HÖLL

Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll’s (YT Mob) series wins might have lacked the dominance of previous seasons, but the pair secured their spot at the top of the individual standings in Fort William, Scotland (UK) and stayed there to the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec (Canada).  Downhill mountain biking is fast, furious, and extremely unpredictable. The courses on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series circuit are some of the most gnarly tracks on the planet, putting riders against technical terrain and terrifying jumps, while weather conditions can upend a finals run – wind and rain wreaking havoc on proceedings and ramping the difficulty up even more.  Putting together solid runs across qualifying, semi-finals and the finals requires supreme skill. Staying consistent across the season is nigh-on impossible. But in Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Valentina Höll (YT Mob), the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series has two athletes who can defy reality.  The pair were overall series winners in 2023, with Höll also the UCI Downhill World Champion, and entered this season as the runaway favourites. From strong starts in Fort William to fighting their way to podiums even on bad weekends, here’s how they retained their titles in 2024.  BRUNI BATTLES TO FOURTH OVERALL SERIES  Loïc Bruni only turned 30 this year, but the Frenchman has already been at the top of the sport for almost a decade, winning his first UCI Downhill World Championship in 2015 before adding another four rainbow jerseys and three overall series to his collection.  The reigning title holder got his defense off to the best possible start, breaking his winless run in Fort William to build a 35-point lead in the overall standings on Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). In Bielsko-Biała (Poland), his second place was enough to extend his lead over the closest chaser, race winner Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing), while his second victory of the season, in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), saw Super Bruni build a seemingly unassailable lead of 320 points just three rounds into the series.  Minor blips in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy) and Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) where he finished ninth and fifth respectively saw his lead eroded to 216 points by a resurgent Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who won both rounds. But fans’ hopes of a title battle reminiscent of the 2019 series were quashed by the series’ penultimate round in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes (France). Pierron couldn’t make it three in a row, finishing 10th to Bruni’s 4th, and the 2023 series winner had an uncatchable 311-point lead going into Mont-Sainte-Anne. When Pierron broke his metacarpal in training in Canada, the overall was guaranteed with no other rider within the maximum 400 points of Bruni. The Frenchman could take things easy on finals day, rolling home in 26th with nothing else on the line having already secured his fourth overall series.  HÖLL SHOWS GRIT TO COMPLETE BACK-TO-BACK OVERALL AND UCI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE  While Valentina Höll hasn’t been around as long as Bruni, the Austrian pinner has been just as dominant in the women’s field, winning two out of three overall series since 2021 and back-to-back UCI Downhill World Championships. Her 2023 was going to be a tough act to follow too – Höll only finishing off the podium once (in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie), and winning four out of eight rounds.  Her supremacy didn’t appear to have diminished after her team move to YT Mob in the off-season – Höll storming to victory in Fort William where she had clinched the rainbow jersey the previous summer. But a crash in her finals run in Bielsko-Biała and sixth-place finish put a dent in her lead in the individual standings – the top five separated by just 70 points.  Höll put her Polish disappointment behind her a few weeks later in Saalfelden Leogang - Salzburgerland, scoring the maximum 400 points by winning qualifying, semi-finals and finals at her home UCI World Cup to put herself back in control of the overall. While her lead was cut in Val di Sole, Trentino by race winner Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD), she still had a 229-point cushion entering the second half of the season.  The Brit got the better of the Austrian again in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, shaving another five points off Höll’s lead by finishing third to her fifth. But Seagrave’s title challenge faltered in difficult conditions in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes. A slip in the second sector brought her race run crashing down, while Höll showed her steely consistency regardless of the weather to finish second behind Myriam Nicole (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) and clinch her third overall title with one round to go.  Unlike Bruni, the newly crowned three-time UCI Downhill World Champion didn’t take things easy in Mont-Sainte-Anne either, fighting her way to third and a sixth podium of the season to finish with a 418-point margin over next-best Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory).

