UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup as it happened - Jordan Williams triumphs on debut after Rachel Atherton claims win

ByImogen Ainsworth

Updated 10/06/2023 at 19:55 GMT

It's time for the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup - part of the Weekend of Champions live on Eurosport, discovery+ and BT Sport. On June 10 and 11 strap yourself in for a live sport rollercoaster ride, with the finals of Roland-Garros, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Speedway Grand Prix, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the Criterium du Dauphine, MotoGP and the Champions League final.

Premium

Mountain Bike

UCI Downhill World Cup | Multi-Audio

02:17:11

Replay

Results - Men's final

UCI Mountain Bike World Series

Rissveds and Blevins land XCO wins in Mairipora

14/04/2024 at 21:21

14:41 - WILLIAMS WINS!

Bruni finishes with a time of 2:39.7 putting him third! A first win in the elite World Cup by half a second, the dream elite debut for 18-year-old Jordan Williams! It's two wins for British riders from Williams and Atherton to round off an incredible first World Cup of the season in Lenzerheide in the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

14:38 - One rider left...

World Champion Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) goes up against team mate Williams, here we go!

14:37 - Crash ruins Kolb's chances

An early crash for European Champion Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) sees him finish with a time of 2:56.3.

14:32 - Vergier into second!

It's all change again as Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) displaces Greenland from second with a time of 2:39.7 - so close to Williams (2:39.2)!

14:29 - Greenland second!

British rider Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) crosses the line with a time of 2:40.0 to join Williams on the podium. It's currently a Great Britain 1-2 on the podium with Canadian Iles in third.

14:26 - Coulanges in fifth

Benoit Coulanges (Dorval AM Commencal) finishes with a time of 2:42.5.

14:22 - Iles in second!

Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) overtakes fellow Canadian Goldstone to join team mate Williams in second place with a time of 2:40.2.

14:19 - Goldstone into second!

Canadian Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) crosses in a time of 2:41.4. Brosnan moves to third while Williams remains in first.

14:15 - Daprela in ninth

Thibaut Daprela (Commencal / Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) sets a time of 2:44.7.

14:12 - Williams takes the lead!

British rider Robert Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) sets a time of 2:39.2 in his first elite level World Cup final at the age of 18, what a ride! Brosnan second and Norton third as Williams takes the hot seat.

14:09 - Levesque finishes

Dylan Levesque (Scott Downhill Factory) sets a time of 2:45.4 which puts him in 12th.

14:03 - Kerr crosses the line

Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) finishes in 2:44.7.

14:00 -Hart crosses the line

Danny Hart (Cube Factory Racing) finishes with a time of 2:44.2 putting him in fifth.

13:57 - Bad luck for Minnaar

Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) crosses the line with a time of 2:52.1 with a disappointing final due to a flat back tyre which really slowed him down.

13:54 - New leader!

Shaw's team mate Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) takes the hot seat from Norton with a time of 2:42.0!

13:51 -Shaw third

Luca Shaw (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) moves into third with a time of 2:43.1.

13:48 - Suarez Alonso crosses the line

Angel Suarez Alonso (Unno Racing) finishes in a time of 2:50.0 after coming off of his bike and losing time.

13:45 - Stevens-McNab finishes

Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union – Forged By Steel City Media) secures a time of 2:48.2 which puts him in 13th.

13:42 - Hatton second

Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton) crosses the line with a time of 2:43.0 to move himself into a podium position.

13:39 - Dunne finishes

Irish National Champion Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) sets a time of 2:45.5 to put him in eighth.

13:36 - Norton with the new fastest time!

American National Champion Dakotah Norton (Intense Factory Racing) moves into the hot seat with a time of 2:46.8!

13:33 - Atwill in second

British rider Phil Atwill (Propain Positive) moves into second with a time of 2:45.1 after making time on all of the splits.

13:30 - Zwar fourth

Swedish National Champion Oliver Zwar (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) moves himself into fourth with a time of 2:45.2, the times are incredibly close!

13:27 - Dooley finishes

American rider Austin Dooley (Commencal/Schwalbe) finishes with a time of 2:47.2 which puts him into sixth despite gaining time on the first two splits.

13:24 - Chapelet in fourth

Simon Chapelet (Cube Factory Racing) moves into fourth with a finish time of 2:45.5

13:21 - Vernon finishes after a crash

British rider Taylor Vernon crosses with a time of 2:58.5 after coming off of his bike on a corner.

13:18 - MacDonald in fifth

Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker Team) finishes with a time of 2:47.2 as he slides along the ground after the finish.

13:15 - Vidal in the lead

Antoine Vidal (Commencal Les Orres) takes the hot seat with a time of 2:44.6.

13:12 - Hartenstern into third

Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing) sets a time of 2:46.4 after making time at the first three intermediate splits.

