We posted the official highlights from round one of this year’s World Cup downhill, but here’s what stood out for us as the snow fell in Poland.
Spectators on track, snow, enduro riders killing it in the downhill… It all went off in the slick conditions of Bielsko-Biala. We bring our pick of the highlights from this year’s season opener.
Hattie Harnden’s Mystery Pied Piper
From the looks of it, someone with a rainbow pass was running into and down the track right in front of Hattie Harnden… Despite requests for a re-run, this was denied by the race organisers, prompting the question “what the actual f*ck?”
Leogang isn’t the only race with snow
The 2020 UCI Downhill World Championships in Leogang became infamous for many things, not least the snow that fell on the upper sections during race week.
Bielsko-Biala proved that Leogang isn’t the only ski resort that can host a summer World level race and provide snow, with snow visibly settling on the start ramp for some riders.
New qualifying and no protection bites big name riders
Plenty of big name riders were to miss the cut in Q1 and have to race again in Q2 to make finals.
In the Elite Women, Anna Newkirk who would podium in finals, added another run to her weekend. Les Gets winner from last year Eleonora Farina had to go again too. Both Intense Factory Racing ladies would also miss the cut.
Unsurprisingly, the list was a bit longer for the Elite Men, with Amaury Pierron, Jordan Williams, Troy Brosnan, Jackson Goldstone, Finn Iles, Matt Walker (UK), Loris Vergier, Danny Hart, Reece Wilson, Charlie Hatton and Laurie Greenland slipping outside the top 20.
Nobody won the Gates Belted Purse
Plenty of hype was built ahead of the season about the $100,000 on offer for a win on a belt drive at this year’s downhill World Cups. It wasn’t a good weekend for belt drive bikes and their riders, likely nothing to do with the belt drive.
Continental Atherton’s George Madely was the closest to the top step this weekend, taking 5th in Junior, some 4.370 seconds adrift. Joe Breeden was next closest in 16th with a 6.262 gap on first place, and in Elite Women, that gong goes to Gloria Scarsi who finished 6th some eight and a half back.
Orbea have designed a winner
One of the big moves for 2025 was FMD Racing’s signing with Orbea, a brand with no downhill bike, or any real experience in World Cup downhill.
That said, Martin Maes and the Orbea team had been working hard on developing a custom Wild ebike with no motor or battery. Their bike, revealed on the podium by Tahnee Seagrave, has a similar layout to the Wild. Tahnee looked incredibly composed on track, as did the bike. Martin Maes slid into 9th in finals too, just five off Bruni.
EDR riders can hack it in DHI
The two physically imposing presences of Martin Maes and Richie Rude Jr. both finished at the sharp end in Poland, with the American losing out with the new, and daft, podium rules. He’d be just over 1.5 seconds off SuperBruni when the mud settled, finishing fourth. Martin Maes took the new Orbea downhill bike to a top ten finish too. Gloria Scarsi was not only the fastest Elite woman on a belt drive, she’s shown that you can compete at the sharp end in both disciplines. Hattie Harnden was unlucky to crash and then have an escort for her finals run after her win in Pietra Ligure.
