The sound of chainsaws in the woods. The roar of the crowd at the final jump. And more smiles, farewells, tears, emotions. In two words: Black Snake. It was the most heartfelt day of the week of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, because the Downhill In Val di Sole it's not just tradition, but genuine passion. A feeling also felt by the competing champions, who in the temple of Downhill They want to make their mark, because conquering the Streif of two wheels always means something extra: imagine if there's a rainbow jersey at stake.
Source: Press release
On Saturday 29th August in Daolasa, in front of a sea of cheering and noisy spectators, the rink of legends fully confirmed the real values on the field, crowning Jackson Goldstone and Valentina Höll as the best interpreters of the Downhill World Championship. The two champions were awarded on the stage in Val di Sole by UCI President David Lappartient, along with Mattia Gottardi, Councilor for Sport of the Autonomous Province of Trento, and Carlo Daldoss, Councilor for Economic Cohesion of the Trentino-Alto Adige Region.
For the Canadian, this is his second consecutive world title, as well as his fourth victory in Val di Sole between the World Cup and a Junior World Championship, won in 2021. For the Austrian, however, this will be her fifth consecutive season in the rainbow jersey. Ahead of her, in history, is only Frenchwoman Anne-Caroline Chausson: for the rest, the other records have been shattered.
Switzerland and Australia, on the other hand, took the lead in the Junior category with Raoul Schneeberger and Tilly Boadle. On Saturday in Trentino, there was also glory for Italy, with Filippo Gilardino taking the bronze medal in the Downhill Juniores and the great emotions of Eleonora Farina's latest Black Snake.
The Pietramurata native thoroughly enjoyed her final performance, amidst smiles, tears, and the embrace of a wonderful crowd, awed by someone who has made a lasting impact on sport.
But there's still time for the Azzurri's dreams. Tomorrow, Sunday, August 30th, the Downhill will leave room for the Cross-country, where the eager anticipation to see Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock at work is joined by that for Italy's medal-winning cards: Valentina Corvi in the morning, Martina Berta, Luca Braidot and Simone Avondetto in the afternoon.
GOLDSTONE'S SYMPHONY PLEASES EVERYONE
Watching him descend in Val di Sole is a spectacle. No one can chart trajectories on the Black Snake like Jackson Goldstone, no one can follow its traps like the Canadian champion. His interpretation of the Daolasa forest is a symphony that astounds even those who manage to find the run of their life on the most crucial occasion.
This was the case for Lachlan Stevens-McNab, who put together two incredible days between qualifying and the final run. The New Zealander earned a silver medal that was perhaps unexpected on the eve, but fully deserved. His time was 3:29.480, while Goldstone clocked 3:28.785: 695 thousandths of a second that made all the difference in the world. The bronze medal went to the season's World Cup star, Britain's Jordan Williams, who finished third in 3:29.487—just 7 thousandths of a second separating the two.
"I'm speechless. Winning the World Championships twice in a row is a dream come true," Jackson Goldstone said on the spur of the moment. "I'm trying to recover from an incredible run. I felt like I could do it; I just tried to draw my lines without making any mistakes. Val di Sole is my dream place; this slope suits my characteristics perfectly, and the conditions were perfect. You're so beautiful: I love you, Val di Sole!"
The big disappointment of the day was France: the first of the transalpines was Antoine Pierron, seventh, behind the American Asa Vermette, fourth, the Austrian Andreas Kolb, fifth, and the other American Luca Shaw, sixth.
Twenty-fourth place for the first of the Italians, the European Champion Loris Revelli, twenty-ninth for Stefano Introzzi, thirty-fourth for Chris Hauser from Trentino.
"If I take into account that this is only my second Elite World Championship, the performance isn't bad. The truth, however, is that I'm not happy. I thought I had a bit more margin than yesterday's qualifying, but the clock said otherwise. I still have to gain experience, I'm young, and in five years I'll have another chance, again here in Val di Sole," said Hauser, who has already set his sights on the super-World Championships in Trentino 2031.
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1 | CAN | GOLDSTONE Jackson | 3:28.785 |
| 2 | NZL | STEVENS-MCNAB Lachlan | + 0.695 |
| 3 | GBR | WILLIAMS Jordan | + 0.702 |
| 4 | USA | WORMS Asa | + 1.508 |
| 5 | TUE | KOLB Andreas | + 2.622 |
| 6 | USA | SHAW Luke | + 3.142 |
| 7 | From | PIERRON Antoine | + 3.563 |
| 8 | GER | KIEFER Henri | + 3.982 |
| 9 | From | PIERRON Amaury | + 4.949 |
| 10 | AUS | DAVIS Oliver | + 4.951 |
HÖLL PUTS INTO FIFTH GEAR, FARINA LEAVES TO APPLAUSE FROM VAL DI SOLE
Valentina Höll once again added her name to the Women's Elite list, confirming her position as the undisputed queen of downhill. The Austrian champion, already a winner in the 2023 World Cup in Val di Sole, secured her fifth consecutive world title after a masterful run in which she made the difference in the middle section of the course.
