Racing World

Vali Holl wins in Val di Sole! Veronika Widmann in Top 10

The Austrian world champion wins on the super technical course of the Black Snake! She inflicts heavy breakaways on Balanche and Blewitt. Veronika Widmann is ninth.

Written by

David Finetto

July 1 2023

Vali Höll triumphed in Val di Sole in the World Champion jersey (Credits: Daniele Molineris)

The iris shines in the Downhill Elite women thanks to the most awaited female athlete of the weekend in Val di Sole. Valentina Höll defeated the competition on the Black Snake, repeating the success achieved in 2019 among the Juniores in the top category.

Source: Vitesse press release

The 21-year-old Austrian, reigning World Champion, was the fastest athlete in all sectors at the final round. With the time of 4:07.440, the Rockshox Trek athlete left behind the Swiss Camille Balanche (Dorval Am Commencal), second at 2.943, while the New Zealander Jess Blewitt completed the top-3 at 4.770 from the winner. Ninth place for the only Italian in the final round, the South Tyrolean Veronika Widmann (Continental NukeProof).

dh val podium of only 2023 women — The podium of the women's DH race. From left: the Councilor for Tourism and Sport of the Autonomous Province of Trento Roberto Failoni awarded Marine Cabirou, Camille Balanche, Vali Höll, Jess Blewitt and Nina Hoffmann (Credits: Michele Mondini)

Vali Höll made the difference in the central part, finding the ideal line and flow in the more technical section of the Black Snake. Conversely, Balanche adopted a more conservative tactic in the same section, an approach that he didn't pay off in comparison with the younger Austrian.

veronika widmann val di sole 2023 — Ninth place for Veronika Widmann on the Black Snake (Credits: Daniele Molineris)

“The Black Snake is a very physical and demanding track – said Valentina Höll – where it is very difficult to be able to maintain concentration in all sectors. Winning the second race in a row in the World Cup is something I felt I had inside, but that I hadn't been able to express yet. This time I managed to put all the pieces together, and I'm happy to have hit the back-to-back ”.

Camille Balanche, holder of the specialty World Cup, maintained her leadership in the general classification with 1020 points, just ahead of Valentina Höll (982) and the British Rachel Atherton (616), who was absent in Val di Sole.

FEMALE ELITE RANKING

1.	HÖLL Valentina * ROCKSHOX TREK RACE TEAM	4:07.440
2.	BALANCHE Camille DORVAL AM COMMENCAL	4:10.353 +2.913
3.	Jess BLEWITT * GT CONTINENTAL FACTORY RACING	4:12.210 +4.770
4.	CABIROU Marine SCOTT DOWNHILL FACTORY	4:12.445 +5.005
5.	HOFFMANN Nina SANTA CRUZ SYNDICATE	4:12.689 +5.249
6.	HRASTNIK Monika DORVAL AM COMMENCAL	4:14.002 +6.562
7.	HEMSTREET Gracey * NORCO FACTORY TEAM	4:14.641 +7.201
8.	BAUMANN Lisa * COMMENCAL LES ORRES	4:21.465 +14.025
9.	WIDMANN Veronika CONTINENTAL NUKEPROOF FACTORY RACING	4:24.109 +16.669
10.	A'HERN Sian yt MOB extension	4:27.745 +20.305

COMPLETE RANKING
GENERAL WORLD CUP
SEMI-FINAL RANKING

REVIEW THE SEMIFINALS

VAL DI SOLE COMPETITION PROGRAM

In this article:World Cup Downhill, Racing World, Racing World Downhill, Val Di Sole, Vali Holl

Written by David Finetto

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').