The fifth and final day of the 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole (Italy) saved some of the best drama for last with the gravity stars competing in the downhill (DHI). Rainbow stripes were awarded to Izabela Yankova (BUL) for Junior Women, Jackson Goldstone (CAN) in Junior Men, Myriam Nicole (FRA) regaining the Women Elite title and Greg Minnaar (RSA) claiming his fourth Men Elite crown. Here’s how the races unfolded...
Norwegian Kine Haugom – who aced the 2019 iXS European Cup series – hit increasingly faster sector times and was in the top spot with only a few riders left to descend. Canada’s Gracey Hemstreet and Slovakia’s Simona Kuchynkova were in the provisional 2nd and 3rd places with two riders to go. The penultimate rider, bronze medalist last year at Leogang, Léona Pierrini (FRA), had a slow start, slipping in the top section but picked up pace and came in provisional 5th, eventual 6th.
It was all down to the last rider, Izabela Yankova, who has been on the podium of all three UCI World Cup races so far in 2021 and is second in the overall standings. The Bulgarian lit up the greens all the way down, fastest in every sector to record a scorching time of 4:30.865, more than 10 seconds quicker than Haugom; the 2021 European Champion is also 2021 UCI World Champion!
Of the 15 riders, all but one made it to the line on a fast course in dry conditions.
Britain’s Jack Piercy was replaced in the early hot seat by Colombia’s Sebastian Holguin Villa, then, heading into the last 10 the Kiwi trio of Guy Johnston, James MacDermid and Lachlan Stevens-McNab who hit 3:40.
Jordan Williams (GBR) blasted down to take another second off, and held the fastest time with the final few to run: reigning UCI World Champion Oisin O’Callaghan (IRL) lit up the early sectors yet came in provisional fourth and eventual fifth. Then Jackson Goldstone (CAN), winner of the last two UCI World Cups, smashed almost 2 sec off Williams’ time, recording 3:37.097.
With Loïc Martin (FRA), Dylan Maples (USA), William Brodie and Preston Williams (both GBR) unable to trouble the top times it was the same podium as the two recent UCI World Cups: Goldstone, Williams and Stevens-McNab.
After Saturday’s light rain made for a perfect racing surface, USA’s Anna Newkirk (Junior UCI World Cup winner) set the early mark breaking 4:30 before Jessica Blewitt (NZL) ducked under 4:18.
Valentina Höll (AUT), former Junior UCI World Champion, who was fastest in qualifying with 4:10, was 8-sec up before crashing out of contention halfway down. Mille Johnset (NOR) was in the hotseat as the final six riders took to the Black Snake.
Tahnée Seagrave (GBR) – 2021 UCI World Cup winner at Les Gets and three times a UCI World Championships podium finisher – briefly took top spot and Italian Champion Eleonora Farina slotted into provisional second. Then Marine Cabirou (FRA), bronze medalist in 2019, executed sublime line choice in the middle section to smash 5 seconds off the Briton’s time!
European Champion Monika Hrastnik went into 2nd, leaving just two riders: Camille Balanche (SUI), reigning UCI World Champion and winner of this season’s first UCI World Cup in Leogang; and Myriam Nicole (FRA), 2019 UCI World Champion, winner of the most recent UCI World Cup round in Maribor, and leader of the UCI World Cup overall.
Balanche went close into 2nd before Nicole, on the podium for five years straight and 2nd in qualifying lit every sector green and went almost 5 seconds clear to reclaim her rainbow stripes and cement a French 1-2.
“It was a tough run on a tough track… I kind of knew it was possible,” said the double UCI World Champion, “Winning in Val di Sole where I won my first World Cup means a lot!”
The 2021 Men Elite downhill final had everyone on the edge of their seat to the very end. Austria’s Lino Lehmann was the first man under 3:45 before Antoine Vidal – third quickest qualifier, wearing
No 56 – put down the first fast French marker, sub-3:35. France’s 2018 UCI World Cup overall winner Amaury Pierron was amongst the DNFs, while GBR’s Laurie Greenland, second in the 2016 World Championships at Val di Sole crashed, as did USA’s Dakotah Norton and Spain’s Angel Suarez Alonso from leading positions.
Andreas Kolb (AUT) took top spot and defending UCI World Champion Reece Wilson (GBR) went 5th before 2016 Junior UCI World Champion (in Val di Sole), Canadian Finn Iles, chipped another 0.8sec off the best time.
With five French riders in the last ten, it appeared to be France against the world in Italy. 2011 and 2016 UCI World Champion Danny Hart (GBR) went quickest by 2.5sec before French Champion Benoit Coulanges improved it by 1.6sec.
Into the final six, multiple UCI World Championships podium finisher Troy Brosnan (AUS) went 2nd and 2020 UCI World Cup overall winner Matt Walker (GBR) slotted into 4th, then three-time UCI World Champion Greg Minnaar (RSA) defied his 39 years to take the lead.
After Loïc Bruni (FRA), the four-time UCI World Champion came in 5th, Loris Vergier (FRA), fastest qualifier and 2014 Junior UCI Champion went 4th. Then, when 2018 and 2019 Junior UCI World Champion Thibaut Dapréla (FRA) crashed for a second time, he saluted the crowd and the world saluted the big South African. Minnaar’s 12th Men Elite podium at the UCI World Championships is his 4th title.
“Man, I just thought I’d cry on the hot seat,” said Minnaar. “I love it, I love racing. It’s in my blood to be competitive.”
The 2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships have been marked by some fantastic performances. There have been firsts, including the first rainbow jerseys awarded for cross-county Short Track, and the crowning of Chile’s first UCI World Champion. But we’ve also witnessed the established champions deliver, not least Nino Schurter’s 9th cross-country Olympic UCI World title, and Greg Minnaar’s incredible DHI triumph 18 years after his first.