13:09 - Frixtalon in third

Hugo Frixtalon (Commencal IC Studio) finishes in 2:50.4 after being slower at the last three intermediate splits and with a flat tyre

13:06 - Pene sets fastest time

Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Mondraker Team) goes into the hot seat with a narrow lead of 2:45.1.

13:03 - First time set

Baptiste Pierron (Dorval AM Commencal) sets the first time of 2:45.2

13:00- Men's final starts!

Results - women's final

Reaction - Atherton

"I just actually can’t believe it. It hasn’t really sunk in. You get so fired up and then it’s three minutes and it’s over. Coming into this I didn’t know if I would qualify, yesterday [qualification] was mind-blowing. I was like ‘woah!’ And this new format is so hard, doing semi-finals, you’ve got to save some energy. It’s mental, oh my gosh!"

On having her daughter Arna in attendance, she continued: "I want to cry! People said ‘leave her at home and come out and focus on yourself’ but having her here helps me relax and takes your mind off it. This morning I woke up at 5am and was like ‘oh my god, I’m so nervous’. So I went into her room and I was like ‘yo, do you want to play?’ And it takes your mind off it and it’s so good, I would recommend!"

12:43 - ATHERTON WINS!

That's an incredible 40th World Cup win for the Brit, wow! Balanche with a strong performance but she finishes a second behind at 3:08.3. Hoffmann finishes in third.

12:40 - Final rider away

Swiss rider Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) is away! She's a second down at the first split!

12:39 - New fastest time!

Atherton into the hot seat with 3:07.5! What a ride! Only one rider left to go...

12:36 - Atherton away!

Rachel Atherton (Continental Atherton) gets going, can she make it a 40th World Cup win?! She's smashing the intermediate split times!

12:35 - Hoffmann in the hot seat!

New fastest time of 3:08.3, an amazing and punchy ride despite a knee injury.

12:32 - Hoffmann sets off

German national champion Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is away to a quick start!

12:31 - Hemstreet into third!

The Canadian knocks Seagrave into fourth, setting a time of 3:11.4 in her first elite final!

12:29 - Hemstreet gets going

Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Team) starts her race, only three riders left to go after her.

12:27 - Seagrave into third

She sets a time of 3:13.4, it's brilliant to see her back competing at this level following her concussion.

12:25 - Seagrave is away

British rider Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FM) starts her race, she's slightly behind on the first split.

12:23 - Höll new fastest time!

The Austrian takes the hot seat with a time of 3:09.2 with an impressive ride!

12:21 - World Champion starts

Vali Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team) gets off to a quick start!

12:19 - Hrastnik second

She sets a time of 3:14.8 to move into second place.

12:16 - European champion gets going

Monika Hrastnik (Dorval AM Commencal) starts her final.

12:15 - Cabirou with the new fastest time!

She was leading on all of the intermediate splits, she takes the hot seat with 3:11.1.

12:12 - Cabirou is away!

French rider Marine Cabirou (SCOTT DH Factory) gets going!

12:11 - Harnden takes the lead!

She manages to keep her balance and sets a time of 3:16:5.

12:09 - Harnden is away!

British rider from Malvern Harriet Harnden gets her final underway.

12:07 - Next result

Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) sets a time of 3:17.9 after leading on all of the splits, she takes the hot seat.

12:04 - First time is set

Johnset sets the first time of 3:18.5.

12:00 - The final begins!

Mille Johnset (Canyon Collective Factory Team) gets the final going!

More to watch - Weekend of Champions

From Germany to Switzerland, Canada to the Netherlands and right across France including Paris, Cannes and Le Mans, wall-to-wall live coverage will showcase the breadth, depth and sheer volume of Warner Bros. Discovery Europe’s sports portfolio on the weekend of June 10-11.

Find out more here.

11:40 - Top three confirmed

Bruni, Kolb, and Vergier make up the top three.

11:37 - Kolb takes second!

Andreas Kolb (Continental Atherton) sets a time of 2:41.4! One tenth of a second behind Bruni who takes the win.

11:35 - Vergier into second!

Loris Vergier (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) with 2:41.7, it's a French one two three!

11:34 - Top three

Bruni, Greenland, Coulanges

11:31 - World Champion into first!

Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity) with a new fastest time of 2.41.3! He's used to winning in Lenzerheider as he won the 2018 World Championships here.

11:29 - Coulanges into second!

Benoit Coulanges (Dorval AM Commencal) moves to the second spot with 2:42.6, so close to Greenland!

11:28 - Williams to fifth

Robert Jordan Williams (Specialized Gravity) with a time of 2:44.3.

11:26 - Iles into second!

Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) with a time of 2:43.0, can anyone catch Greenland?! Goldstone in third now.

