factory Racing) who would take second and Alessandra Keller (Thomus Maxon) third after Ferrand-Prevot faded at the last.The top 10 were bunched together early on with France’s Lecomte on the front but as they reached the halfway stage the European champion had moved back and Swiss national champion Keller was leading the way. Lecomte found another gear to drop the field However Lecomte and World Champion Ferrand-Prevot attacked Keller and re-took the lead. That trio and Terpstra battled all the way until the final two laps. Nove Mesto winner Puck Pieterse (Alpecin Deceunik) was in the bunch early on but gradually dropped back as the gruelling pace lifted. The gap between the leading four extended coming into the final lap, with Ferrand-Prevot on the front and Lecomte just behind as Terpstra and Keller lost time.But it was Lecomte who had the legs, finding the power to crack the World Champion and pull away. Terpstra also managed to get past a flagging Ferrand-Prevot who was also bested by Keller a few metres from the line. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Imperious Nino Schurter’s (Scott-Sram MTB Racing Team) hugely-popular victory in Lenzerheide, Switzerland was his 34th World Cup win and saw him clinch the record for the most of any rider. The Swiss star had been tied on 33 with French legend of the sport Julien Absalon. After a hard fought battle for the remaining podium spots at round two of the 2023 series, South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (Cannondale Factory Racing) took the second spot from Frenchman Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in third. Schurter looked in control from the start of the men’s race and a group including the World Champion, Sarrou, Matthias Fluckiger (Thomus Maxon), Daniele Braidot (CS Carabinieri - Cicli Olympia Vittoria) and Hatherly traded blows at the front for the first three laps. Schurter taking control at the front of the pack. Then near the start of lap four a mistake by Braidot, who tangled with Hatherly and Sarrou allowed the two Swiss riders to get a gap of a few seconds.And it wasn’t long before Schurter put in a huge attack and opened up a gap to a chasing group led by Sarrou with Hatherly and Braidot behind as Fluckiger dropped back and Kiwi Sam Gaze (Alpecin Deceunik) came back. By the last two laps, a flying Schurter had ground out a gap of almost 30 seconds over Sarrou and Hatherly as the chorus of cowbells seemed to lift the Swiss star more by the second. Nino Schurter on his way to a 34th World Cup win. On the final lap, the South African was overhauled by France’s Thomas Griot (Canyon CLLCTV) who were both challenging Sarrou for the second spot.In the end Hatherly took second from Sarrou in the final wooded section as Griot’s challenge faded leaving him in fourth. But the day was 37-year-old Schurter’s as he crossed the line to enter the record books and revel in a rapturous reception. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.
A fairytale end to the weekend for Loana Lecomte In the Elite women’s race it was European Champion Loana Lecomte (CANYON CLLCTV) who showed she had the most skill and power to beat Dutch National Champion Anne Terpstra (GHOST FACTORY RACING) into second place by an incredible 18 seconds. Swiss National Champion Alessandra Keller (THÖMUS MAXON) would leave Lenzerheide with the bronze medal. Loana Lecomte had this to say about her Swiss victory: To be honest, I don't know how I did it today. The last few weeks I have had a lot of questions, and it was hard for me. After the short track I had a lot of bad feelings, but Jolanda Neff helped me with this a lot. Today, I just wanted to have fun on my bike, and I won the race, I can't believe it. The biggest goal of the year for me is World Championships so my training is geared towards that. We'll continue to work on this. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be in the same shape or better. Second place Anne Terpstra, said: The whole race went so quick. When you're racing in a group it's so different to when you're riding alone, there's so much going on. I definitely had fun and I prefer races like this when it's hectic. I really enjoyed it. I didn't really try to find anything extra on the last lap. I tried to recover where I could and stay as close as possible to the rider in front of me. I didn't expect to overtake Pauline on that climb, but I think she was having a hard time. It was a long way to the finish from that point and I was struggling for sure. Third place Alessandra Keller said: The crowd was there for sure and until the last corner I was in fourth. I tried to give it everything I had and managed to get past Pauline eventually. To finish third after a sprint finish is great. Thanks to everyone that was cheering. It was great. Results XCO Women Top 5: 1. Loana Lecomte (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 1:24:41 2. Anne Tauber (NED | GHOST FACTORY RACING) 1:24:59 3. Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 1:25:13 4. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 1:25:20 5. Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 1:25:35 Overall World Cup Standings: 1. Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 466 Points 2. Loana Lecomte (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 457 Points 3. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 440 Points 4. Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 430 Points 5. Anne Terpstra (NED | (GHOST FACTORY RACING) 394 Points Nino Schurter heads to Leogang as a record breaker Reigning World Champion Nino Schurter (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) would attack early, extending his lead throughout and in the process taking his record-breaking 34th World Cup win on home soil and cementing his place in the sport’s history books. He would take the overall leader’s jersey in the process. South Africa’s Alan Hatherly (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) would be the fastest of the chasing pack in a finish line sprint, 15 seconds behind Schurter in second with France’s Jordan Sarrou (TEAM BMC) in third. Schurter said this about his record-breaking win: There's definitely no better place to do this than here. It's taken me a long time to get to 34 wins. I was really looking forward to this race, to race one last time in Lenzerheide. It was already emotional knowing that we might not race here again. I wanted to give it all and hopefully get the win here. The crowd was insane. They definitely pushed me on today. Feeling the people, the energy, definitely gave me so much. I really enjoy these moments. I need to say a big thank you to everyone who came out to cheer for me, to all the fans, to Lenzerheide. It's insane. Second place Alan Hatherly spoke after the race, saying: I have done this race many times and I won World Championships here as a U23 so I know how to race this course well. I could see the pace was high from the start, but I knew it would slow eventually. I just paced myself and tried to keep the front of the race in sight. I just clawed my way back to the front. I was suffering with cramps towards the end but still had legs for the sprint to take second. I'm feeling good about Leogang off the back of today. It was a tough week for me. I had a fall earlier in the week that left my knee super swollen, then had a stupid fall in the short track that damaged some ribs. To turn that around is unbelievable. Jordan Sarrou said: It was a tough race, World Cups are always full gas all the way. It was a really hectic sprint. On the last few laps, I was struggling a bit, but I could sprint for third so I'm happy. Fourth in Nove Mesto, second on Friday and third today. Hopefully I can go better in Austria. Podium XCO Men Top 5: 1. Nino Schurter (SUI | SCOTT SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) 1:24:04 2. Alan Hatherly (RSA | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) 1:24:19 3. Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 1:24:20 4. Thomas Griot (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 1:24:20 5. David Valero Serrano (ESP | BH COLOMA TEAM) 1:24:24 Overall World Cup Standings: 1. Nino Schurter (SUI | SCOTT SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) 475 Points 2. Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 410 Points 3. Thomas Griot (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV) 336 Points 4. Thomas Pidcock (GBR | INEOS GRENADIERS) 330 Points 5. Alan Hatherly (RSA | CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) 328 Points Heby Sofie Pedersen and Dario Lillo take home the U23 Cross-country wins In the U23 women’s race, Denmark’s Heby Sofie Pedersen (WILIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) had the speed when it mattered to lead from start to finish, beating Switzerland’s Ronja Blöchlinger (LIV FACTORY RACING) to second place by an incredible 11 seconds. The final step on the podium would go to Italy’s Sara Cortinovis (SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM). Swiss National Champion Dario Lillo (SCOTT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) made good his final lap attack in the U23 men’s race to win at home, getting the better of Canadian Carter Woods (GIANT FACTORY RACING - XC) in second and France’s Adrien Boichis (TRINITY RACING MTB) in third. Speaking about her victory after the race, Heby Sofie Pedersen said: It's super important for me to ride alone on this course so I can ride the descents at my own pace and ride the lines I want to ride. I know I'm strong, so this gives me a lot of confidence going into Leogang. Dario Lillo said: It's unbelievable. I had goosebumps before the race, to race in front of a home crowd is so special, especially in the Swiss champs jersey. My expectations were high after the short track, but I just tried to enjoy the race. I felt good from the beginning but the leading group was big so I knew it