The first downhill gold medals were handed out today as the Juniors battled it out for the 2014 UCI Downhill World Championship title.
In the Junior Men’s race, we were guaranteed a new World Champion as Henri Kiefer moved up to Elite in 2024, but Erice van Leuven would have to fight to defend her stripes.
Junior Men
The ding-dong between Asa Vermette and Max Alran is set to continue, but it would be the American who took the Rainbow Stripes in Andorra, finishing a good 1.516 seconds ahead of the young Frenchman. Vermette’s countryman Bode Burke would finish out the medals a second adrift of Alran.
Vermette’s winning time is some six seconds faster than last year’s Elite winning time on what is mostly the same track. When was the last time an American took a World Champs downhill title? The answer, Richie Rude in 2013. 11 years ago…
Junior Women
She might not have had it all her own way this year, but Erice van Leuven knows how to win a Worlds title, making it two from two before she moves up to Elite next year. Ella Svegby gave Sweden a rare medal at Worlds in second, almost six and a half back on the Kiwi, with Sacha Earnest making it an NZ sandwich in third. She would be almost another six back on Svegby.
Erice’s winning time is almost ten seconds faster than the Elite Women’s winning time from last year.
