Series Finale Heads to Lake Placid Olympic Sites with Titles Still on the Line

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.

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.

Read on for everything you need to know about this weekend’s racing, including the schedule, the riders to watch and how to tune in live.WHEN?The UCI Downhill World Cup in Whistler starts with the Women Elite UCI Downhill World Cup Q1 at 12:30 (UTC-7) on Saturday, September 26 and concludes with the Men Elite UCI Downhill World Cup Final at 14:10 (UTC-7) on Sunday, September 27.Below are the key timings for race weekend. All times are UTC-7 (EST-2/BST-8/CEST-9):Saturday, September 26 12:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Elite Q113:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Elite Q114:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Junior Qualifying14:20 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Junior Qualifying15:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Elite Q215:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Elite Q2Sunday, September 2711:30 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Junior Final12:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Junior Final13:00 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Women Elite Final14:10 – UCI Downhill World Cup | Men Elite FinalWHERE CAN I WATCH?Fans will have multiple ways to follow round eight of the UCI Downhill World Cup. Qualification day coverage will be available through live timing and live blog updates on the official app and via social media. The Men Junior and Women Junior Finals will be streamed live on HBO Max (where available) and MTBWS TV with a subscription, while the Elite Finals will be broadcast live on the following channels and streaming platforms:Europe:Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Baltics, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine – HBO Max / EurosportCzechia – HBO Max, Eurosport and CT Sport +France - HBO Max, Eurosport and L’Equipe LiveIreland – TNT SportsUnited Kingdom – HBO Max and TNT SportsAsia:Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand – Eurosport WorldOceania:Australia – Stan SportNew Zealand – MTBWS TVSamoa – Eurosport WorldNorth America:Canada – FloSports and TSN+USA – HBO Max / MTBWS TVSouth & Central America: MTBWS TV and DSPORTS 2 Africa: MTBWS TVAll other territories: MTBWS TVRIDERS TO WATCHSince racing resumed after the summer break, the UCI Downhill World Cup in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie (France), and the UCI Downhill World Championships in Val di Sole, Trentino (Italy), have produced a different winner in every category, underlining the extraordinary depth of talent currently on display across the format.Despite the fiercely competitive landscape, a few riders arrive in Whistler with the spotlight firmly on them. None more so than Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres). The Austrian further cemented her status as one of downhill’s all-time greats by claiming a fifth UCI World Championship title in Val di Sole. With the overall UCI Downhill World Cup crown already secured, Höll now has the freedom to focus solely on adding to her growing list of records.Should the reigning champion show any sign of easing off, Harriet Harnden (AON Racing) and Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing/TRP) have already demonstrated that they have the speed to challenge her, both securing their maiden UCI World Cup victories this season. Another rider eager to join that club is Lisa Baumann (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres), who once again finished runner-up to her teammate in Italy and continues her search for a breakthrough win at the highest level. The Men Elite category is far more finely poised, with the overall title fight still hanging in the balance. Every position will matter on the Whistler Mountain Bike Park 1199 course, where a third victory of the season could all but seal a first overall UCI Downhill World Cup title for Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity). However, wins for Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing/TRP) or the returning Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) would keep the battle alive heading into the season finale. Then there is Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate). Like Iles, the Canadian will enjoy a true home advantage in Whistler. Having grown up just an hour away, the venue is as familiar as any on the calendar. The reigning overall UCI Downhill World Cup winner arrives fresh from defending his rainbow jersey in Val di Sole, and few storylines would capture the imagination more than Goldstone claiming his first UCI World Cup victory of the season on home soil. Racing gets underway on Saturday, September 26 in Whistler, British Columbia (Canada). Full schedule and event details are available HERE.You can find where to watch all of the racing action HERE.