would be an all-out sprint. It was hard to see where the riders were behind me, the crowd was so big, they really pushed me to the finish. It's unbelievable to do the double here at my home World Cup. Results U23 XCO Women Top 5: Heby Sofie Petersen (DEN | WILIER – PIRELLI FACTORY TEAM XCO) 1:12:42 Ronja Blöchlinger (SUI | LIV FACTORY RACING) 1:12:53 Sara Cortinovis (ITA | SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) 1:13:31 Ginia Caluori (SUI | THÖMUS AKROS – YOUNGSTARS) 1:13:49 Zoe Cuthbert (NZL) 1:14:49 Results U23 XCO Men Top 5: Dario Lillo (SUI | SCOTT DAVOS MTB PROJECT) 1:28:58 Carter Woods (CAN | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD TEAM – XC) 1:13:00 Adrien Boichis (FRA | TRINITY RACING MTB) 1:13:10 Brayden Johnson (USA) 1:13:16 Luca Martin (FRA | ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) 1:13:30 LOC president Christoph Müller is happy about a successful World Cup in Lenzerheide: We had a great World Cup weekend with really thrilling races. We saw Rachel Atherton secure her 40th World Cup victory and today we were able to celebrate Nino Schurter as the sole record winner. In total, we were able to welcome over 32,000 visitors over the four days of the World Cup. We are very proud of that because it shows that we have once again put together a great event. The full results from today’s races can be found here. The UCI Mountain Bike World Series will continue in Saalfelden Leogang in Austria with the formats of Cross-country, Downhill and Enduro. Click here for the full event calendar. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here. More information on where to watch which race is available here.
It was a battle for the finish line as racing got underway here in Lenzerheide with the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup! In the elite women's race Sweden's Jenny Rissveds changed gear on the penultimate lap and crossed the line with a comfy gap. Alessandra Keller stormed into second place at her home venue and France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot came into third. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.
It was a battle for the finish line as racing got underway here in Lenzerheide with the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country Short Track World Cup! Germany's national champion Luca Schwarzbauer won round two of the elite men's UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup after charging with elbows out to lead the pack for the last lap. Team BMC’s Jordan Sarrou was second and Sebastian Carstensen was third. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Join Loic Bruni and Cedric Gracia as they take you down the UCI Downhill World Cup course with GoPro for an in-depth analysis of the hard-hitting and flat-out track. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Rachel Atherton “The fastest mother in the world” has won her 40th UCI World Cup in Lenzerheide, the first round of the UCI Downhill World Cup of 2023. It was just her second race in four years - then headed back to the pits to breastfeed her baby daughter Arna, 21 months. Six times UCI World Champion, six times UCI World Cup overall champion and the first downhill racer to every deliver a 'perfect season,' Rachel Atherton has done it all. The 35 year old has effectively been away from racing ever since she snapped her Achilles during practice at Les Gets back in 2019. Recovery from injury was followed by the pandemic and effective cancellation of the 2020 season and the birth of Arna in August 2021, for more than three years it looked like Rachel was done with racing. But in July 2022, a last minute decision saw Rach return to the track for one race only, that race was also in Lenzerheide, one of Rachel’s preferred tracks. She said at the time: “I’m far from full fitness but I wanted to benchmark myself and to show that you can have a baby and still do sport. I wanted to see if it was even enjoyable anymore and if it was possible with a baby.” Sixth place that day saw Rachel just one spot off the podium. Rachel said :“For me, not getting hurt is even more important than it was before, as I've got a lot more responsibility. I’ve been very open about the fact that being a mum hasn’t been easy for me, I’ve really struggled, despite great support from my mum and my partner Olly. "The lack of sleep was so hard for me, for the longest time I couldn’t even contemplate training again and that had knock-on effects - the lack of focus and routine wasn’t good for me either – especially as I never committed to a decision of either retiring or carrying on! It was a bit of a limbo time. Arana sleeping through the night (a recent milestone) has meant that I’m in a better mental state. I feel like it’s allowed me to make good decisions! I"’m loving the routine of training again and it’s really helped my mental health regularly training, exercising again, and it helps with sleep too! "I’ve always wanted to try and put Arna