After a short midseason break, the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Series exploded back into action with Round 8 at the legendary Val di Sole World Cup in Italy. Renowned for its brutal terrain and unforgiving descent, the Black Snake track served up chaos in typical fashion. With dry, dusty conditions masking sharp rocks and exposed roots, riders faced one of the toughest challenges of the season.
The Canyon CLLCTV squad made a strong statement in the women’s field. In Junior Women, Aletha Ostgaard blazed to a 2nd place finish—just 0.612 seconds off the win—kicking things off with serious momentum.
But the day belonged to teammate Marine Cabirou, who put together a dominant run to secure 1st in Elite Women by 1.271 seconds. Her win marks a historic 10th career victory at the elite level—all of them earned on Maxxis tires. A legacy run, quite literally.
Close behind, Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) held her ground with a gritty 4th-place finish, keeping the overall title chase tight. She now trails Vali Höll by just 49 points going into the final rounds.
The Elite Men’s downhill final delivered fireworks with Maxxis athletes claiming top spots. Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV) was precise and composed, taking the hot seat with a commanding ride and one-second buffer.
But when Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) dropped in as the last rider, the atmosphere shifted. Fastest in timed training. Fastest in qualifying. And fastest when it mattered most.
With a blend of technical finesse and wild control, Goldstone floated over bomb craters and held his line where others faltered. He crossed the line with a 2.5-second advantage—a massive margin by modern standards—and clinched his third straight World Cup win, seizing the series lead from Loic Bruni in the process.
