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MTB World Series
Article - 01 Oct 26
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill

Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York: When is It? Who is Riding? How and Where to Watch?

After two new North American venues in two weeks, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returns to familiar terrain for the series finale with New York state’s Lake Placid Olympic Sites (USA) hosting the final round of the season.

Read on for everything you need to know about the Lake Placid Olympic Sites round of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series races, including when the cross-county short track (XCC), cross-country Olympic (XCO) and downhill events are scheduled to take place, who is racing, and how to watch.

WHEN?

The 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series round in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA) starts with the Women U23 UCI XCC World Cup at 09:20 (UTC-4) on Friday, October 2 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup at 14:10 (UTC-4) on Sunday, October 4.

Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-4 (EDT/BST-5/CEST-6):

Friday, October 2

  • 09:20 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women U23

  • 10:10 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men U23

  • 11:45 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Women Elite

  • 12:35 – UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup | Men Elite

Saturday, October 3

  • 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Women Elite

  • 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 1 Men Elite

  • 14:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Men Junior

  • 14:40 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification Women Junior

  • 15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Women Elite

  • 15:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Qualification 2 Men Elite

  • 09:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women U23

  • 11:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men U23

  • 14:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Women Elite

  • 16:00 – UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup | Men Elite

Sunday, October 4

  • 11:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Junior

  • 12:15 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Junior

  • 13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Women Elite

  • 14:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Finals Men Elite

WHERE CAN I WATCH?

There will be several ways to follow the action as the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series reaches its final stop.

Fans can keep up with UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying through live timing and dedicated coverage across the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series social media channels, official website and app.

The UCI Downhill World Cup Junior finals, for both men and women, will be broadcast live on HBO Max (in all available territories) and MTBWS TV for subscribers. As another Women in MTB initiative, this year’s Women Junior Final will take place after the Men Junior Final, giving Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) the opportunity to celebrate the overall title on home soil, in front of her home crowd, in a schedule position that reflects the significance of the moment.

All the Elite finals will be available live via the channels and streaming platforms listed below:

Europe:

  • Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / Eurosport

  • Belgium - HBO Max, Eurosport and VRT (only selected races live)

  • Czechia – HBO Max, Eurosport and CT Sport +

  • France - HBO Max, Eurosport and L’Equipe Live

  • Ireland – TNT Sports

  • Switzerland - HBO Max, Eurosport and SRF/RSI/RTS (only selected races live)

  • United Kingdom – HBO Max and TNT Sports

Asia:

Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand – Eurosport World
 
Oceania:

  • Australia – Stan Sport

  • New Zealand – MTBWS TV

  • Samoa – Eurosport World

North America:

  • Canada – FloSports

  • USA – HBO Max / MTBWS TV

South & Central America: MTBWS TV and DSPORTS
 
Africa: MTBWS TV

All other territories: MTBWS TV

 

RIDERS TO WATCH

Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) has had a season to remember by her own high standards, but the five-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner and five-time UCI Downhill World Champion could make it one for the record books this Sunday by securing a  seventh UCI Downhill World Cup win of 2026. Only Anne-Caroline Chausson and Rachel Atherton have managed this feat in the history of Women’s Downhill, and victory would put Höll on par with the sport’s all-time greats.

She arrives at Lake Placid Olympic Sites with a perfect record at the venue, having won its inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup in 2025, her only victory last season. That will make ominous reading for her rivals, but behind Höll, the battle for second overall is wide open. Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) holds a slender advantage over Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France) winner Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) and Gracey Hemstreet (Norco x adidas Race Division). It is Hemstreet, however, who carries the most momentum into the finale after finishing second on home soil at Whistler Mountain Bike Park (Canada) last weekend, where she was the only rider to come within a second of Höll’s winning time.

The Men Elite overall meanwhile hangs finely in the balance with three riders still in contention. Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) holds a solid 96-point advantage over Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity), while Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) remains in play mathematically but requires other results to go his way to clinch a third title.

Vermette’s win in Whistler gives the 19-year-old rookie the edge, but in a topsy-turvy season where no one rider has put together a consistent string of results, nothing is guaranteed.

Other riders to look out for include fellow rookie Max Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), who followed up his debut UCI Downhill World Cup win in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie with second place last weekend, while Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) will be hoping to return to winning ways after missing out on finals at his home course’s UCI World Cup debut in Whistler.

