Day four of competition at the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships featured the Women Elite and Men Elite downhill finals. On the fast, dusty track at Pal Arinsal, Andorra, Valentina Höll (Austria) won her third successive title, and Loris Vergier (France) was the fastest of the men’s field.

WOMEN ELITE: HÖLL’S HAT TRICK!

As leader of the 2024 UCI Downhill Women Elite Ranking, reigning UCI World Champion, and hot favourite Valentina Höll was scheduled to set off last in the Pal Arinsal final, following Nina Hoffmann (Germany) and Marine Cabirou (France).

With almost half of the 40 starters remaining, Myriam Nicole (FRA) went more than 3 seconds quicker than her own fastest qualifying time! Only two riders could compete with the 2019 and 2021 UCI World Champion’s pace.

Tahnée Seagrave (2nd overall in the 2024 UCI World Cup of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series) came close: less than 0.7 sec off the French star’s time, she moved into provisional silver medal position with three riders to go. Neither Hoffman nor Cabirou could find the pace, just leaving Höll to chase the first hat-trick for more than 20 years (following Anne-Caroline Chausson, France, UCI World Champion from 1996 to 2003).

Riding aggressively, with high pace but on the edge of traction, the Austrian had a 0.01-sec advantage at the final split, then found more time at the bottom. 

1. Valentina Höll (Austria), 3:00.212
2. Myriam Nicole (France) +0.520
3. Tahnée Seagrave (Great Britain) +1.212.

“I had such a hard time after the long break to get back up to speed, I really doubted myself. I was scared I didn’t know how to race a bike anymore. But to do it three times in a row it’s insane!” said Höll.

“Myriam [Nicole] is one of the best in the world, I really don’t feel like I am up at their level, but somehow I am… women’s racing at the moment is amazing.”

MEN ELITE: VERGIER’S LUCK TURNS

As the Men Elite final heated up, double UCI World Champion (2011, 2016) Danny Hart (Great Britain) hit a 2:38.944 to take the hot seat. Amaury Pierron (France) slotted in behind. 

Forty-three-year-old Greg Minnaar’s 28th performance at a UCI World Championships ended with a standing ovation and 23rd position for the South African, four-time UCI World Champion (2003, 2012, 2013, 2021). 

When 2023 UCI World Champion Charlie Hatton (GBR) rolled in provisional 14th, the crowd knew the rainbow jersey would change hands. There were ten of the 83 riders left to run, with Dakotah Norton (USA), Andreas Kolb (Austria) and five-time UCI World Champion Loïc Bruni (France) the last three to set off.

Before the final trio, Benoît Coulanges (FRA) went fastest by 0.135 secs and Finn Iles (Canada) took provisional second +0.021, before Andorra resident Loris Vergier (France) crossed the line 0.148 sec quicker than his countryman. Norton was half a second up when he crashed; Kolb was off the pace, leaving just ‘Super’ Bruni to go for a 6th Elite UCI World title and a French 1-2-3… Bruni was 1.8-sec up when he crashed, leaving his close friend Vergier to take the rainbow bands. 

1. Loris Vergier (France), 2:38.661
2. Benoît Coulanges (France) +0.148
3. Finn Iles (Canada) +0.169. 

“It’s like I’ve been unlucky in the past years, and I got lucky this time. It was unreal. It was a bad season and I’ve turned it round today,” said Loris Vergier. “Thanks to Loïc [Bruni] for crashing, otherwise it would have been so hard. But I’m UCI World Champion, and waaa! It’s insane.”