The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series arrived in the Italian alpine town of La Thuile, where dry conditions left the course increasingly dusty and unpredictable throughout the day. The demanding downhill track provided a true test of nerve and skill, plunging 641 metres over 2.3 kilometres with an average gradient of -27%.
Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) claimed the second Men’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory of his career with a fearless run that secured victory by less than a second. The triumph ended a lengthy wait for the British rider, whose previous UCI World Cup win came in Lenzerheide in 2023. In the Women’s Elite race, Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) delivered another commanding performance, securing the 15th UCI Downhill World Cup win of her illustrious career.
In the junior categories, Kasper Hickman (Cube Factory Racing) celebrated a breakthrough victory with his first Men’s Junior UCI Downhill World Cup win, while Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) produced a dominant display to take top honours in the Women’s Junior race.
Höll also led Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres to the mixed team event honours. Meanwhile, COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction lead the overall standings by 56 points.
WILLIAMS’ LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO UCI WORLD CUP GLORY
Jordan Williams brought an end to a 1,107-day wait for a UCI Downhill World Cup victory with a fearless ride down LTHell – La Thuile Hell. The 21-year-old had already topped qualifying and found another level in the finals, attacking the demanding course to post a winning time of 3:25.767.
Williams arrived in La Thuile playing second fiddle to Specialized Gravity team-mate Finn Iles, who led the overall standings after back-to-back victories. However, while Iles could only manage 20th place on the challenging Italian track, Williams stepped up to continue the team's winning streak. It was also a difficult weekend for overall contender Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), who battled illness throughout the event and finished seventh.
The dry conditions and rapidly changing berms on the La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta course caught out numerous riders as they pushed the limits in search of speed. Yet Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) looked determined to deliver a memorable result for the United States on the Fourth of July. After losing time in the fastest section near the top of the track, he excelled through the technical lower slopes to set the benchmark with a time of 3:26.728.
Defending La Thuile winner Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) produced his strongest performance of the season. The Canadian carved creative lines through the wooded sections and finished just four-tenths of a second behind Vermette in third. The result marked a welcome return to the podium for Goldstone and his 12th Men’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup podium from just 23 career starts.
Privateer Ángel Suárez Alonso, who had qualified second fastest the previous day, was among the riders caught out by the unforgiving slopes of LTHell – La Thuile Hell, suffering a crash during his finals run.
At the front, Williams appeared to be riding on the edge throughout his descent. A dramatic moment in the final corner almost brought his challenge undone, but he somehow kept the bike upright to snatch victory by nine-tenths of a second.
The race has further tightened the battle for the overall title, with just 65 points separating the top four riders after five rounds. Despite his seventh-place finish, Pierron retains the series lead.
Reflecting on his victory, Williams said: “That was so insane. I risked my life the whole way down, I just went for it. The track is awesome and the bike is working super well; the grip I had up there was next level. It feels so good to win. Sometimes you feel like it’s never going to happen again. I had a pretty rough winter and broke my collarbone. I knew I was on a pretty good run, and I needed to keep pushing all the way. The back wheel slid and I thought I was going down. Somehow, I managed to hold on and cross the line. I was stoked.”
HÖLL DENIES BAUMANN MAIDEN UCI WORLD CUP WIN IN LA THUILE THRILLER
Valentina Höll spearheaded a dominant one-two finish for Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres, edging team-mate Lisa Baumann by just two tenths of a second in a thrilling Women’s Elite final. The reigning UCI Downhill World Champion bounced back in style after a 10th place finish in Lenzerheide, returning to the top step of the podium with another display of composure and speed.
The pair had already stamped their authority on the weekend by securing the top two spots in qualifying, although both left room for improvement on the dusty and ever-evolving La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta track. When it mattered most, they delivered.
The Women’s Elite field was missing several big names. Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD Racing) was absent after announcing she would take time away from competition to recover from the injuries that have hampered her season. Meanwhile, recent Lenzerheide winner Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / TRP) failed to qualify for the finals, as did Phoebe Gale (Orbea FMD Racing) and Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing).