Before the Downhill action is Friday’s XCC and Saturday’s XCO, with three out of four series still to be decided.

Sina Frei (Specialized Gravity) and Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) lead their respective XCC UCI World Cup tandings, and a top three finish would be enough to clinch them the title. But their closest rivals are unlikely to go down without a fight.

For Frei, Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) is the woman in the hunt. The Swede’s 10 wins make her the most successful Women Elite XCC rider of all time, and if chasing a first XCC title wasn’t enough, she has added incentive of superior point differences adding to her lead in the XCO overall.

Martin meanwhile can only get caught by Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division). The season’s early form setter needs to win and for Martin to finish fourth or below to leapfrog his compatriot, and the pair have history when it comes to close, elbow’s out racing. Expect fireworks.

Less than 24 hours after the XCC, the cross-country athletes will line up again for the final XCO race of the season. Rissveds could have already mathematically secured the overall title if Friday’s XCC goes her way, but if the fight remains alive, Frei will need a significant points swing to overturn the deficit. As the reigning UCI XCO World Champion, however, the Swiss rider can be expected to fight all the way to the final lap.

Before a single pedal stroke in Lake Placid, Adrien Boichis’ (Specialized Factory Racing) absence is set to hand Martin his first XCO overall crown and puts him one step closer to a historic XCO-XCC double. There is still plenty at stake, however, with the battle for third overall among the storylines still to be settled. Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Race Team) currently leads the way and will be looking to finish the season on a high in front of a home crowd, while Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) winner Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) could yet deny him a place on the overall podium.

 

Racing gets underway on Friday, October 2 in Lake Placid Olympic Sites. Full schedule and event details are available HERE. You can find where to watch all the action live HERE.

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Article
30 Sep 26
Series Finale Heads to Lake Placid Olympic Sites with Titles Still on the Line
Short Track
Cross-Country
Downhill

