Canadian Duo Hemstreet and Goldstone Shine in Loudenvielle for Historic Downhill Double
Canada ruled the second round of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Loudenvielle-Peygudes, France, as Gracey Hemstreet and Jackson Goldstone delivered spectacular performances to claim victory in the Elite Women’s and Men’s downhill races respectively.
Hemstreet Earns Maiden World Cup Win
Gracey Hemstreet, 20, has long been tipped as a future star of women’s downhill, and she finally delivered on that promise with a commanding maiden World Cup victory in Loudenvielle. The Red Bull Hardline Australia two-time winner was unmatched on the steep and technical lower half of the course, taking the win by a commanding 3.169 seconds.
Despite a strong qualifying performance that saw her start third on Sunday, Hemstreet elevated her run when it mattered most. While the likes of Vali Höll and Tahnée Seagrave struggled to match her pace on the rugged lower sectors, Hemstreet stayed composed and aggressive to claim the top step.
“It’s an unreal feeling. I’ve been chasing this for a while and everything just clicked today,”.
Hemstreet said after the race
Höll’s second place marked her first podium of the 2025 season after a difficult fifth-place finish in Poland, while Seagrave—winner of the Bielsko-Biała opener—held onto her overall standings lead thanks to back-to-back podiums. Home favourite Myriam Nicole, the fastest qualifier, suffered a major crash and finished 12th.
Elite Women’s Top 5:
- Gracey Hemstreet (CAN) – 3:39.179
- Vali Höll (AUT) – 3:42.348
- Tahnée Seagrave (GBR) – 3:48.081
- Camille Balanche (SUI) – 3:48.776
- Anna Newkirk (USA) – 3:48.865
Goldstone Returns to Glory After Injury
In the Elite Men’s race, Jackson Goldstone completed a perfect comeback from a year-long knee injury by taking his first World Cup win since Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2023. The 21-year-old Canadian qualified 12th but laid down a blistering final run, clocking in at 3:13.192, over 1.5 seconds ahead of French star Amaury Pierron.
Goldstone’s controlled aggression on the steep descents and his clean execution through the technical sections made the difference as he held off Pierron and Jordan Williams of Great Britain, who rounded out the podium in third.
“It feels amazing to be back. I’ve worked so hard to get here again. I had no idea if that run would be enough, but it felt fast. So happy it held,”.
Goldstone said
Pierron’s second place sees him take the lead in the overall World Cup standings, with Loïc Bruni and Goldstone in hot pursuit heading into Leogang.
Elite Men’s Top 5:
- Jackson Goldstone (CAN) – 3:13.192
- Amaury Pierron (FRA) – 3:14.729
- Jordan Williams (GBR) – 3:16.163
- Nathan Pontvianne (FRA) – 3:16.352
- Luca Shaw (USA) – 3:16.776
World Cup Standings and What’s Next
Following two dramatic rounds, Tahnée Seagrave leads the Elite Women’s overall standings with 510 points, followed by Höll on 394 and Hemstreet on 370. On the men’s side, Pierron tops the table with 440 points, ahead of Bruni (400) and Goldstone (313).
Next up is Leogang, Austria (June 7–8), which will mark the first joint event of the season featuring both downhill and cross-country disciplines.
Stay tuned for more action as the World Cup season heats up!
