The 2024 series kicked off with a bang at the legendary Fort William course, where two new Junior winners emerged and Vali Höll continued her dominance. Heather Wilson shone on home soil, securing the win by 3.597 seconds after finishing second in qualifying. Sacha Earnest took second place on her new Trek race bike, just edging out Eliana Hulsebosch. Despite a rear flat, 2023 World Champion Erice Van Leuven powered through to finish in fifth place. Asa Vermette impressed with his first World Cup victory, finishing six seconds ahead of Luke Wayman.
In the elite category, Loic Bruni finally clinched his first win in Fort William after setting the fastest time in qualifying. He held off tough competition to secure the victory by 1.8 seconds over Troy Brosnan, who settled for second place. Finn Iles rounded out the top three, coming in within two seconds of Bruni. Vali Höll showed no signs of slowing down with a new team and bike, starting the 2024 season with a win just like she did in 2023. In a tight race, Höll managed to match her previous World Championship winning result in Fort William by edging out Nina Hoffmann by 0.561 seconds. Tahnee Seagrave finished in third place, showing a return to top form.
The action now moves to Poland for round two, where a brand new track awaits the riders. Fans can look forward to more exciting racing next weekend as they witness the best downhill mountain bike racers in the world battle it out for glory and valuable points towards the overall championship title.
Asa Vermette’s impressive performance at Fort William was nothing short of remarkable as he made history by becoming only the third American rider to win a World Cup event at this iconic Scottish venue.
Sacha Earnest’s second-place finish was also noteworthy as she became only the third female rider to earn a podium spot at Fort William.
The first round of racing set an exciting tone for what is sure to be an epic season of racing as these talented athletes compete for supremacy on some of the world’s most challenging courses.
Overall, it was an action-packed day at Fort William that left fans wanting more as they eagerly awaited round two of this highly anticipated series.