If the penultimate UCI Cross-country and UCI Downhill World Cups are any indication, a nail-biting finish awaits at Lake Placid Olympic Sites this weekend, with the UCI Downhill World Cup joining the Endurance formats at the New York State venue for the second consecutive season.It could also be a positive omen for its home riders. In 2025, Christopher Blevins (Specialized Factory Racing) confirmed his UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup and UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup overall titles at the venue. Could Elite Men UCI Downhill World Cup series leader Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) do the same this weekend?A FITTING SERIES FINALELocated 285 miles north of downtown Manhattan and a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, Lake Placid might be best known for winter sports, but the site has a growing network of off-road trails perfect for mountain biking, centred around Mt Van Hoevenberg and Whiteface Mountain.The former is the location of the cross-country course, which is littered with rock gardens, a slalom course and a section that mimics the venue’s Olympic bobsled run.Whiteface Mountain, meanwhile, is the setting of the downhill track. Roughly 2km in length, the machined course is packed full of steep, technical terrain and requires precise bike handling and fearless determination to come out on top.RISSVEDS IN CONTROL, BUT THE XCO TITLE FIGHT ISN’T OVERThe Women Elite UCI XCO World Cup overall title is Jenny Rissveds’ (Canyon XC Racing) to lose this weekend – the Swede having a 220-point lead over closest competitor Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) with only 330 points left on the table. The 2016 Olympic champion could claim hers and her country’s first overall title as early as Friday’s XCC – she just needs to score 30 points more than Frei to build an unassailable lead.But if the last round of the UCI Cross-country World Cup that took place in Soldier Hollow, Midway, Utah (USA) proved anything, it’s not a foregone conclusion. There, Rissveds finished behind Frei in both the XCO and XCC. If the Canyon XC Racing rider has a poor short track race, then it will all come down to the final race of the season. She will have history on her side though – Rissveds acheived the XCO-XCC double in 2025 at Lake Placid.Also, although Frei is the only rider who can mathematically catch Rissveds in the title race, her own place in second spot isn’t guaranteed – XCO-XCC winner from Soldier Hollow Martin Berta (Origine Racing Division) is within 200 points of the Swiss rider.MARTIN OUT OF REACH, RILEY LEADING RACE FOR THIRDLuca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) is set to win his first UCI XCO World Cup overall title confirmed courtesy of Adrien Boichis’ (Specialized Factory Racing) switch to road cycling for the end of the season. But there will be nothing fortuitous about the Frenchman’s success. Martin has consistently been one the best riders at each of this season’s UCI XCO World Cups, including a run of five consecutive podium finishes that featured two wins.There’s still plenty to play for though in Sunday’s curtain closer, with Bjorn Riley (SCOTT-SRAM MTB Race Team) leading the race for the final podium spot in the overall title. While the American is unable to better Boichis’ second-place total, his third position isn’t secure with nine riders still mathematically in the mix. A strong home performance would make the bronze position his, but with Solider Hollow’s UCI XCO World Cup winner Martin Vidaurre Kossmann (Specialized Factory Racing) only 62 points in arrears and Simone Avondetto (Wilier-Vittoria Factory Team) 101 points back there’s still plenty to do for Riley.FREI THE FIRM FAVOURITE, AZZARO ONLY RIDER WHO CAN RIVAL MARTINIn the Women Elite UCI XCC World Cup standings, the roles are reversed with Frei the rider in control and Rissveds in the hunt. The 100-point gap means that Frei just needs to finish on the podium to win the title, while Rissveds’ best shot at overhauling Frei is to win and for Frei to finish fourth or worse. Frei leads Rissveds three wins to two this year in the XCC, but Rissveds is the most successful Women Elite XCC rider of all time with 10 UCI XCC World Cup wins.The Men Elite field is even closer with 96 points separating series leader Martin from his closest rival competing this weekend, Mathis Azzaro (Origine Racing Division). Like the Women Elite, it’s the same equation – Martin needing to finish in the top three to confirm the overall, Azzaro needing to win and Martin to finish off the podium to leapfrog his compatriot. The dynamic is different though in the Men Elite title