11:23 - Two more finishers

British riders Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) and Charlie Hatton (Continental Atherton) finish in 2:45.5 and 2:46.8.

11:20 - Goldstone goes into second

Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) moves to second behind Greenland with a time of 2:43.2

11:15 - New fastest time!

British rider Laurie Greenland (Santa Cruz Syndicate) sets a new fastest time of 2.42.2. Daprela drops to second, Levesque third.

11:11 - More finish times

Danny Hart (Cube Factory Racing) with 2:46.7, Matt Walker (Madison Saracen Factory Team) 30:01.3, Ethan Craik (GT-Continental Factory Racing), 2:45.8.

11:09 - Change in second!

Dylan Levesque (Scott Downhill Factory) into second with a time of 2:45.2.

11:06 - New fastest time!

Thibaut Daprela (Commencal / Muc-Off By Riding Addiction) takes the lead and moves into the hot seat with 2:43.6. Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) also moves into second with a time of 2:45.4.

11:05 - Struggle for Minnaar

Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate) suffers with his back wheel and finishes in 3:16.8

11:03 - Zwar in fourth

Swedish national champion Oliver Zwar (Canyon CLLCTV FMD) finishes in 2:47.8

11:00 - Dunne into second

Ronan Dunne (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) moves into second with a time of 2:47.5. Roger Vieira (Impact Racing) finishes with a time of 2:59.9.

10:58 - More finishers

Max Hartenstern (Cube Factory Racing) finishes in 2:48.2, Hugo Frixtalon (Commencal IC Studio) in 2:48.3, Dante Silva (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) at 3:39.0, Dan Slack 2:48.9. No change to the top three.

10:53 - Top ten

Stevens-McNab, Atwill, Dooley, Chapelet, Vernon, MacDonald, Vidal, Pene, Zwar Kvist, Pierron.

10:50 - Change in fourth!

And just as I said about MacDonald moving into fifth, he's moved down to sixth by Simon Chapelet (Cube Factory Racing) who crosses in 2:47.9.

10:49 - Top three still the same

No change at the top, but Brook MacDonald (MS Mondraker Team) moves to fifth with 2:48.2.

10:48 - More time updates

Jakob Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing) with 2:50.0, Johan Garcin (Scott Downhill Factory) with 3:21.5, Antoine Vidal (Commencal Les Orres) with 2:48.2, Antoine Pierron (Union – Forged By Steel City Media) with 2:49.1, and Kade Edwards (Trek Factory Racing Gravity) with 2:56.2.

10:43 - Top three

Stevens-McNab still in the hot seat, Phil Atwill (Propain Positive) second with 2:47.8, Austin Dooley (Commencal/Schwalbe) third with 2:47.9.

10:37 - Finish time update

Mark Wallace (Norco Factory Team) moves into third with a time of 2:49.2. Other times include: Léo Grisel (Les Arcs Mountainbike Team) 2:49.8, Seth Sherlock (Intense Factory Racing ) 2:50.1, Jack Reading 2:49.6, Tristan Botteram 2:51.4, Davide Palazzari (Rogue Racing – After Skull Team) 2:52.3, Thomas Estaque (Commencal IC Studio) 2:49.9.

10:34 - Top three update

Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union – Forged By Steel City Media) sets the new fastest time of 2:46.6, Taylor Vernon in second with 2:48.1, Pau Menoyo Busquets (Commencal/Schwalbe) third with 2:49.2.

10:27 - New fastest time

Jamie Edmondson (Chili Racing Brigade) moves into the hot seat with a time of 2:49.2. Samuel Blenkinsop finishes in 3:04.5.

10:25 - Time updates

Muñoz sets a time of 3:34.6, Theo Erlangsen crosses in 3:27.2, Adam Rojček moves into the hot seat with a time of 2:51.4.

10:24 - Crash!

Juan Fernando Muñoz (IJ Racing-Chigüiro Extremo) is off to a ferocious start but has an early crash, he's back on his bike.

10:23 - First time set

Guionnet sets a time of 2:52.0.

10:20 - Men's race begins!

Ian Guionnet is the first to get going in the men's semi final, where 60 riders will be reduced to 30 for the final.

10:14 - Balanche takes the win!

The Swiss rider sets a time of 3:10.1 on home soil Atherton moves to second, Hoffman into third.

10:12 - New fastest time!

Atherton takes the lead! Her time is 3:11.9, Hoffmann in second with 3:13.7, Hemstreet in third with 3:13.7.

10:11 - Höll finishes

Höll still finishes with flare and a time of 3:24.4.

10:10 - World Champion Down!

'Oh!' - Holl flips over handlebars in semi-finals

Valentina Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team) comes off her bike after an impressive ride in the build up.

10:08 - Hrastnik into third

European champion Monika Hrastnik (Dorval AM Commencal) moves into third with a time of 3:14.9.