first by breastfeeding on demand and that’s been so amazing but also limiting, but I’m glad I’ve taken my time returning to sport and I’m glad I gave myself nearly two years to just be with Arna 24/7 and to just be a mum and be there for her, but she’s still going to travel with me because I feel more relaxed when I get to hang out with her in between the stresses of competition, I think leaving her behind would be worse as I’d miss her so much, so my mum’s coming as nanny and that’s awesome! "I’m basically racing for fun, and because the Atherton Bike that I helped design with my brothers and that we manufacture in our home town of Machynlleth is just SO good. I’m excited to just compete and see what happens." In the run up to the race Rach struggled to build confidence, saying: “It’s a whole different game riding a World Cup compared with riding at home at Dyfi Bike Park where I know the lines inside out.” But second place in Qualifications was a huge boost with only Camille Balanche (last year’s overall World Cup champion and the home favourite at Lenzerheide) bettering Rachel’s time. It was the same story in semi finals with Rachel just 1.6 seconds off Balanche in second place. But Rachel is a racer through and through – the team knew that despite her protestations Rachel would be a danger today… and so it proved. With Nina Hoffman on the hot seat Rachel delivered a super composed yet super fast ride to take the lead. Only Balanche was left on track and the team held their breath as the experienced racer powered down the track. Two seconds off Rachel’s pace at split two Cam gradually reeled back the difference, but it wasn’t enough – she crossed the line 0.5 seconds back on Rachel and the fairytale return had the ending that it deserved. Rachel said: “I actually can’t believe it, coming into the race I genuinely had no idea if I would even qualify, the new format is so hard, I’m exhausted!”
In the women’s semi-final, Swiss National Champion Camille Balanche (DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) came out on top, beating Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) by 1.7 seconds. German National Champion Nina Hoffman (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) placed in third. But it would be Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton that adapted to the new format best, edging out Switzerland’s Camille Balanche by a margin of 0.5 seconds, with German Champion Nina Hoffman having to settle for third. Speaking about her finals win, Atherton said: A crazy day, I just can't believe it. It's a surprise for sure. Sometimes I think and know I can win but today I had no idea. I just wanted to stay safe and have a good run. It's the most relaxed I've felt at a race because I did not think I could win. A top three would have been amazing but this is so cool. Lenzerheide is a really short, intense track and it gets rougher every year. It's the best track in the best location though. I have no plans for a comeback. Leogang is next week and I am exhausted. I have only trained for two months and everything hurts. I don't think I could race again next weekend. I just want to get to World Champs in Fort William. Second place Camille Balanche spoke after the race, saying: I had three consistently good runs. It was really great. Of course, I would have preferred to win, but Rachel was faster today. I did what I could do and three minutes eight seconds is a time I'm happy with. I'm proud of that. It was close. It came down to zero point five. To be on the podium is great. I was already second last year, so it's a bit of a thrill. We're going to train even harder to win this one. Results DHI Elite Women Top 5: Rachel Atherton (GBR | ATHERTON CONTINENTAL) 3:07:514 Camille Balanche (SUI | DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) 3:08:048 Nina Hoffmann (GER | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 3:08:301 Vali Höll (AUT | ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) 3:09:270 Marine Cabirou (FRA | SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY) 3:11:118 Overall World Standings: 1. Rachel Atherton (GBR | ATHERTON CONTINENTAL) 370 Points 2. Camille Balanche (SUI | DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) 360 Points 3. Nina Hoffmann (GER | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 250 Points 4. Vali Höll (AUT | ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) 192 Points 5. Marine Cabirou (FRA | SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY) 176 Points New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab (THE UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) kept the hot seat warm most of the semi-final. It would be the reigning World Champion Loïc Bruni (SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) to take the first points in the Elite Men’s race crossing the line 0.161 seconds ahead of Austria’s Andreas Kolb (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON). Loris