Saalfelden Leogang provides another famous double victory in the Elite finals at round three of the UCI Downhill World Cup.

It’s two from two for Gracey Hemstreet
Local heroine Vali Höll (YT MOB) posted the fastest time of the day in the women’s ranks as Q1 and Q2 finished. She would look back up her qualifying and the wins here in 2024 and 2023 to make it three in a row here at home in Saalfelden Leogang. After the heat of the qualifying rounds, finals day would see clouds looming and rain in the forecast. With all the top names in Elite Women’s downhill bar French rider Myriam Nicole (COMMENCAL-MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) advancing to finals, the race would go down to the wire. The fastest Q2 times would be competitive with Q1 and created the perfect end to the Elite women’s race. German Nina Hoffmann (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) would crash out in practice, being taken straight to hospital.

The wind would start to build as the fastest ladies hit the Speedster Track with yesterday’s qualifying times falling early. Threatening clouds would not ruin the Elite Women’s runs with conditions almost perfect on track. Clean runs for all the finalists made the times tight as Vali Höll dropped in as the last rider on the hill. Gracey Hemstreet (NORCO RACE DIVISION) attacked the track from the get-go and would take her second win of the year 0.865 on Anna Newkirk (FRAMEWORKS RACING/5DEV). Vali Höll would have to settle for third at home.

Results DHI Elite Women Top 5:
1.    Gracey Hemstreet (CAN | NORCO RACE DIVISION) 3:21.962
2.    Anna Newkirk (FRAMEWORKS RACING / 5DEV) 3:22.827
3.    Vali Höll (AUT | YT MOB) 3:24.389
4.    Marine Cabirou (FRA | CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY RACING) 3:25.117
5.    Jess Blewitt (NZL | CUBE FACTORY RACING) 3:25.932

"It feels crazy to beat Vali here. I totally thought Vali was going to win. I was stressing but it feels insane. It's bizarre to win two in a row. I didn't feel confident during practice, so I was a bit worried. Something just clicked at the top and I thought 'let's go'. I struggled on the motorway in practice, so I am glad I hit that pretty good and I was like 'OK, let's win this race.' I am so focused that I didn't really notice the people on track, but it definitely helps make it feel better. I actually love Leogang. The last two years I either crashed or broke my hand so to win here is so good.“ – Gracey Hemstreet

"Honestly I am super stoked. I can't complain at all. I wasn't sure I had it in me today. I felt nervous all week and didn't know how good I was on track. I'm really happy I put together a good run." – Anna Newkirk 

"Honestly I am disappointed. It would be nice to win in front of the home crowd but it's a massive ask. The last three races I feel like I have been battling through all the hard things that I haven't had to deal with in the last few years. I am just trying to tick the boxes and deal with the tough days. I had no motivation in Poland and didn't even want to go to the start. I still had to do it and still had to race. This week, I had a migraine attack... I made a big mistake at the top so I was trying to play catch up. At the bottom I lost focus and didn't want to crash. Normally I don't hear the fans trackside but this time it was so cool to see all the fans. I wish I could have focused on the task at hand and wish I could go up and do another run." – Vali Höll

Overall Standings DHI Elite Women Top 5:
1.    Gracey Hemstreet (CAN | NORCO RACE DIVISION) 645 Pts.
2.    Tahnee Seagrave (GBR | ORBEA / FMD RACING) 630 Pts.
3.    Vali Höll (AUT | YT MOB) 624 Pts.
4.    Anna Newkirk (USA | FRAMEWORKS RACING / 5DEV) 592 Pts.
5.    Camille Balanche (SUI | YETI / FOX FACTORY RACE TEAM) 405 Pts.

Jackson Goldstone goes back-to-back
A nail-biting qualifying round laid the foundations for what would likely be an incredibly tight race in the Elite Men’s downhill. The Speedster Track at 2.1km and falling some 462 vertical metres to the finish in perfect condition for the big show. Now an iconic part of the UCI World Cup circuit having first featured in 2010, Leogang always provides exciting racing whatever the conditions. 

Ronan Dunne (MONDRAKER FACTORY RACING) would go under the three minute mark as the second man out of the gate. Dark skies would stay dry as the first Elite Men started their finals runs. Andreas Kolb (YT MOB) would miss out on the hotseat after his run by 0.111 seconds. Lachlan Stevens-McNab (TREK FACTORY RACING) would be the first to push Dunne off the hotseat. With ten riders to go, Jackson Goldstone (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) would lead Loic Bruni (SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) by a mere 0.059 seconds. With times as tight as they were in Q1 and Q2, some big names would see themselves slip outside the top ten with Jackson Goldstone having put in an unbeatable second sector building into a run that few could match. Only Loic Bruni could come close. Jackson Goldstone would take the win, his second win in a row, by only 0.054 seconds ahead of Loic Bruni. These two riders will be battling it out all year. Henri Kiefer (CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY TEAM) scored his first ever Elite podium here in Leogang with a third place finish. 

