The downhill competitions at the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships produced electrifying action on the notorious Black Snake course in Val di Sole (Italy). The 2.3km-long track, featuring 550m of vertical descent, is one of downhill’s most demanding venues and brought out the best in the riders, urged on by a huge and fervent crowd, on Saturday 29 August.
Women Elite: Höll makes it five in a row
Austria’s Valentina Höll delivered one of the performances of the UCI Mountain bike Championships so far, winning her fifth consecutive UCI world title.
The 24-year-old from the popular ski resort of Saalbach was last off and eclipsed the leading time of Switzerland’s Lisa Baumann. Great Britain’s Harriet Harnden completed the podium.
“I didn’t think it was possible to win five [UCI] World Championships in a row, it’s simply incredible,” Höll said afterwards. “It’s drained me of energy. I had an incredible season with the UCI World Championships and the UCI World Cup. It’s so tough to win nowadays. Lisa [Baumann] was so strong and pushed me so hard in practice. I feel sorry to beat her but another time she will beat me.”
Höll’s “incredible season” has included five victories in the Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series for an unassailable lead going into the final two rounds in Whistler Mountain Bike park, British Columbia, Canada (25-27 September) and Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York, USA (2-4 October).
Höll lined up as the clear favourite. But she didn’t have it her own way. During Friday’s qualifying, Baumann set the fastest time with an incredible 4:02.591. That was nearly three seconds ahead of Harnden (4:05.560) with Höll in third (4:05.816).
Before Höll's winning performance, her rivals had already delivered sensational runs.
Harnden came into the Championships full of confidence after securing her first Elite UCI World Cup downhill win in Les Gets, France, last weekend. She produced a storming middle section to take the lead from New Zealand’s Eliana Hulsebosch by over three seconds. Germany’s Nina Hoffman was up next, and half a second faster at the top, but her lead soon dissolved and Harnden remained in the hot seat with three riders to go.
Baumann, buoyed by her previous day’s scorching run, was neck-and-neck with Harnden throughout, and just edged the British rider by three-tenths of a second to take the lead. The penultimate rider, France’s Marine Cabirou, made a costly mistake to leave her out of the medals.
Finally, Höll. Even with the weight of expectation on her shoulders, the reigning UCI World Champion did not flinch, demonstrating her astounding technique from the start. She negotiated the upper section with ease, and by the second split, her advantage was nearly four seconds. By the time she reached the finish, that lead had shrunk to 1.7 seconds, but her composure, finesse and speed meant victory was never in doubt.
Men Elite: another gold for Goldstone
The Men Elite downhill was an even more dramatic affair as Canada’s Jackson Goldstone successfully retained his rainbow jersey. New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab finished second with Great Britain’s Jordan Williams in third.
“Winning the [UCI] World Championships twice in a row is a dream come true,” Goldstone said. “I just tried to draw my lines without making any mistakes. Val di Sole is my dream place. This slope suits my characteristics perfectly, and the conditions were perfect. You’re so beautiful. I love you, Val di Sole!”
Friday’s qualifying saw Stevens-McNab record the fastest time of 3:34.010. He carried that form over to Saturday, blowing the race apart early then extending his lead to take the hot seat from Colombian Juan Muñoz.
For nearly an hour, several riders came close, including American teenager Asa Vermette (eventually fourth)and Williams, who crossed the line just 0.007 secondsbehind Stevens-McNab in 3:29.487.
Goldstone, who had claimed UCI World Cup victories in Val di Sole in 2023 and 2025, was the last rider down the mountain and knew exactly what he had to do. He sat 0.410 seconds behind Stevens-McNab at the third split, but attacked the lower part of the track and found sufficient speed to overturn the deficit, crossing the line 0.695 seconds ahead in 3:28.785.
“I had the feeling that I could do it, but I had to trust myself,” he said, catching his breath after the race-winning run. “Thank you to the crowd, the team… this is absolutely insane.”
Juniors: wins for Boadle and Schneeberger
Earlier in the day, Australia’s Tilly Boadle won the Women Junior UCI world title in tricky conditions. Overnight rain had made the Black Snake substantially slower for the early morning starters and treacherously muddy. Boadle, who had qualified second, produced a measured 4:13.323 leading run from 10th position. None of the remaining riders could challenge her, with American Aletha Ostgaard taking silver, 7.636 seconds back, and New Zealand’s Indy Deavoll bronze.
“I rode it like it was dry, but was cautious in the places that mattered,” the 17-year-old winner said. “I had such a safe and smart run. I was so happy with it.”
The Men Junior race was considerably tighter, with Switzerland’s Raoul Schneeberger handling the challenging conditions best, winning the rainbow jersey of UCI World Champion in 3:47.477. Great Britain’s Felix Griffiths took silver, just 0.450 seconds behind, while Italy’s Filippo Gilardino delighted the home crowd with bronze.