Lenzerheide in Switzerland was the perfect location for the final showdown between the World’s fastest downhillers at the 2018 UCI Downhill World Championships.
World Champs is all about that one run. The chance to wear the Rainbow Stripes forever. For four riders, it would be utter elation, some would do better than expected, but for the rest, anything but gold just isn’t enough.
And without further ado, your 2018 UCI Downhill World Champions are…
Junior Women
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Vali Holl has been untouchable all year and continued that form in Switzerland by taking the gold by well over 10 seconds ahead of the USA’s Anna Newkirk, with Mille Johnset in third. More importanly, Vali’s time would have put her 6th in Elite, a whisker over former World Champion Morganne Charre.
Junior Men
https://www.instagram.com/p/BngC5LzA2Lj/?taken-by=trekfactorydh
After qualifying first more than once at World Cups throughout the year only to be pipped by Kye A’hearn or Thibault Dauprela in finals, the year finally came good for Trek Factory Racing’s Kade Edwards.
Kade didn’t just take it by a whisker though. He’d be four seconds up on Kye A’hearn once the dust had settled.
Elite Women
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnhGrwhhztn/
What can you say about Rachel Atherton that hasn’t already been said? She might not have had it all her own way in the last few years, but after returning from injury, she proved she’s still the one to beat.
9 seconds says it all.
Elite Men
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnhKiCDAwfh/
Who would have thought that a broken elbow at the start of the year would lead to a successful title defence? Loic Bruni has been unlucky while up at the split more than once in his career and this World Cup season was no different.
It was down to the wire though. The Belgian Powerhouse Martin Maes was a whisker off taking the gold, a mere 0.213 seconds back, with Danny Hart just 0.305 back in third.