Results DHI Elite Men Top 5:
1.    Jackson Goldstone (CAN | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 2:57.229
2.    Loic Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 2:57.288
3.    Henri Kiefer (GER | CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY TEAM) 2:57.764
4.    Lachlan Stevens-McNab (NZL | TREK FACTORY RACING DH) 2:58.437
5.    Laurie Greenland (GBR | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 2:58.638

"Going back to back is something I could have only dreamed of as a kid and I can't believe that I made that dream come true. Leogang is always good, but I have struggled here in the past. I got two second places in Junior and third so I am working my way up. It's as good as it gets. The track was amazing. Really fun to ride and I am really happy the rain didn't come today. The dirt was really good and it was drying out over the weekend." – Jackson Goldstone

"It can always get tighter but that is one of the tightest losses I would say. I have been second a few times by less than a tenth. I was really looking forward to turning the weekend around. I did, but it wasn't enough. Jackson was better than me today. It is what it is, but I am not really happy with how close it was. If I take a step back and look at the result, it's still a great result. I think I could have done better, which is a bit annoying. Executing the best run is always difficult and I was close today. Hopefully I will be on the other side next time. The track was really good. We got lucky with the weather all day, we had some rain drops around lunch so it could have been worse. I was looking for the wind to stay consistent as I thought it could play a big part on the motorway. I think the track got slower because riders like Amaury and Loris were slow at the top. It might have been a little unfair for the last guys. Last week I got unlucky with the wind, so it is what it is. The wheel is spinning but... I hate it. It's a really cool result but really frustrating, too. This is why we play on every detail and try to train harder than everyone else so we can avoid this situation. So I am going to go back to work and smoke his ass." – Loic Bruni

"This is crazy, the times are so tight. I had a good run, pushed the limit and had good intensity all the way. So, here I am. I worked very hard for this. The off season was great and it's paying off. It was intense watching Loris' run. When I got to the finish I saw my manager, then looked around and immediately saw my dad. I am super motivated for the rest of the season." – Henri Kiefer

Overall Standings DHI Elite Men Top 5:
1.    Loic Bruni (FRA | SPECIALIZED GRAVITY) 619 Pts.
2.    Jackson Goldstone (CAN | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 574 Pts.
3.    Amaury Pierron (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 524 Pts.
4.    Luca Shaw (USA | CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY TEAM) 390 Pts.
5.    Loris Vergier (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 360 Pts.

Oli Clark and Rosa Zierl lay down the gauntlet for the Elites
Conditions would stay dry and dusty for the Junior Women, with each rider pipping the last. Aletha Osgaard (CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY TEAM) would lay down a marker that few could match, 14 seconds faster than the fastest qualifier. After exchanging splits with Rosa Zierl (CUBE FACTORY RACING), it would be the Austrian taking the win by 1.369 seconds with a time that would have put her second in Elite Women’s Q1. Eliana Hulsebosch (SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) from New Zealand would round out the podium in third.

Results DHI Junior Women Top 5:
1.    Rosa Zierl (AUT | CUBE FACTORY RACING) 3:29.379
2.    Aletha Ostgaard (USA | CANYON CLLCTV FACTORY TEAM) 3:30.748
3.    Eliana Hulsebosch (NZL | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 3:34.806
4.    Kate Hastings (NZL) 3:35.317
5.    Gianna Nef (SUI) 3:42.404

"It's incredible, I am super happy. I think I made some time at the top, but it was a tight battle with the girls. I know this track, so I was keen to ride it and have fun. The conditions were pretty good, no rain, not too dusty, so perfect conditions really. The win gives me a lot of confidence and I am already keen to ride Val di Sole." – Rosa Zierl

Overall Standings DHI Junior Women Top 5:
1.    Rosa Zierl (AUT | CUBE FACTORY RACING) 145 Pts.
2.    Eliana Hulsebosch (NZL | SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE) 125 Pts.
3.    Lina Frener (AUT | NORCO RACE DIVISION) 110 Pts.
4.    Matilda Melton (USA | COMMENCAL SCHWALBE BY LES ORRES) 85 Pts.
5.    Bellah Birchall (NZL | TEAM HIGH COUNTRY) 85 Pts.

The Junior men also provided a scintillating finals round that mirrored that of the Junior Women’s race. Fast and dusty up top before diving into the woods. New Zealand’s Oli Clark (MS-RACING) would back up his qualifying win with a time that would be the fastest of the weekend up to that point. French Max Alran (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) would cross the line 0.608 seconds behind the flying Kiwi, with current World Champion Asa Vermette (FRAMEWORKS RACING/5DEV) from the USA finishing in the bronze medal position. 

Results DHI Junior Men Top 5:
1.    Oli Clark (NZL | MS-RACING) 3:00.724
2.    Max Alran (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 3:01.332
3.    Asa Vermette (USA | FRAMEWORKS RACING / 5DEV) 3:01.955
4.    Till Alran (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 3:02.755
5.    Tyler Waite (NZL | YETI / FOX FACTORY RACE TEAM) 3:03.835

"It's pretty surreal. I have been working pretty hard this year, so I am just happy to be here. There's been a lot of hard work, so I am glad it's paying off. I didn't feel pressure, the only pressure is that which I put on myself. Everyone's been so good. I really like Leogang. I had a crash here last year so didn't qualify. First practice here this year was a struggle, but I figured it out on quali day." – Oli Clark

Overall Standings DHI Junior Men Top 5:
1.    Max Alran (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 155 Pts.
2.    Tyler Waite (NZL | YETI / FOX FACTORY RACE TEAM) 135 Pts.
3.    Till Alran (FRA | COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF BY RIDING ADDICTION) 108 Pts.
4.    Oli Clark (NZL | MS-RACING) 105 Pts.
5.    Asa Vermette (USA | FRAMEWORKS RACING / 5DEV) 102 Pts.
 
Further race program:
Sunday, 8 June:
UCI Cross-country Olympic (XCO) (U23 and Elite)
UCI Enduro World Cup
 
All further details about the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Saalfelden Leogang can be found at www.mtb-weltcup.at and within the official event app.
Can’t make it to Saalfelden Leogang in person? No problem – the entire event weekend will be broadcast live around the world. Catch all the action on Eurosport, discovery+, Servus TV, Max, Flobikes (Canada), Stan (Australia), Zhibo (China), L’Équipe (France), and Mountain Bike World Series TV.