Höll Banks Overdue Victory To Wrap Up Fourth UCI MTB World Cup Downhill Title
The 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Lake Placid, New York, delivered breathtaking action as Austria’s Valentina Höll powered to her first win in over a year — sealing her fourth overall downhill title in dominant fashion.
Höll Ends Victory Drought in Style
Racing down the challenging Whiteface Mountain course in the Adirondack Mountains, Höll displayed vintage form. The two-kilometre track tested riders with dusty terrain, deep holes, and rock-strewn sections, demanding absolute precision and control.
Despite a strong showing from France’s Myriam Nicole, who briefly held the lead with an excellent run, Höll’s flawless descent blew away the competition — crossing the line 2.815 seconds ahead to secure her long-awaited triumph.
“It took me way too long to win again. It’s been a long year with many downs and a few ups, so it’s amazing to finally pull it off. Wrapping up the overall title feels unreal — Mont-Sainte-Anne will be a real holiday!”
said Höll, reflecting on her journey
Her 2104-point tally guaranteed her the title ahead of Gracey Hemstreet (1727) and Tahnée Seagrave (1604), marking another dominant season for the 23-year-old Austrian.
Goldstone and Bruni Set Up Epic Finale
In the men’s race, fans were treated to another World Cup classic as Canadian Jackson Goldstone kept his title hopes alive against France’s Loïc Bruni.
Goldstone, the reigning world champion, laid down a blistering early run to sit behind Germany’s Henri Kiefer, before Australia’s Luke Meier-Smith stormed to his maiden World Cup victory, ahead of Luca Shaw and Kiefer.
Goldstone finished fourth, just ahead of title rival Bruni in sixth — ensuring their championship battle will go down to the wire at the final round in Mont-Sainte-Anne next weekend.
With Bruni on 1768 points and Goldstone close behind on 1671, the final stop promises an electrifying conclusion to the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season.
Key Results – Lake Placid 2025
Women’s Downhill:
- Valentina Höll (AUT)
- Myriam Nicole (FRA)
- Sacha Earnest (NZL)
Men’s Downhill:
- Luke Meier-Smith (AUS)
- Luca Shaw (USA)
- Henri Kiefer (GER)
- Jackson Goldstone (CAN)
- Andreas Kolb (AUT)
- Loïc Bruni (FRA)
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