The 24-year-old from Saalbach stopped the clock at 4:01.558, edging out Swiss Lisa Baumann (4:03.286), the silver medalist, and Britain's Harriet Harnden (4:03.604), the bronze medalist. Germany's Nina Hoffmann finished fourth in 4:04.905. It was a tough day for Tahnee Seagrave and Marine Cabirou, who had already dominated the Black Snake at the World Cup, but were unable to find the perfect run this time, finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.
“I didn't think it was possible to win five World Championships in a row, it's simply incredible.” This was Vali Höll's immediate reaction, as she recounted the intense pressure she's been through this week. “It's drained me of energy. It's so hard to maintain this level, but luckily I managed it. I had an incredible season between the World Championships and the World Cup: now I can't wait to go on vacation.”
Myriam Nicole, who was unable to show up at the Black Snake starting gate due to the flu, remains the last athlete capable of beating Höll at the World Championships, held in Val di Sole in 2021.
The title of best Italian went to Veronika Widmann, who finished fifteenth with a time of 4:16.227. Today, however, remains Eleonora Farina's day. Her 26th place inevitably takes a back seat to the significance of her final career run. After more than a decade at the top of the World Cup—with a win, the only Italian elite skier to do so—and two European titles, the rider from Pietramurata, Trentino, faced her final run with all the emotion of a farewell. She reached the finish line in tears, greeted by the roar and embrace of the Val di Sole crowd.
The last day of my career was also the most emotional. My legs were shaking right from the start, I couldn't even push. I carried my bike to the finish line thinking only of enjoying every moment of this fantastic moment. I thank everyone: the Val di Sole crowd, my wonderful fans, and the entire cycling world. Downhill".
At the end of the race, Eleonora Farina also had a moment of celebration: the organizing committee of Grandi Eventi Val di Sole presented her with a giant fabric photograph of herself in action on the Black Snake. Next to her on stage were the President of the Italian Cycling Federation Cordiano Dagnoni, the coach of the Italian National Cycling Team Downhill Simone Fabbri, his teammates, and the Italian staff.
Veronika Widmann was also satisfied, having had a positive experience. "I had a great run, even taking a few risks, so I'm happy. Today, the Black Snake was fantastic: it was amazing to go down with everyone chanting my name. I won't soon forget this day."
And then a special thought for Eleonora Farina, my partner in many battles and a long shared sporting journey. "Today Eleonora, a friend with whom I shared a wonderful journey, is passing away. We started competing in the World Cup together, and over the years we've experienced so many important moments. I'm truly happy to have shared them with her."
The youngest of the Italians, and the one expected to be the star, had the toughest day. Gloria Scarsi, the newly crowned European Champion, started her run in the best possible way, before a mistake in the middle section of the Black Snake definitively compromised her race and her medal dreams. “All week I'd been telling myself, 'It's all or nothing.' I started without calculating, but unfortunately I made a mistake and went off the track. I tried. The World Championships are a special race, and you have to approach it this way if you want to have any hope of winning one day.”
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | TUE | HÖLL Valentina | 4:01.558 |
| 2 | SUI | BAUMANN Lisa | + 1.728 |
| 3 | GBR | HARNDEN Harriet | + 2.046 |
| 4 | GER | HOFFMANN Nina | + 3.347 |
| 5 | NZL | HULSEBOSCH Eliana | + 5.067 |
| 6 | From | BOULADOU Lisa | + 5.457 |
| 7 | GBR | SEAGRAVE Tahnee | + 6.048 |
| 8 | NZL | HASTINGS Kate | + 6.574 |
| 9 | From | CABIROU Marine | + 7.824 |
| 10 | USA | NEWKIRK Anne | + 8.404 |
DOWNHILL JUNIOR: SCHNEEBERGER AND BOADLE WIN THE CHAMPIONS, ITALY WIN BRONZE WITH GILARDINO
It arrived from Downhill the second medal for the Italian team at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Val di Sole-Trentino, after the gold won on Wednesday 26 August in the Team Relay. On Saturday 29 August, the morning of racing in Daolasa di Commezzadura on the legendary Black Snake opened with the bronze of Filippo Gilardino in the Downhill Junior Men.
Recent continental silver medalist in Bulgaria, the 17-year-old from Ivrea, Piedmont, performed superbly on a Black Snake, which was still treacherous in cross-country skiing due to the rain that fell on Friday evening. Gilardino clocked 3:48.647, second only to Switzerland's Raoul Schneeberger (3:47.477), who took gold ahead of Britain's Felix Griffiths (3:47.927). The other Italian competitor, Thomas Bruno, finished twenty-third.
“I'm so happy,” Gilardino said. “I didn't realize I was going so fast, and I didn't think it was a run worthy of a medal. Then, as the other athletes came down, I started to realize. I broke my chain on the descent, but I still managed to finish the race, and now I'm wearing a medal around my neck. Racing at home is magnificent, and this fantastic track has been a huge help.” Gilardino received congratulations from Cordiano Dagnoni, President of the Italian Cycling Federation, who was in Val di Sole supporting the Azzurri.
