For the second weekend in a row, Canadians Gracey Hemstreet (Norco Race Division) and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) dominated the UCI Downhill World Cup 2025. On the challenging course in Saalfelden Leogang (Austria), the pair prevailed against strong competition and each celebrated their second win of the season. The lead in the overall standings also changed hands in both elite competitions.
Exciting elite races with close decisions
The elite races on the Leogang course rewarded light riders in particular, who took full risks. The famous "Motorway" section in particular proved decisive for Jackson Goldstone's victory. In the end, the Canadian beat Loïc Bruni (Specialised Gravity) by less than a tenth of a second.
Gracey Hemstreet was able to win the women's race by a larger margin, but had to tremble until the end. Local hero Valentina Höll (YT MOB), who was the last rider to start the race, was in the lead until shortly before the finish, but then dropped back to third place.
Austrian jubilation in the juniors
Rosa Zierl (Cube Factory Racing) caused a storm of joy among the local fans with her victory in the junior women's race. The Austrian champion was the last rider to start and was able to catch Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team), who had been in the lead until then. Oli Clark (MS-Racing) came out on top in the junior men's race, making up ground in the overall standings.
Hemstreet with an impressive race to catch up
In the women's elite race, for a long time everything pointed to a victory for Marine Cabirou (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team). The Frenchwoman only qualified for the final via the second run in qualifying, but then put in an impressive ride. Cabirou was particularly fast on the decisive "motorway" section and took the lead by four seconds.
For a long time, no rider could even come close to this time. Only Gracey Hemstreet managed to turn the tide. The Canadian was initially behind, but was able to make up time in the technically demanding forest section shortly before the finish. In the end, she crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of Cabirou.
Höll narrowly misses out on home win
Vali Höll's final run provided additional excitement. The local heroine had started as the fastest qualifier and was still one second ahead of Hemstreet at the penultimate split time. However, Höll had to pay tribute to the high pace in the final metres and dropped back to third place. As a result, she narrowly missed out on the home victory she had hoped for, but was still able to celebrate a podium finish.
With her second victory in a row, Gracey Hemstreet also took the lead in the overall standings of the UCI World Cup. The previous leader Tahnée Seagrave (Orbea / FMD Racing) had problems with an old injury and was unable to finish higher than sixth.
Goldstone wins by a wafer-thin margin ahead of Bruni
In the men's race, a thrilling duel developed between Jackson Goldstone and Loïc Bruni. The Frenchman had announced his intention to make amends after a disappointing result in the last race and set a strong pace. For a long time, it looked as if this time would be enough for victory.
But then came Jackson Goldstone. The Canadian showed an impressive performance, especially in the upper section of the track. On the "motorway" and the subsequent jump into the steep bend, he showed courage and was able to gain crucial tenths. In the end, Goldstone had a wafer-thin lead of 59 thousandths of a second over Bruni.
Lead also changes in the overall standings
With his second win of the season, Jackson Goldstone also moved up from third to second place in the overall standings of the UCI World Cup. This puts him ahead of the previous leader Amaury Pierron (Commencal Muc-Off by Riding Addiction), who did not have a good day, did not finish higher than 17th and slipped to third place in the overall standings.
Loïc Bruni is now the new overall leader with a 45-point lead over Goldstone. The Canadian was overjoyed after his victory, but also joked that Bruni would not want to speak to him for a week after the close outcome of the race.
Particularly pleasing from a German perspective: Henri Kiefer (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Team) was able to secure third place with an extremely strong run.
The Saalfelden Leogang route:
- Length: 2.3 km
- Difference in altitude: 430 m
- Special features: Motorway section, steep bend, technical forest section
Elite Men Results:
- Jackson Goldstone (CAN): 2:57.229 min
- Loïc Bruni (FRA): +0.059 s
- Henri Kiefer (GER): +0.535 s
Elite Women Results:
- Gracey Hemstreet (CAN): 3:21.962 min
- Anna Newkirk (USA): +0.865 s
- Valentina Höll (AUT): +2.427 s
Junior results:
- Oli Clark (GBR)
- Max Alran (FRA)
Junior results:
- Rosa Zierl (AUT)
- Aletha Ostgaard (USA)