Vergier (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) would round out the podium in third. The reigning World Cup Champion Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL-MUC OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) did not start following a crash yesterday. Jordan Williams (SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) would get the better of the quick turnaround for finals, taking the first downhill win of the year ahead of France’s Loris Vergier and current UCI World Champion Loïc Bruni. It was Williams’ first race in the Elite category. Williams had this to say about his first Elite UCI World Cup victory: This is just insane. Lenzerheide isn't one of my favourite tracks so I just rode as good as I could. I don't know where I found the speed. Certainly having fast riders in Juniors helped push me along before heading into Elite. I didn't focus on trying to win or sending it hard, I just tried to put down the best run I could and see where I ended up. Finn and Loic are great. Loïc's a machine and I was sure he would beat me today. Third place Loïc Bruni added: A very good weekend for us. It was a good test for the new format. It's a pretty straightforward track that works well physically. I'm very happy with the result. I was in the battle for victory all weekend so that’s really cool. It's been a productive winter, I think. We're going to work on the details now and clean up some mistakes I made today. Thanks Lenzerheide for a great crowd and great weather. We had a great atmosphere in the team. We took first, third and fifth, so no complaints. Results DHI Elite Men Top 5: Jordan Williams (GBR | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:39:222 Loris Vergier (FRA | TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 2:39:717 Loïc Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:39:907 Laurie Greenland (GBR | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 2:40:058 Finn Iles (CAN | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:40:232 Overall World Cup Standings: Jordan Williams (GBR | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 322 Points Loris Vergier (FRA | TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 320 Points Loïc Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 305 Points Laurie Greenland (GBR | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 239 Points Finn Iles (CAN | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 216 Points The full results from today’s races as well as the schedule for the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide can be found here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Rachel Atherton, the queen of downhill was back like she had never left, putting down a faultless performance aboard her own named Atherton Bike to take the win in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Check out her GoPro winning run! Want to watch all the best of Downhill in Lenzerheide? Watch the highlights here. The full results from today’s races as well as the schedule for the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide can be found here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekends race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Downhill World Champion Loic Bruni says he and Finn Iles have been blown away by their new team mate Jordan Williams’ speed. Williams, 18, is starting his first World Cup season with Specialized Gravity and has made the move up to the Elite men’s field along with last year’s Junior overall champion Santa Cruz Syndicate star Jackson Goldstone. Bruni, 29, says Williams was initially a mystery to him. “Jordan was a question mark last year, I was like: ‘How is he going so fast?’ He was the quiet assassin,” he said. “Jackson was a lot more in the media, famous, whatever and Jordan was as fast as Jackson, faster sometimes. Bruni says Jordan Williams's speed is mind blowing “I didn’t really have an idea of him before I got to meet him with the team. “He’s a legend, he’s super chill, really nice - always up for anything.” Bruni, who has won five Elite World titles, can’t wait to see what Junior World Champion Williams does on the same bike as him. “We rode together in California, enduro bikes, and I was mind blown by the speed,” he said. “I was like: ‘Why are you going so fast man? We’re chilling’ There were Specialized engineers and he’s like: ‘Yeah I’m chilling’ and I’m like: ‘No you’re not’….He was smoking Finn and I. Loic says having the 'young guns' chasing him is only good “I’m so excited to see how good he is…with a good bike too, the same more or less weapons. So it’s scary but it’s good for me. “I’m getting older and older and it’s good for me to have these young guns, nice ones, to come and kick our asses, it’s a good thing.” Watch the full video to hear Loic’s thoughts on the season ahead including what he has to say about his new bike and how important his relationship with his long-time mechanic Jack is.