After a two-week break, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns this weekend with a double delight of Gravity action as the UCI Downhill (DHI) and Enduro (EDR) & E-Enduro (E-EDR) World Cups take to the bike park of Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Austria.  We look at everything you need to know about the Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, including when the Enduro, E-Enduro and Downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing and how to follow the action. WHEN? The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Austria, starts with the UCI Enduro World Cup at 8:30 (UTC+2) on Friday, June 7 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 15:00 (UTC+2) on Sunday, June 9. Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC+2 (EST+6/BST+1/CEST): Friday, June 7  08:30 – UCI Enduro World Cup Saturday, June 8 08:30 – UCI E-Enduro World Cup 12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Elite 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Elite 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior 15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Semi Finals Women Elite 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Semi Finals Men Elite  Sunday, June 9 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior 14:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite 15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite WHERE CAN I WATCH? There will be several ways to follow the action at Austria’s only UCI World Cup round of the 2024 Series. For Friday and Saturday’s Enduro and E-Enduro racing, there will be live timings on the official WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series website and highlights on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ Instagram and Facebook channels, with top stories from the race weekend to be published on the YouTube channel on Sunday, June 9 and broadcast on Eurosport 1 at 17:15 (UTC+2) on Thursday, June 13.For the third UCI Downhill World Cup of the season, you can watch the finals live anywhere in the world. Both the men’s and women's Junior UCI Downhill World Cup races will be broadcast live and for free on the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, while the Elite finals will be shown on one of the below channels or streaming services. Pre-show starts at 13:45 UTC+2, so set a reminder to join Ric McLaughlin and Aaron Gwin live from Austria: NORTH AMERICA Canada – Flosports USA  – Max SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA Puerto Rico – Max All other territories – Staylive ASIA Azerbaijan – Staylive Bangladesh – Staylive Bhutan – Staylive Cambodia – Staylive China – Zhibo.tv Hong Kong – Staylive India – Staylive Indonesia – Eurosport Japan – Staylive Kazakhstan – Staylive Kyrgyzstan – Staylive Laos – Staylive Macao – Eurosport Malaysia – Eurosport Maldives – Staylive Mongolia – Eurosport Myanmar – Staylive Nepal – Staylive Pakistan – Staylive Palau – Staylive Philippines – Staylive Singapore – Eurosport South Korea – Eurosport Sri Lanka – Staylive Taiwan – Eurosport Tajikistan – Staylive Thailand – Eurosport Turkmenistan – Staylive Uzbekistan – Staylive OCEANIA Australia – Stan New Zealand – Staylive  AFRICA: Staylive  EUROPE Austria – discovery+, Eurosport 2, Redbull TV, ServusTV (digital) Belgium – Eurosport app, Eurosport 2 Czechia – Max, Eurosport 2 Denmark – Max, Eurosport 2 France – Eurosport app, Eurosport 2, La chaine L’Équipe Germany – discovery+, Eurosport 2 Hungary – Max, Eurosport 2 Ireland – discovery+, Eurosport 2 Italy – discovery+, Eurosport 2 Netherlands – discovery+, Eurosport 2 Norway – Max, Eurosport 2 Poland – Player.pl, Eurosport 2 Portugal – Max, Eurosport 2 Romania – Max, Eurosport 2 Slovenia – Max, Eurosport 2 Spain – Max, Eurosport 2 Sweden – Max, Eurosport 2 Switzerland – Eurosport Plauer United Kingdom – discovery+, Eurosport 2  Rest of world – Staylive  RIDERS TO WATCH The Epic Bike Park is home to some well-trodden paths for most Gravity competitors – the Saalfelden Leogang venue has been a mainstay on the UCI Downhill World Cup circuit since 2010, while it also hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in 2012 and 2020. Although it only made its debut in the UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Cups last year, the recently awarded UCI Bike Region of Saalfelden Leogang is sure to put on a show once more, with riders pushed to their limits on the testing, handcrafted trails. RUDE AND COURDURIER THE ENDURO RIDERS TO BEAT In the Men’s Enduro competition, last year’s winner Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis Team) has had a disappointing start to the season – 19th last time out being his best result of the opening two rounds. Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) finished second at this venue in 2023, and it’s hard to rule out the 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner going one better this weekend. One rider who will be trying to stop him is teammate Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) – the 31-year-old Polish rider narrowly missed out on his debut win at his home race in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, three weeks ago. Charles Murray (Specialized Enduro Team) spoilt the Polish party, and the current series leader will be looking to cement his position at the top of the table with another consistent performance in Austria.  Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) remains the rider to beat in the women’s Enduro – the Frenchwoman returning to winning ways in Poland after having to settle for second in Finale Ligure, Italy. Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) is pushing the 2023 UCI Enduro World Cup overall series winner to her limits though, while Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) is overdue a race-winning performance. GILCHRIST, BORGES, AND ESPIÑEIRA THE E-ENDURO FAVOURITES In the E-Enduro, it won’t be back-to-back wins in Saalfelden Leogang for Fabien Barel – the French rider has yet to start a race this season. Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing) has seized the initiative in his absence, the 22-year-old Australian is the most consistent rider so far with a win and third place in the first two rounds. Manuel Soares José Borges (Canyon Collective Factory Enduro Team) has also looked strong this season, scoring back-to-back second places, while we can’t rule out Mick Hannah (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) – the veteran finishing second in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland last year and podiuming last time out in Poland. For the women’s E-Enduro, it’s hard to look beyond Florencia Espiñeira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team). The Chilean has taken maximum points from the first two rounds of the 2024 Series, and with her closest rival Tracy Moseley opting not to race in Saalfelden Leogang, expect Herreros to dominate proceedings on Saturday. DUNNE TO DUEL WITH BRUNI, WHILE HÖLL AIMS TO RETURN TO WINNING WAYS AT HOME In Downhill, the reigning UCI World Cup overall winners Valentina Höll (YT Mob) and Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) didn’t have it their own way in Bielsko-Biała – Höll crashed on her finals run to finish sixth and Bruni settled for second with Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) taking his first UCI Downhill World Cup win. It’s hard to look beyond Höll though on her home course. The 22-year-old won at the venue last season and will be looking to make amends for her slip in Poland. Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) and Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) have both tasted success in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland though, while Marine Cabirou’s (Scott Downhill Factory) win in Bielsko-Biała shows that the Frenchwoman is back to her best. In the men’s, local favourite Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) gave the partisan crowd a double victory to cheer last year, but the Austrian will have his work cut out to repeat the feat. Dunne looks to be in imperious form, winning Red Bull Hardline in between UCI DHI World Cup rounds, while Bruni will be looking to get back on the top spot and repeat his win from 2019.  WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series DHI Ambassador, commentator, and four-time winner in Saalfelden Leogang, Aaron Gwin said: “The first two rounds of the UCI Downhill World Cup have been incredibly close and show the racing at this elite level is as competitive as it has ever been. The course in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland has historically provided some of the tightest racing our sport has seen, and I predict more of the same this year. The course here is an all-out sprint, there’s no room to rest and you have to maintain that level of intensity from your first pedal out of the start hut to the finish. We had a first-time winner here last year and with the depth of talent that we’ve seen already this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another one this weekend”. Racing gets underway on Friday, June 7 in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland. Full schedule and event details are available HERE. You can find where to watch all the racing action in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland HERE.

Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) scored victories in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Bielsko-Biała. The Frenchwoman returned to winning ways after a disappointing start to the season in Fort William, while Dunne recorded his first-ever UCI Downhill World Cup on the new Polish track. Meanwhile, Heather Wilson (Muc-Off Young Guns) and Asa Vermette (Framework Racing) made it two from two in the Women’s Juniors and Men’s Juniors. The 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series made its Polish downhill debut this week as the best Gravity-fuelled athletes took to the Bielsko-Biała track’s smorgasbord of jumps, roots and rock-filled forest sections. After a heavy downpour in the morning, the sun came out in full force for the Elite UCI Downhill World Cup finals, but the conditions weren’t without their own difficulties. On the track’s drying exposed top sections, the dirt was breaking up because of the constant pounding of race rigs, while the wood sections remained damp, making tyre choice extremely difficult. It didn’t faze Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) and Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) though, who used all their UCI World Cup-winning experience to get to grips with the unknown course and push their bikes to the limits to take the wins. CABIROU STORMS TO VICTORY WITH HÖLL CRASHING IN FIRST SECTOR   Marine Cabirou had a disappointing Fort William by her own high standards, finishing outside the podium places and leaving herself with a lot to do to challenge Valentina Höll (YT Mob) in the UCI World Cup overall championship. She appeared to have put the Scottish season opener behind her though, arriving in Poland as one of the most consistent riders on the Beskid Mountains’ course. Third place in Saturday’s Qualifying and Semi-Finals was a sign that Cabirou wasn’t in Poland to make up the numbers and dropping in on her Finals run with just Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) and Höll to come, she knew she’d have to find more than three seconds on her Semi-Finals time to knock then-race leader Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) out of the hot seat. After a steady top section, the 27-year-old grew in confidence throughout her run, laying down the power to set a blistering pace in the lower section that was good enough for top spot. Seagrave looked like she was on a heater, finding almost a second at the first intermediate split, but the resurgent Brit came unclipped from her pedals in the technical wood section, losing momentum and crossing the line fifth. And then there was Höll. The 2023 UCI Downhill World Champion put a snapped chain in Qualifying behind her to set the fastest time in the Semi-Finals, with Aaron Gwin saying in live commentary that it was “hers to lose”. The 22-year-old set off incredibly powerfully from the start gate, but her run was over as quickly as it had started – a crash in the first sector sending her down hard. Last year’s overall series winner isn’t a quitter and was quickly back on her bike, but it was damage limitation rather than a miraculous recovery – the Austrian coming home in sixth. Her win in Poland was Cabirou’s eighth UCI Downhill World Cup of her career, and speaking after the race, she said: “I’m super happy to win here on this new track in Poland. It’s crazy because the track has changed a lot all week. It was difficult to manage the race run because we had a lot of rain at the start of the afternoon, so I didn’t know if I could push or not, so I just tried to do my best. At the beginning, I saw that the track was kind of dry so I tried to push. I made a mistake but I think everybody made a mistake, so I just had a good run.” DUNNE WINS FIRST UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) put in an assured, controlled performance to take his first-ever UCI Downhill World Cup win in Poland – the Irish 21-year-old piloting his prototype Mondraker down the course in his signature, knife-edge style. It was another Irishman who was in the hot seat for most of the men’s final – Oisin O’Callaghan (YT Mob) fourth on the hill and laying down a marker that would be strong enough for 10th on the day. Benoît Coulanges (Dorval AM Commencal) finally broke the 21-year-old’s dreams of a second UCI World Cup win. The Frenchman’s race run was the first to go inside the 2:57 barrier and enough to see him finish on the podium in fourth – an improvement on his 6th place in Fort William.   