race; Martin hasn’t won all season but has recorded five podiums, including consecutive second-place finishes in the last two rounds; Azzaro started with back-to-back wins but has struggled with bad luck and has only recently shown some of his early season form, coming fourth two weeks ago. One thing’s for sure though – you can expect fireworks between the pair and bar-to-bar racing from the start.HÖLL OUT TO EQUAL THE GREATSValentina Höll’s (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) win in Whistler Mountain Bike Park (Canada) was the Austrian’s sixth of the season. The 24-year-old had already sewn up the UCI Downhill World Cup overall title before taking to the start hut, but her desire to win even when it’s only for personal honours shows why she is already being talked about as one of the greats. A seventh win of the season in Lake Placid Olympic Sites would see her equal Anne-Caroline Chausson (1999) and Rachel Atherton’s (2026) record for number of wins in one season. It would also take Höll to third outright in the table for all-time women race winners – her 17th Elite career victory in Canada taking her level with Sabrina Jonnier.It’s not just the Höll show though, and the fact that she is able to do what she is doing with the level of competition in the Women Elite field makes her dominance even more impressive. This strength in depth is highlighted by how it’s a six-way battle for second-place in the overall. Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) currently leads the chasing pack, but AON Racing’s Harriet Harnden and Norco X adidas Race Division’s Gracey Hemstreet are breathing down the Italian’s neck, while Marine Cabirou (Canyon DH Racing) down in seventh is still mathematically in with a shot. While there are a variety of permutations, whoever comes out top out of Scarsi, Harnden and Hemstreet on Saturday is likely to be crowned the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup overall runner-up.ADVANTAGE VERMETTE IN THREE-WAY TITLE TUSTLEWith no qualifying points on offer at the season finale and 250 points for the winner of Sunday's final in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, it becomes a straight shootout between Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP), Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) and Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) on Saturday.Vermette’s victory in Whistler saw the American rookie leapfrog Williams, and with 96 points separating the pair, the 19-year-old can afford to finish as low as fourth regardless of Williams’ result. To be in with his best shot at taking the title in dramatic circumstances, Williams will need to claim a third win of the season and for Vermette to finish fifth or below.Pierron meanwhile is a truly outside bet, but the two-time UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner has experience on his side. To add a third title to his collection, the Frenchman needs to win for the first time this year and for Williams to finish fourth or lower and Vermette 10th or lower. One thing’s for sure – you wouldn’t want to write him off yet.WILDCARDS CONTINUE TO IMPRESSA host of wildcard teams will line up in Lake Placid, looking to build on a string of standout performances across both Cross-country and Downhill in recent rounds.Cross-country: Bike Team Solothurn, KTM Factory Team, Lexware Mountainbike Team, MASSI, SUNN Factory Racing, Thomus Akros Youngstars and UNNO Factory Racing.Downhill: Outlaw INTENSE Racing, Crestline Speedshop, Team High Country, Pivot Factory Racing, The Alliance Racing and Stoic Racing.Wildcard entrants have recorded a number of impressive results across the Endurance and Gravity formats in recent weeks. In Soldier Hollow, Nicholas Halter (Thömus Akros - Youngstars) won the Men U23 UCI XCC World Cup, while Mathis Guay (KTM Factory Racing) finished 13th in the Men Elite UCI XCC World Cup. There was success in the Olympic format too – Fiona Schibler (Bike Team Solothurn) coming fourth and Giada Specia (KTM Factory Racing) 15th in the Women U23 and Women Elite respectively.In Downhill in Whistler, Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory Racing) made it three Women Elite Finals appearances in a row, finishing 13th. Bode Burke (Crestline Speedshop), Alden Pate (Crestline Speedshop) and Jackson Connelly (The Alliance) meanwhile made 10% of the Men Elite finals field wildcard entrants, with the trio coming 22nd, 24th and 28th respectively.Racing gets underway in Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York on Friday 2 October with the UCI Cross-country Short Track World Cup. Full schedule and event details are available here.

