Cross-country, downhill and enduro racers were back at it again the week after Loudenvielle – this time, in beautiful Leogang, Austria. With dry conditions predicted until Sunday, some racers would have the benefit of fast tracks, while others would be facing off with slick, tricky racecourses. The fans in Leogang always show up, and this week was no different.
First up, the cross-country athletes battled in the short track race. Nicole Koller from Ghost Factory Racing was on good pace, slotting onto the Elite Women’s podium in third place. Mona Mitterwallner (Mondraker Factory XC) was just off podium positioning in fourth.
Next, the downhill race was once again on a fast, dry track that saw times closer than we’ve ever seen in World Cup competition. The Juniors were first to get on course and Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV) and Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Syndicate) had very successful runs, landing them on the Junior Women’s podium in second and third.
The Elite Women’s race was a nail-biter, but once again Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) took the win, becoming the second woman to win an Elite Women’s World Cup race after a debut Elite victory. Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV) also had a good day, ending up fourth.
In one of the closest Elite Men’s races of all time, Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) beat out Loic Bruni by just 0.059 seconds, taking his second win in a row. Henri Kiefer (Canyon CLLCTV) snagged his first–ever Elite podium in third, just 0.535 seconds off the win. It was great to see Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) back on pace with a fifth place as well.
Next, enduro racers took to the Leogang course on Sunday. However, conditions had changed drastically, with trails becoming rivers in all the rain. Riders had about 66km of pedaling and chair lift rides and 4,300m of descending in front of them. Lacey Adams of Yeti Fox DEVO took the win in Junior Women with teammate Chloe Bear just behind her in third.
In the Elite Women’s race, Ella Conolly (Cannondale Bikes) followed up her first win last week with another in Leogang, proving she is the one to beat this year. The Elite Men saw enduro legend Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV) back in form, adding another victory to his extraordinary career. Series leader Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti Fox Factory) held onto the overall jersey with another podium finish in third.
Finally, the cross-country athletes were back at it again, this time on a very wet XCO course. Tamara Wiedmann (Mondraker Factory XC) had a great day, just missing the podium in fifth place in Elite Women after the mud fest. Filippo Colombo (Scott SRAM) braved the conditions and took a respectable sixth after a chaotic Elite Men’s race.
What. A. Week. With racing closer than it’s ever been, it’s incredible to have Maxxis Elite athletes winning both the Men and Women’s races in downhill AND enduro. Athletes get a week off, and then they’re right back at it in Val di Sole, Italy!
XC Photos by: Piper Albrecht
