The UCI Downhill World Cup returned from its six-week summer break with a weekend of breakthrough performances, emotional victories and championship history in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie.
French teenager Max Alran delivered a dream home victory in the Men’s Elite race, while Britain’s Harriet Harnden claimed her maiden World Cup win in the Women’s Elite category.
But the biggest championship moment belonged to Valentina Höll, whose third-place finish was enough to secure her fifth Women Elite overall UCI Downhill World Cup crown with two rounds still remaining.
With thousands of fans lining the mountain and conditions changing throughout the weekend, Les Gets produced one of the most dramatic rounds of the 2026 season.
Alran Turns Home Pressure Into Victory
For Max Alran, this was the kind of race young riders dream about.
The 19-year-old Frenchman entered the final run as the last rider down the mountain, already carrying the weight of a home crowd that had packed the track with French flags and huge expectations.
Rather than buckle under the pressure, Alran delivered.
After topping qualifying, the COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction rider produced his fastest riding in the final two sectors to stop the clock at 3:27.9.
The margin was extraordinary.
Alran finished 1.6 seconds ahead of Andreas Kolb, denying the Santa Cruz Syndicate rider a long-awaited victory at a venue where he had already finished runner-up twice.
Jackson Goldstone completed the podium in third.
For Alran, the victory marked his first UCI Downhill World Cup win at Elite level and capped an impressive first season racing against the world’s best.
“Starting last puts the pressure on everyone else and it paid off,”.
Alran said after the race
The emotion was obvious. His parents, brother and friends were among the fans cheering from the trackside, making the victory as personal as it was professional.
Harnden Finally Gets Her Moment
The Women’s Elite race produced another breakthrough.
After making the transition from Enduro to Downhill, Harriet Harnden had steadily established herself as a serious contender. The 25-year-old Briton had already shown the consistency needed to compete at the front, but the top step had remained out of reach.
Les Gets changed that.
Harnden attacked the technical wooded sections with precision before finding another level in the lower half of the course.
Her run was fast, composed and—most importantly—complete.
She crossed the line 1.2 seconds ahead of Marine Cabirou to secure her first-ever UCI Downhill World Cup victory.
“I’ve always wanted to do this and to actually pull it off doesn’t feel real yet,”.
Harnden said
The victory also carried added significance because of her journey from Enduro into Downhill. After winning the UCI Enduro World Cup overall title previously, she has spent the past two seasons adapting to the explosive speed, technical precision and unforgiving margins of downhill racing.
Now she has a World Cup victory to match her credentials.
Höll Adds Another Championship to the Record
While Harnden celebrated her breakthrough, Valentina Höll was celebrating something even bigger.
The reigning champion needed only a top-five finish to mathematically secure the overall title, and her third-place finish was more than enough.
Höll now has five Women Elite overall UCI Downhill World Cup titles, drawing level with French legends Sabrina Jonnier and Anne-Caroline Chausson.
The Austrian’s latest championship reinforces her remarkable consistency at the top of the sport.
Yet Höll admitted there was still a lesson to take from the Les Gets race, particularly after losing time in the final section.
“It’s a good lesson to learn ahead of next week’s World Championships,”.
she said
With the overall crown secured, Höll can now turn her attention to defending her rainbow jersey.
The Championship Battle Heads to Canada
The team championship remains tight, with COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction holding the overall lead over Canyon DH Racing by just 36 points with two rounds remaining.
Jordan Williams also retains the Men’s Elite overall lead despite finishing seventh in Les Gets. He heads into the final stretch of the season with a 143-point advantage over Asa Vermette, while Finn Iles remains in the title fight despite missing the round through injury.
The UCI Downhill World Cup now moves to Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia, Canada, from 25–27 September.
For the riders chasing the remaining titles, the season is far from finished.
For Alran and Harnden, however, Les Gets will be remembered as the weekend they finally broke through.