Coulanges’ time in the hot seat was short-lived though. Enter Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity). The 2023 UCI Downhill World Cup overall series winner had kicked off his season with victory in Scotland and looked to have overcome a crash in yesterday’s Semi-Finals. He was 1.2 seconds up on Coulanges in the first split alone and would hold on to break the 2:55 barrier. But would it be enough for his 10th UCI Downhill World Cup win? Saturday’s surprise qualifier Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union - Forged by Steel City Media) appeared to be backing up his strong Semi-Finals run, gapping Bruni deep into the fourth intermediate split until he was brought crashing back down to earth with a front wheel washout on an innocuous piece of track. The 20-year-old New Zealand national champion had shown that there was time to be made on Bruni’s time though, which Dunne exploited to the max. The Irishman laid down a final run where he was fastest in three out of four intermediate splits (and second-fastest in the other), narrowly beating Bruni by 0.64 seconds. The three riders left on the hill didn’t have an answer to Dunne’s dominant run – Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) finishing sixth, Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) rescuing third despite dabbing his foot down, and team-mate Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory Racing) down in 31st after sliding out at the top of the first sector on a wet patch. Speaking after his win, Ronan Dunne said: “I was loving the track in Poland. The crowd was insane. It’s the second [UCI Downhill World Cup] with the new team. It’s been perfect and I had myself in the mindset of either I was going for a helicopter trip, or I was coming down in first. We didn’t take the helicopter trip, but we took the win. Usually, I don’t look at the times, but this time I was. I saw the time that Bruni put down and I thought ‘OK, we’re going for it, we’re not messing around’. I was ready to fight someone. It paid off.” Overall series leader Loïc Bruni said: “I’m pretty happy with the result. I don’t think I deserved more because my weekend wasn’t so good. Some of the boys were riding better than me. I’m happy with second. I didn’t think it would be possible to go top three. The run was good, the bike was good, and everything is really nice so hopefully we can carry the momentum. I’m really happy for Ronan. It’s so good to see. WILSON AND VERMETTE RETAIN THEIR 100% RECORDS While the Elites had scorching sun, it was a different story for the Juniors, with rain midway through proceedings making for wet and wild conditions on course.  In the Women’s Juniors, Heather Wilson (Muc-Off Young Guns) used all of her experience of growing up on Scotland’s sodden tracks to take her second win of the season, edging out Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) by 0.069 seconds, while Sasha Earnest (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) finished third. Speaking after her win, Heather Wilson said: “I can’t believe it. At the top I was just laughing, and I wasn’t feeling nervous. I was like ‘OK, I’m just going to have fun and try and ride my bike’. It was so loose, and I was really enjoying it. It was so fun. The whole track everywhere is so blown out. It’s so physical.” The Men’s Juniors was a far more clear-cut affair, Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) dominating from the second intermediate split onwards to win by almost four seconds. Mylann Falquet (Goodman Santa Cruz) was the next most consistent rider, with Dane Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing) completing the top three.   Speaking after his race win, Asa Vermette said: “It was a loose run. I honestly didn’t think it was going to be the best run. I was sliding all over the place in the woods. I just kept pedaling to the bottom. In my qualis I did crash, so maybe it was good that it wasn’t pouring rain like before. But it was a good run.” STANDINGS AFTER THE UCI DOWNHILL WORLD CUP ROUND IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA: UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Elite Valentina Höll (YT Mob) – 560 Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) – 550 Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) – 540 Nina Hoffman (Santa Cruz Syndicate) – 506 Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill Factory) – 490   UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Elite Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) – 627 Ronan Dunne (Mondraker Factory Racing) – 467 Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) – 454 Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) – 447 Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) – 441   UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Juniors Heather Wilson (Muc-Off Young Guns) – 120 Sacha Earnest (Kiwidh) – 95 Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) – 85 Eliana Hulsebosch (Union - Forged by Steel City Media) – 85 Matilda Melton (Transition Factory Racing) – 70   UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Juniors Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing) – 120 Luke Wayman (The Gravity Cartel – Rogue Racing) – 80 Dane Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing) – 80 Daniel Parfitt (BNC Racing) – 73 Till Alran (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) – 54   The third rounds of the UCI Downhill World Cup and the UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Cups will take place in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland, Austria on June 7-9, while the Endurance championships resume next weekend (May 24-26) in Nové Město Na Moravě, Czech Republic.