10:06 - Gale finishes

British rider Phoebe Gale (Canyon CLLCTV FM) sets a time of 3:21.6, pretty impressive given she's only 18!

10:04 - Cabirou moves into third

Marine Cabirou (SCOTT DH Factory) sets a time of 3:15.5 which takes her into third, Seagrave down to fourth.

10:03 - Seagrave finishes

She sets a time of 3:18.3 which puts her provisionally into third.

10:01 - Widmann finishes

Veronika Widmann (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) crosses the line in 3:22.7.

09:59 - Seagrave is off!

The Brit starts her semi-final.

09:56 - More times in

Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Factory Team) crosses in 3:13.7, Yankova in 4:09.1, Mille Johnset (Canyon Collective Factory Team) in 3:21.6, Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) in 3:19.5, Harriet Harnden in 3:18.8, and Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) with the fastest time so far at 3:13.6.

09:52 - Yankova is down!

A nasty crash for Nikolaeva Izabela Yankova (Gen-S) who stays down.

09:51 - Time for Ferguson and A'Hern

The Brit sets a time of 3:33.4, A'Hern in at 3:27.6.

09:48 - 3:24.4 for Baumann

Baumann sets a time of 3:24.4, Sian A'Hern (YT Mob) and Louise-Anna Ferguson (Continental Nukeproof Factory Racing) have set off behind her.

09:47 - Bridge completed

She's trough into the woods for a steep descent, she picks her line straight down the centre of the route.

09:45 - Baumann kicks off proceedings!

Swiss rider Lisa Baumann (Commencal / Les Orres Team) is the first to go!

Format

There are 18 riders from 13 nations taking part and they will be reduced to 10 for the final later on today.

Ones to watch

Keep an eye out for World Champion Valentina Höll (RockShox Trek Race Team), the reigning UCI World Cup winner from 2022 Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) who is racing on home soil in Switzerland, British rider Tahnée Seagrave (Canyon CLLCTV FM) returns, as does fellow Brit Rachel Atherton (Continental Atherton) who has an incredible 39 UCI World Cup wins, can she make it 40?!

Welcome!

Good morning and welcome to day two of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Lenzerheide in the Swiss Alps . Today it’s all about downhill as the riders compete against the clock down a challenging descent. You can watch the action on Eurosport and Discovery + as well as following the live updates here.

Saturday - What’s on

As well as the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, there’s plenty of sport to watch on this warm weekend!

You can watch the French Open, Speedway GP, and 24 Hours of Le Mans all on Eurosport today.

For cycling fans, Criterium du Dauphine - Stage 7 will be starting at 12:10 (BST) on Eurosport and Discovery +.

And this evening it’s Manchester City vs Inter Milan in the Champions League final which will be broadcast live on BTSport from 18:00 (BST).

Weekend of Champions

Dubbed the Weekend of Champions, owing to the sheer amount of world-class action across multiple sports, over 300 Warner Bros. Discovery staff, including production staff, experts and reporters will be on-site across a host of locations over the weekend – from the UEFA Champions League final to Roland-Garros and Le Mans and more. Delivering over 70 hours of live, premium content to millions of sports fans across the continent across multiple platforms.

Find out more here.

'Hectic, fast, fun' – What to expect when the UCI Downhill World Cup starts this weekend

The UCI Downhill World Cup returns for 2023 with a new format that brings with it greater demands for all the riders taking part.

The addition of a semi-final race will determine which riders make the final, with the top 30 men and top 10 women all progressing.

That all makes for a more intense weekend of action, and Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) was on hand to tell Eurosport’s Josh Carlson all about what we can expect with the races live on discovery+, starting in Lenzerheide on Saturday.

“I would say downhill racing, there’s a set course, you go from the top to the bottom, you have to beat everybody else. There’s lots of preparation that goes into it but that’s the easiest way to describe it,” Iles said.

“It’s pretty hectic, a lot of crashes. It’s dirty, it’s fast, it’s a lot of fun.

“It’s changed things a little bit, it’s more of a mental prep for me. Being prepared to do two full speed runs in a day has been a big change for me, but I like the changes a lot.

“This is going to allow for a lot of different people to come to the top of the standings, a lot of different riders on the podium.

“The finals is everything. It’s still the most points, but I think being consistent through the whole weekend is a lot more important this year, so you’re getting maximum points in qualifying, semi-finals and then the finals. You have to be switched on the entire time."

Read the full preview here

- - -

On June 10 and 11 strap yourself in for a live sport rollercoaster ride. With the finals of Roland-Garros, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Speedway Grand Prix, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the Criterium du Dauphine, MotoGP and the Champions League final, it’s the Weekend of Champions live on Eurosport, discovery+ and BT Sport.

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