The Junior Women's title went to Tilly Boadle. The Australian made the most of the track conditions. Boadle clocked 4:13.323, edging out the World Cup season's dominator, American Aletha Ostgaard (+7.636), and New Zealand's Indy Deavoll (+16.895), who took the bronze medal despite a fall. The only Italian in the race, Rebecca Bruno, finished nineteenth, having been held back by two crashes at the top.
“I learned a lot from this first World Championships,” commented a disappointed Rebecca Bruno. “The track was very physical and slippery. Between training and qualifying, I wasn't able to get in many runs. I'm disappointed with the result: I'll aim to return to the World Championships in the future to do better.”
SUNDAY IS THE TIME OF CROSS-COUNTRY WITH VAN DER POEL, PIDCOCK AND MANY OTHER ITALIAN POTENTIAL PROTAGONISTS
As per recent tradition of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, it will be the Cross-country, the Olympic discipline of fat tires, to write the final word on the world championship week in Val di Sole-Trentino.
3,5 kilometers and 135 meters of elevation gain per lap: these are the numbers for the course that will award the final four rainbow jerseys on Sunday, August 30th. The first to take to the track in Daolasa di Commezzadura will be the Under 23 Women at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Under 23 Men at 11:00 a.m., the Elite Women at 1:00 p.m., and the Elite Men at 3:15 p.m.
Anticipation and curiosity surround the two stars of the multi-discipline, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel and British two-time Olympic champion Tom Pidcock, but both will have to climb from the fifth row of the grid to cultivate ambitions of a medal (and glory).
The competition certainly doesn't seem to be sitting idly by. First among them, the Frenchman Adrien Boichis, winner of the last Cross-country World Cup in Les Gets, right ahead of Van der Poel, and the Short Track World Championships on Thursday afternoon. Boichis also boasts two gold medals won in the previous edition of the World Championships in Val di Sole, in 2021, when he won in Cross-country Juniors and in the Team Relay with France.
The French team will be able to count on two other key players on Sunday in Daolasa: Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro. The Swiss team, meanwhile, has four medal-winning players: Fabio Püntener, Mathias Flückiger, and Ticino athletes Dario Lillo and Filippo Colombo. Italy's two key players: reigning World Vice-Champion Simone Avondetto and the experienced Luca Braidot.
From overseas come the ambitions of Bjorn Riley, Chris Blevins, Riley Amos (United States) and Martin Vidaurre (Chile). The latter managed to win in Cross-country World Cup race held in Val di Sole in 2025. South African Alan Hatherly, on the other hand, seems to be less fit, but it would be a mistake to underestimate the reigning World Champion of the specialty.
In the women's race, the odds seem to be leaning toward Sweden's Jenny Rissveds, the undisputed dominator of the World Cup season. Behind her, however, is a strong and high-level field, starting with Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse, Great Britain's Evie Richards, and Austria's Laura Stigger, a recent gold medalist in the Short Track.
The Swiss team is also particularly aggressive, led by Sina Frei and completed by athletes of the caliber of Nicole Koller, Alessandra Keller, and Ronja Blöchlinger, and Savilia Blunk (United States), Isabella Holmgren (Canada), and Samara Maxwell (New Zealand) also promise to be in the mix. Italy, in this race too, can play a medal card with Martina Berta. The Aosta Valley native won the Cross-country World Cup in La Thuile, bringing an Italian athlete back to the top step of the podium of the world's top circuit thirteen years after the last Italian victory.
In the Under 23 women's race, the odds seem to be leaning toward Italy, thanks to Valentina Corvi, a brilliant star of Wednesday's Team Relay and the star of the World Cup season, while in the men's race, all eyes are on Denmark's Gustav Pedersen, with Italy banking on Fabio Bassignana.
A SHOW TO BE EXPERIENCED WITHOUT STRESS: TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE FOR DAOLASA
In consideration of the large turnout still expected in Daolasa on Sunday 30 August for the competitions Cross-country At the Olympic Stadium, the public is advised to use public transport whenever possible to avoid traffic and waiting times, as well as potential parking difficulties.
To experience the World Championships more easily and peacefully, spectators and visitors are encouraged to use public transportation via the Trento-Malé-Mezzana railway line. The Daolasa station, located in the heart of the event area, will be connected by an enhanced rail service.
For the duration of the event, the Trento-Malé-Mezzana route has been reinforced, with additional trains every 30 minutes between Malé and Mezzana dedicated to the public, while the BikeTrain service on the Mostizzolo-Malé-Dimaro-Mezzana route, which operates during the summer season, has been replaced by a bus service. All train services are free for Trentino Guest Card and Val di Sole Guest Card holders.
Free parking is also available and signposted for service users near the Malé, Marilleva 900, and Dimaro train stations.
