It was jam-packed weekend of action in Loudenvielle, here's how it went down...
Loudenvielle couldn’t have looked any more different to the opening weekend in Poland, both in terms of results and the weather. The track was dry, dusty, and super fast, with the wind playing havoc at the top of the track, and the steeper sections towards the bottom taking no prisoners. Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) took her first Elite World Cup win in the women’s race, and fellow Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) showed his return to form, beating Amaury Pierron (Commencal/Muc Off By Riding Addiction) on home soil.
But the action didn’t start in the finals, as qualifying held some surprises too. Let’s go through the 4 things we learned from Loudenvielle 2025…
Pierron, Goldstone and Williams atop the 3-place podium in Loudenvielle. Credit: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series / Red Bull Content Pool
Jackson Goldstone is back
He’s had a tough few seasons has our Jackson. He might only be 21, but the man has been around the World Cup scene a fair while now, and is back to winning ways. The young Canadian suffered an ACL tear at Red Bull Hardline Australia in 2024, but his return to form this year has been fantastic to watch. Now the question remains, will he be able to keep it up for the rest of the 2025 season? We hope so.
Ronan Dunne is too much rider for his wheels
A mechanical in one session, fine. But two? Come on, man – that’s not just dodgy pressures or schralping too hard, is it? Sadly for Ronan, he managed to detonate a rear wheel in both Q1 and Q2, which saw him miss out on finals and thus his chance at redeeming his DH season thus far. Ah well, there’s always next round. Maybe bring some more durable wheels though…
The Elite Women’s podium. Credit: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series / Red Bull Content Pool
Tahnée on a “steady run” is still formidable
After a crash on finals day and feeling a bit battered and bruised, Seagrave decided to do a “safe” run in finals and focus on taking some points rather than the win. But she still managed to finish 3rd on the day, even if she was going a bit steadier. By that reckoning, everyone else in the paddock should probably be very worried about being able to win a World Cup this year.
Here’s what she said on Instagram about it:
“Tough way to end the 2nd World Cup! Crashed on race morning, had a bit of a freak out, made the decision to do a ‘safe’ run to salvage some points. Was terrifying. Weird one tbh! 3rd on the day and leading the overall heading in to round 3. VERY quick turnaround so gunna have to rest and manage the mind & body well in the next round this week!”
Gracey crossing the finish of a run that put her in the hot seat. Credit: WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series / Red Bull Content Pool
There must be something in the Canadian water…
Gracey Hemstreet is a big name in Hardline circles, but she’s been working up to a DH World Cup win. And after Loudenvielle 2025, she has it, beating current World Champion Vali Holl into second place by 3 seconds. That’s not an easy feat, so chapeau to Gracey. Also, what are these Canadians drinking? I want some…
When is the DH on next and how can I watch it?
Well sports fans, you don’t have to wait long at all for your next fix of downhill racing. The gang is back together in Leogang, Austria this weekend for round 3 of the UCI DH World Cup (and the Enduro and XC). Home to that incredible chainless win by Aaron Gwin in 2015, and Vali Holl’s home race. It’s set to be a banger, with qualifying taking place on Friday 6 June, and the DH racing on Saturday 7.
The XCC racing is on Friday 6 and the XCO on Sunday 8 June. As usual, TNT Sports or Discovery+ is your port of call for all viewing, with only the racing being shown live sadly. But, you can watch the qualifying on the UCI MTB YouTube channel on Friday. And, if you’re keen on watching mountain biking’s next generation, you can watch the Junior racing live on the same YouTube channel for free! Remember when you could watch all of it for free? Ah, the good old days…