Swedish National Champion Jenny Rissveds (TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES CONTINENTAL) took the Short Track women's win in resounding fashion, beating Switzerland’s Alessandra Keller (THÖMUS MAXON) into second place by two seconds. France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (INEOS GRENADIERS) rounded out the podium. Jenny Rissveds had this to say about her victory: "It's always interesting when you start from behind and work your way to the front. You get a feeling of how the others are riding, the lines they are taking and how strong they are. Jenny Rissveds: Loves the intensity "I love this course and this place. The terrain is similar to Sweden, a lot of roots and pretty intense. The difference is the altitude, it's really hard but I like it. I'm going to enjoy Sunday's race as well. I don't have any specific season goals, I just want to be consistent through the season and feel strong at every race." Results XCC Women Top 5: 1. Jenny Rissveds (SWE | TEAM 31 IBIS CYCLES CONTINENTAL) 20:34 2. Alessandra Keller (SUI | THÖMUS MAXON) 20:36 3. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA | INEOS GRENADIERS) 20:36 4. Puck Pieterse (NED | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK) 20:40 5. Anne Tauber (NED | ORBEA FACTORY TEAM) 20:48 In the men’s race it was German National Champion Luca Schwarzbauer (CANYON CLLCTV) who had more power in the sprint to finish ahead of France’s Jordan Sarrou (Team BMC) in second and Denmark’s Sebastian Fini Carstensen (LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) in third. At the start of lap eight, heading into the first turn and at the front of the leading pack, current UCI Short Track World Champion Sam Gaze (ALPECIN–DECEUNINCK) lost his front wheel and took both himself and local hero Nino Schurter (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) out in the process. Schwarzbauer had a perfect lead out Speaking after the race, Schwarzbauer said: "I felt pretty good after Nove Mesto. That was a very satisfying result. Even though I was still struggling with my diaphragm, my shape in general is quite good. I'm speechless, it all goes so fast and is so overwhelming. It's crazy. I had a perfect lead out on the last lap. Jordan finished second which is a great result, but in the end, he worked for me as well. He led me out nicely towards the end and luckily, I had the legs to overtake on the last climb. I did think it might have been too early to attack but in the end it was the right decision." Results XCO Men Top 5: 1. Luca Schwarzbauer (GER | CANYON CLLTVC) 19:47 2. Jordan Sarrou (FRA | TEAM BMC) 19:49 3. Sebastian Fini Carstensen (DEN | LAPIERRE MAVIC UNITY) 19:51 4. Luca Braidot (ITA | SANTA CRUZ ROCKSHOX PRO TEAM) 19:52 5. Joshua Dubau (FRA | ROCKRIDER FORD RACING TEAM) 19:52 Erice Van Leuven and Christian Hauser took the first Downhill Junior finals wins of the year New Zealand’s Erice Van Leuven (COMMENCAL LES ORRES) would be fastest when it mattered, seeing off Colombia’s Valentina Roa Sanchez (TRANSITION FACTORY RACING) into second place by a healthy 4.2 seconds. France’s Lisa Boudalou would take third place. Van Leuven looked in charge from the start hut In the men’s race, the USA’s Ryan Pinkerton (GT-CONTINENTAL FACTORY RACING) would occupy the hot seat until the fastest qualifiers arrived. It was Italian Christian Hauser (THE UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) though who managed to hold off Canada’s Bodhi Kuhn (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) in second and Hugo Marini (COMMENCAL-MUC OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) from France in third. Speaking after the race, Erice Van Leuven said: “It was an insane run. Sometimes you hit a run where you can't remember anything because it works so well. That was one of them, so I'm really stoked. One section where I crashed in qualis yesterday I rode perfectly, so I'm really happy.” Christian Hauser had this to say about his win: "I crashed in qualifying yesterday, so I wasn't expecting to get a first at my