Article
27 Sep 26
Vermette and Höll Rule a Thrilling First UCI Downhill World Cup in Whistler Mountain Bike Park
Downhill

The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series’ first visit to the spiritual home of downhill racing didn’t disappoint, delivering drama, disqualifications, surprises and unforgettable performances in front of a feverish crowd that roared riders through every pedal stroke.Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) emerged from the chaos with both the victory and the Elite Men’s overall lead. The last man down the hill produced a blistering run to put four seconds into an already rapid Max Alran (COMMENCAL / MUC OFF by Riding Addiction), the rider who beat Vermette to the Junior Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall title only last season.While the battle for the men’s crown remains wide open, Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) showed why her grip on the women’s is stronger than ever. The Austrian fulfilled a lifelong dream by triumphing in Whistler and, in the process, became the joint-third most successful rider in Women’s UCI Downhill World Cup history.Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) became the first rider to claim a UCI Downhill World Cup victory in Whistler, sealing the Junior Women’s overall title in trademark dominant fashion. She was more than nine seconds clear of the field, setting a time that would also have been fast enough to win the Elite Women’s final.Camden Rutherford (Nukeproof Axess Racing) claimed his maiden Junior Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup victory with a barnstorming run, continuing New Zealand’s dominance of the category despite the absence of injured overall champion Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team).VERMETTE SEIZES CONTROL AS TITLE FIGHT GOES TO THE WIRE After qualifying had served up plenty of shocks, there was no obvious candidate to take control of the hotseat early on. So it was hardly a surprise when Continental Atherton’s Luke Wayman went green as the ninth rider out of the start gate, after Jackson Connelly (The Alliance) had opened the Elite Men’s final with a crash just seconds into his run.What nobody could have predicted was just how long Wayman would stay there. For around 90 minutes, barring a brief interruption from Lachie Stevens-McNab (Trek-Unbroken DH), his time remained unbeaten. Even more remarkably, he finished eight seconds ahead of UCI Downhill World Cup overall leader Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity), who kept his run upright but struggled to find his usual speed and eventually crossed the line in 21st.Stevens-McNab had briefly appeared to have produced one of the rides of the day, setting a time that would ultimately have been good enough for second. But his run was later disqualified after replays showed he had briefly gone off course.That put Wayman back in the hotseat, with Canadian outsider Jacob Jewett (Giant Factory Off-Road Team – DH) incredibly holding onto second alongside him until Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL / MUC OFF by Riding Addiction), the fourth-fastest qualifier, finally edged ahead by less than a second.Henri Kieffer (Canyon DH Racing) then looked poised to take over, only for disaster to strike at the final jump. He unclipped just before take-off and was already halfway off the bike before touching down, crashing heavily but thankfully walking away from the incident.Instead, it was Max Alran who raised the bar, dethroning his teammate Pierron with a blistering run and leaving just one rider at the top of the mountain: Asa Vermette.The American delivered when it mattered most. Vermette turned the final three time checks green before storming across the line four seconds clear of Alran, sealing the victory and taking control of the Elite Men’s overall standings with a sensational run that came within seven tenths of the fastest possible combined splits.“Like I dreamed of it, first in qualifying, dropping last, I was like ‘let’s just put it down for the fans’, they were insane,” Vermette said. “I’m just so stoked, I did the run that I wanted to. [My team] told me that Jordan [Williams] didn’t have the best run, so I was just like ‘let’s put a good one down’ and we got it. [Lake Placid] is not very close to home but it’s in America so I’m stoked to lay it down.”The result turns next week’s finale at Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York, United States into a three-rider showdown for the title. Vermette heads there with a 96-point advantage over Williams, while Pierron remains in contention, 174 points back, with 250 still available.HÖLL HOLDS OFF HEMSTREET TO CLAIM DREAM WHISTLER WINTahnée Seagrave (Orbea FMD Racing) needed a Q2 run just to make the final, but she made that extra track time count, setting the early benchmark in Whistler. Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL / MUC OFF by Riding Addiction) and Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) were unable to dislodge her before Gloria Scarsi (MS-Racing) eventually edged ahead by just half a second.But Höll blew the contest wide open moments later, going seven seconds faster to lay down the first truly formidable benchmark of the day. Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) couldn’t put herself in contention for back-to-back wins, but Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) soon had the home crowd dreaming.Almost three seconds down on Höll at the penultimate intermediate time check, the Canadian found another gear in the closing section. She clawed back time all the way to the finish, launching off the final jump and scorching across the line to come within an agonising three tenths of a dream home victory. Höll remained in the hotseat, but only just.After recording the best qualifying result of her career, Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) initially looked capable of going even faster, turning the first time check green and remaining within touching distance of Höll at the second. Her challenge came undone, however, in a treacherous muddy root section just above the Ride Wrap Rock Garden.That left Lisa Bouladou (Santa Cruz Burgtec by Goodman) as the final rider out of the start gate. The Frenchwoman could only manage third, confirming Höll’s sixth UCI Downhill World Cup victory of the season and making her only the fourth woman to achieve that feat in a single campaign.“I came to Whistler for the first time when I was 14, it was always my biggest dream growing up,” Höll said. “And now to be racing the World Cups here is pretty insane. I can feel the legacy of all the BC racers, it’s an honour to be here.“Also big up to Gracey [Hemstreet]. I know how hard it is to do your home race, it’s not easy but the crowd is really insane and yeah, win number six this season feels unreal. I don’t know why it keeps happening but obviously I’ll take it.”Hemstreet’s disappointment at falling just short was clear, but second place still brought a special moment on home soil. She received a cedar trophy honouring the legacy of local legend Stevie Smith, featuring Indigenous artwork by Levi Nelson of the Lil'wat Nation in British Columbia.“This whole week was pretty unreal to be honest, even practice felt like I was racing with everyone, the whole crowd there. Everyone cheering my name was the most insane feeling. I’m stoked but a little bummed at the same time,” Hemstreet said.THE FUTURE IS FAST: OSTGAARD AND RUTHERFORD CONQUER WHISTLERYet remarkably, Höll wasn’t the fastest woman in Whistler. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) went more than four seconds quicker than the UCI World Champion’s winning time on her way to a dominant Junior Women’s victory, prompting Höll to pay tribute to the youngster at the finish.“Today I got absolutely junior-ed, big up to Aletha,” Höll said. “She smoked me properly and I can’t wait to race with her next year. She’s a massive motivation.”Before Ostgaard took centre stage, Tayte Proulx-Royds had given the home crowd plenty to cheer about by setting the early benchmark. Her delight was clear in the finish area, where she celebrated with fellow Canadian Piper Graaten and described the experience simply as “unbelievable”.Cassandre Peizerat (COMMENCAL / MUC OFF by Riding Addiction) then raised the bar dramatically, going 12 seconds faster, before Ostgaard rounded out the final in emphatic fashion. The American was already assured of the overall crown after second-placed Lina Frener (Norco x adidas Race Division) crashed following an audacious whip off the final jump: “It feels so good, even though I’m not Canadian this crowd is just as supportive as if they were American.”The Junior Men’s final produced another breakthrough performance, with Camden Rutherford (Nukeproof Axess Racing) claiming his maiden victory.Lois Eller, only the second rider out of the start gate, laid down an impressive benchmark that would be beaten just once. Seppy Binsbergen and Canada’s Ryder Wilson (Team High Country) both looked capable of challenging it before coming unstuck in the same section that had caught out Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) during qualifying, with the expectant home crowd groaning as Wilson hit the deck within sight of the finish.Rutherford was the rider who finally made it stick. The New Zealander stormed home almost six seconds faster than Eller, who headed over to congratulate him personally in the finish area.“I’m so stoked, it’s crazy to me. I was so nervous all day because I knew I could do something good here. I was really wanting a podium but always had the win in the back of my mind. I messed up the top, like three mistakes in the first 50 metres and then just tried to lock in. It felt smooth, pretty sketchy in some bits but I just tried to keep riding. The rock garden was insane, just like 50 train horns all of a sudden.”Rutherford’s victory also helped Nukeproof Axess Racing edge closer to the 100-point mark in the Team Standings, although the biggest gains came from COMMENCAL / MUC OFF by Riding Addiction. Alran and Pierron’s podium finishes helped the team more than double its advantage over Canyon DH Racing at the top of the standings.And there’s little time to catch a breath. The WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series now heads to Lake Placid for a blockbuster final weekend, with UCI World Cup titles still on the line across all three disciplines.The UCI Cross-country Short Track (XCC) World Cup kicks off the final weekend at Mt Van Hoevenberg on Friday, 2 October, followed by the UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) World Cup on Saturday, 3 October. Attention then shifts to Whiteface Mountain on Sunday, 4 October, where the UCI Downhill World Cup will bring the curtain down on the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season.