With confidence growing and conditions remaining fast despite the loose surface, the finals saw times tumble dramatically. In a sign of the level on display, the top seven riders all bettered the fastest qualifying time from the previous day. Sacha Earnest (Trek – Unbroken DH) set the benchmark with an outstanding run of 3:58.942, becoming the first Women’s Elite rider of the weekend to break the four-minute barrier. Fellow New Zealander Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill Factory) slotted in just over a second behind as attention turned to the final contenders.
Baumann, still chasing a maiden Women’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup victory after claiming two podium finishes this season, looked set to secure a breakthrough win. The Swiss rider delivered a near-perfect run, moving into the lead by the slimmest of margins, just one tenth of a second ahead of Earnest. But last out of the gate was Höll, and the Austrian once again rose to the occasion. Carrying more speed through the wooded sections and maintaining her rhythm across the demanding lower half of the course, she stopped the clock two tenths of a second quicker than her team-mate to clinch victory and complete a Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres one-two.
The result extends Höll’s lead over Baumann in the overall standings to 363 points at the halfway stage of the season, further strengthening her grip on the race for the overall title.
After securing her 15th UCI Downhill World Cup victory, Höll said: “It was so hard to push; the track is so demanding and physical. I really didn’t have enough confidence today after practice. I wish Lisa [Baumann] would have won, it was so close. It’s so cool to share a podium with my team-mate. It was super tight this time and maybe next time she’ll get me. It was all about commitment. You have to enter sections quicker than you think you should. You have to trust the berms, push, and hope for the best.”
HICKMAN AND OSTGAARD SHINE IN JUNIOR FINALS
Kasper Hickman (CUBE Factory Racing) delivered a landmark performance in the Men’s Junior competition, claiming his maiden UCI Downhill World Cup victory and becoming the first Finnish rider ever to win a Men’s Junior UCI World Cup round in the gravity format. Having secured a career-best third place in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria) last month, the young rider took another significant step forward by mastering the demanding slopes of LTHell – La Thuile Hell.
Hickman dominated from start to finish, setting the fastest time in every sector on his way to a winning run of 3:32.179. His commanding performance left him nearly three seconds clear of the rest of the field. Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton) emerged best of the chasing pack to take second place, while Sacha Gabriel Brizin (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) completed the podium in third.
The race proved costly for overall leader Jonty Williamson (Yeti / Fox Factory Race Team). After crashing in practice, the New Zealander could only qualify 17th and endured further misfortune in the finals when a puncture compromised his run, leaving him in the same position. Despite the setback, Williamson retains the overall lead after five rounds, holding an 83-point advantage over Brizin.
Reflecting on his breakthrough victory, Hickman said: “It’s incredible, I’m super stoked with that. I made one little mistake, but that’s the best I could have done today. I can’t complain. I’m happy to make it down in a good time.”
In the Women’s Junior category, Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) continued her impressive season by claiming her second UCI Downhill World Cup victory of the year. The American, who also triumphed at MONA Yongpyong (South Korea) produced a superb run of 3:59.6 to finish four seconds clear of her nearest rival.
Lina Frener (Norco Race Division) arrived in La Thuile on the back of consecutive UCI World Cup victories but was unable to extend her winning streak, settling for second place. Cassandre Peizerat completed the podium in third.
The result further intensifies the battle for the overall title. Ostgaard now leads the standings by just 15 points over Frener, while Rosa Marie Jensen (Specialized Gravity) remains firmly in contention as the season heads into its second half.
After her victory, Ostgaard said: “I’m really happy because my riding has been so good lately. I’ve been pushing so hard and the competition is incredibly strong, so to see it finally pay off feels amazing. It’s the Fourth of July, so it’s a special day for me. I’m just stoked to have put together a good run. I love this place. I got my first win here, so it will always have a special place in my heart.”
The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta on Sunday 5 July, where endurance riders will take on a brand-new course for the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup. Meanwhile, the UCI Downhill World Cup moves on to Pal Arinsal (Andorra), for the next round of the season.