first-ever World Cup. I am so excited. The track was slick this morning from yesterday's rain, but it was dusty by the time we were racing on it." It was Union rider Hauser's first World Cup Results Downhill Junior Women Top 5: 1. Erice van Leuven (NZL | COMMENCAL LES ORRES) 3:22:247 2. Valentina Roa Sanchez (COL | TRANSITION FACTORY RACING) 3:26:524 3. Lisa Bouladou (FRA) 3:27:660 4. Vanesa Petrovská (SVK | NS BIKES UR TEAM) 3:34:182 5. Rebeka Aimi Kenyon (GBR | PINKBIKE RACING) 3:40:255 Results Downhill Junior Men Top 5: Christian Hauser (ITA | UNION – FORGED BY STEEL CITY MEDIA) 2:48:776 Bodhi Kuhn (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) 2:50:396 Hugo Marini (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 2:51:775 Henri Kiefer (GER | CANYON CLLCTV PIRELLI) 2:51:984 Ryan Kenneth Pinkerton (USA | GT-CONTINENTAL FACTORY RACING) 2:52:000 Elites go after the first points of the year in the Downhill Switzerland’s Camille Balanche (DORVAL AM COMMENCAL) took the qualifying win in Lenzerheide, with a gap of 5 seconds back to Great Britain’s Rachel Atherton (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) in second place. Austria’s Valentina Höll (ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM) took third. In the Elite men’s race it was Austrian Andreas Kolb (CONTINENTAL ATHERTON) who laid down the marker for the weekend, finishing ahead of France’s Loris Vergier (TREK FACTORY RACING GRAVITY) in second and Spaniard Angel Suarez Alonso (UNNO RACING) in third. The full results from today’s races can be found here. For the schedule of the upcoming races of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide please click here. More information on where to watch which race is available here. Missed any of the action? Full replays from this weekend’s race are available globally on GCN+ here.
Rising star Puck Pieterse believes her winter cyclo-cross experience was critical to her gritty but tactical win in the first round of the UCI Mountain Bike Cross-country World Cup. The 21-year-old took the top step on the Olympic format podium at Nove Mesto Na Morave after a bar-to-bar battle with one of the sport’s most-decorated riders, multiple World Champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Ineos Grenadiers). It was the Alpecin Deceunik rider’s elite debut and belied her lack of experience at the level with few expecting to see her best the World Champion. But, despite her relative youth, the Dutch rider has already achieved a huge amount in both mountain biking and cyclocross. In 2022 as a U23 mountain biker she wore the European champions jersey and was second at the World Champs in Les Gets. And in cyclocross, as a U23, she was World Champion in 2022 and then finished second in the elite Worlds earlier this year and second in the overall World Cup. Pieterse came fourth in the Short Track at Lenzerheide She explains that, in common with men’s elite race winner at Nove Mesto Tom Pidcock, a winter racing cyclocross paid off for her. “During the race I thought she [Pauline Ferrand-Prevot] would have the upper hand because has so much experience but I may be new in the elite field in the mountain bike but I did a whole cross season which was also sometimes quite close in the end. “So I also knew my tactics and I knew a bit what to do.” Pieterse, who also placed fifth in the Strade Bianchi Donne road race earlier this year, said cross had turned out to be the perfect preparation. “For me apparently it was…I just like to combine both disciplines and until this point it fits quite well together.” Pieterse, who came fourth in the round two Short Track race wears the leader’s jersey at Lenzerheide in the Olympic race and competed here only once in the U23 field last year. She said that Nove Mesto was her fourth race at that venue and that Lenzerheide was more of an unknown quantity for her. “There’s a lot of roots and so you really need to find your flow here a bit. I rode here only once before so I’ll have to see how it goes this weekend.” Pieterse's tactics turned out to be perfect at round one