Article
27 Sep 26
UCI Downhill World Cup: Young Guns Vermette and Bouladou Take Charge in Whistler
Downhill

Youth took centre stage as the UCI Downhill World Cup made its highly anticipated debut at Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia, Canada, with Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) and Lisa Bouladou (Santa Cruz Burgtech by Goodman) topping the timesheets on a dramatic day of qualifying in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.With a combined age of just 40, the pair upstaged newly crowned UCI World Champions Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) and home favourite Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate). Goldstone endured a particularly tough day on home soil, crashing on his opening qualifying run before falling short in Q2 and agonisingly missing out on Sunday’s final.Höll likewise hit the deck at Whistler, but had already done enough to secure automatic qualification for the final. Meanwhile, Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) saw his lead in the Elite Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall standings reduced by Vermette, setting up another high-pressure showdown on Sunday.In the junior ranks, the absence of injured Junior Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) opened the door for Whistler local Jack McCredie (Frameworks Racing / TRP), who made full use of his home-track knowledge to go fastest. Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) led the Junior Women’s field, putting herself in the perfect position on a weekend that could see her crowned UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner.VERMETTE TURNS UP THE PRESSURE ON WILLIAMSIf Williams listened carefully above the roar of the British Columbia crowds, he might just have heard Vermette breathing down his neck, with the battle for the Elite Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall title threatening to go all the way to the wire.Even before Pivot Factory Racing’s Dylan Maples became the first man to roll down the start ramp, Whistler had already lost one of its biggest names. Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) confirmed that he would not compete as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury.Henri Kieffer (Canyon DH Racing) set the first serious benchmark of the day with a 3:39.683, and the German held firm as a string of bigger names crossed the line. Till Alran (COMMENCAL / MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction), Luca Shaw (Canyon DH Racing) and Andreas Kolb (Santa Cruz Syndicate) all failed to dislodge him, with Kolb admitting he was “absolutely gassed” at the finish after describing the 1199 track simply as “so hard”.Max Alran (COMMENCAL / MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) soon went one better than his brother, finding three-quarters of a second on Kieffer to move into the hot seat. Then came the most dramatic moment of the afternoon.Goldstone was not on course to challenge Alran’s time, but looked comfortably set for a top-10 finish until the penultimate corner, where a mistimed landing sent him skidding across the track, drawing groans from the packed finish-area crowd.With the finish line just metres away, Goldstone spent agonising minutes trying to fix his front wheel before eventually completing his run. He even found time to stop and cheer on compatriot Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) from beside the final jump before finally crossing the line himself.Iles also finished well down the order, capping a disappointing qualifying session for the home favourites, with no Canadian Elite Men securing direct qualification for Sunday’s final.Williams had arrived in Whistler with a slim chance of wrapping up the Elite Men’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall title before the final round, but that prospect now appears increasingly remote after he could only manage 10th in qualifying.The Brit conceded 35 points to Vermette, who remains his only realistic challenger for the overall title. Max Alran and Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL / MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) also gained ground as they fight to remain mathematically in contention heading into the final round, while Troy Brosnan (Canyon DH Racing), Benoît Coulanges (Scott Downhill Factory) and Goldstone saw their title hopes officially come to an end after failing to reach the final.There will still be plenty of maple leaves at the start gate on Sunday, however, with Jonathan Helly and Giant Factory Off-Road Team brothers Dane and Jakob Jewett flying the flag for Canada.Oisin O’Callaghan (Trek - Unbroken DH) and mud specialist Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton) also booked their places in their third and fourth finals of the season respectively.BOULADOU STEALS THE SHOW IN WHISTLERIn a sign of just how treacherous conditions were, Saturday’s first starter, Valentina Roa Sánchez (MS-Racing), failed to make it to the finish, leaving Sacha Earnest to set the first ever Elite UCI Downhill World Cup time at the spiritual home of downhill racing.The Kiwi stopped the clock at 4:46.702, an early indication of just how difficult it was to find speed on the muddy 1199 trail. Moments later, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco X adidas Race Division) gave the home crowd something to cheer about, going 7.5 seconds faster than Earnest to set the first truly competitive benchmark of the day.Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) admitted to making plenty of mistakes on her run, but still did enough to slot into second behind Hemstreet. She held that position when Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) crossed the line in provisional third, remarkably keeping her run alive despite the UCI World Champion sliding out earlier on the course.Several riders threatened Hemstreet’s advantage, going faster through the opening two time checks only to lose time or crash further down the mountain. Lisa Bouladou finally pieced it all together, carrying her advantage all the way to the finish to take over the hot seat by more than three seconds.A number of big names followed the Frenchwoman, including Orbea FMD Racing duo Tahnée Seagrave and Phoebe Gale, but only Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) managed to get within a second of Bouladou, who topped an Elite UCI Downhill World Cup qualifying session for the first time.Hulsebosch also recorded the best qualifying result of her career, meaning the final two riders down the ramp on Sunday will both find themselves in unfamiliar territory. They will know, however, that qualifying is only half the battle. Höll had been almost four seconds faster than anyone else at the final time check before losing time later in her run, a clear warning of the pace the UCI World Champion could bring to the final.Elite Women’s Q2 proved considerably less dramatic than the men’s, with all of the biggest names safely progressing to Sunday’s final, led by Seagrave.OSTGAARD EYES THE CROWN AS MCCREDIE SHINES AT HOMEAletha Ostgaard will be crowned Junior Women’s UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner on Sunday unless Lina Frener (Norco x adidas Race Division) can reduce her 85-point deficit to within 60 points of the American.Ostgaard made the perfect start to the weekend in Whistler, topping qualifying by 1.6 seconds from Tilly Boadle (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres). Frener could only manage ninth, while the only other rider still in mathematical contention, Rosa Jensen (Specialized Gravity), was absent with a thumb injury.Also missing from qualifying was Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), who has already secured the Junior Men’s overall title but is sidelined after fracturing his wrist at the UCI World Championships. His absence opened the door for Whistler local Jack McCredie (Frameworks Racing / TRP), who used his home-track knowledge to full effect in a fiercely contested session.McCredie edged Levin Klausmann by just a quarter of a second, despite the German leading at three of the four intermediate splits, while Noé Forlin finished only half a second off the pace.There will be little time to celebrate for Bouladou, Vermette, McCredie and Ostgaard, however, with all four back in action on Sunday for the penultimate UCI Downhill World Cup finals of the season.The Junior Women get an action-packed day underway at 11:30 local time, before the Elite Men bring the weekend to a close at 14:10 (local time).For full broadcast details and start times, click here.

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