Riders had perfect conditions on the mountain with warm and dry weather, but with the likes of Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) yet to show their form from last year in 2026, there was added pressure to perform.
NEWKIRK NAILS HER FIRST QUALIFYING WIN
Anna Newkirk’s (Frameworks Racing / TRP) season is firmly on an upward trajectory. The American’s results have improved with every round, and she converted a second-place in qualifying with her first podium of the year in Saalfelden-Leogang Salzburgerland.
She went one better in Lenzerheide, securing her maiden qualifying win, going fastest in all but one sector to finish in a time of 3:14.64.
Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) was the only rider to get within a second of Newkirk, finishing 0.202 seconds down. The French icon, who has the best record at Lenzerheide from the current crop of riders with three UCI Downhill World Cup wins, will take confidence from her performance, which included the fastest first intermediate sector.
Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) was the next best rider, while current series leader Vali Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) could only manage a 3:18.023, which was good enough for seventh place. The Austrian will have to find a lot more time tomorrow if she is to take her first Elite-level win at the venue and continue her 100% record.
At the other end of the Q1 results table, both Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD Racing) and Hemstreet missed out on a top-10 run and were forced to go again in Q2. Neither managed to make it through at a second time of asking though, with Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) and Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill Factory) amongst those who scraped through to tomorrow’s finals.
PINKERTON CLINCHES FIRST QUALIFYING VICTORY WITH CONSISTENT RUN
North American Downhill is enjoying a strong run of form, with athletes from the US or Canada winning each of the first three rounds of this year’s Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup.
Not content to let Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP), Luca Shaw (Canyon DH Racing) and Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) steal the limelight, Ryan Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing DH) has also thrown his hat into the ring, completing the most consistent qualifying run of the day and winning his first Q1 in the process.
While he wasn’t fastest in any one sector, Pinkerton wasn’t outside the top seven of any split and only got faster as he approached the line, stopping the clock at 2:48.406.
It was tight at the top though – the fastest eight qualifiers all finishing within a second of Pinkerton’s winning time. Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek-Unbroken DH) was closest, finishing 0.41 seconds back after recovering from a slower start. Last week’s winner in Austria, Finn Iles, meanwhile continued to show his strong form by finishing in third.
Things weren’t as rosy for another Canadian, Jackson Goldstone, who had an off on the first corner and was forced into Q2. The reigning UCI Downhill World Champion and UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner did enough at a second time of asking, qualifying fourth in Q2, as did Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), Vermette and Shaw – the latter of whom set the fastest time of the day, but will still start 10th on the hill tomorrow.
WILLIAMSON AND OSTGAARD FASTEST IN JUNIORS
Men Junior UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) put in a barn-storming ride in qualifying – the New Zealander recovering from a middling start to record a 2:54.177 on the hill. Seppy Binsbergen was the only rider who could get within two seconds of Williamson, while Felix Griffiths (Santa Cruz Syndicate) gave himself a good shot at recording his first Junior podium by finishing third.
Junior women's overall leader Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) meanwhile showed that she's the in-form rider in 2026, going fastest from the start hut all the way to the finish line in a qualifying performance that will leave her confident that she can record her second win of the season since the opener in South Korea. Last week's winner in Austria Lina Frener (Norco x adidas Race Division) was 2.284 seconds down on Ostgaard, while Rosa Marie Jensen (Specialized Gravity) looked like she would be the second fastest on the hill until a slightly slower final split saw her qualify down in third.
Racing continues tomorrow (Saturday, June 20) in Lenzerheide from 11:30 CEST with the Women Junior UCI Downhill World Cup Finals. Find out how to watch here.
