Brook MacDonald Takes the Win

Brook MacDonald

• Words: Chinese Downhill Series (CDS)
• Pictures: Chinese Downhill Series (CDS)

A new 2.2km double-black track, 500 metres of vertical and plenty of steep, loose and technical terrain made Thaiwoo the place to be for the latest round of the Chinese National Downhill League.

September in Chongli usually means the mountains are starting to turn golden and the summer crowds are thinning out. But there was nothing particularly quiet about Thaiwoo Mountain Bike Park on September 12–13.

More than 200 riders from China and overseas arrived for the latest round of the 2026 Chinese Mountain Bike Downhill League — and they had a brand-new piece of trail to get acquainted with.

Thaiwoo's new double-black diamond downhill track measures 2,210 metres and drops around 500 metres from top to bottom, with an average gradient of 22 degrees. Built specifically for serious downhill racing, it is a very different proposition from the more forgiving trails found in many mountain-bike parks around China.

The course runs through dense forest and rarely gives riders much of a chance to relax. Rocky and rough sections lead into long, steep pitches, tight S-bends, high-speed jumps and steep drops. Roots cross the trail, the dirt can be loose and the line choices are not always obvious.

In short, it is a track that asks questions all the way down.

And the riders had to answer them at speed.

A new track means a new game

Saturday afternoon brought the qualification runs, giving everyone their first opportunity to properly attack the new course in race conditions.

Riders left the start individually, searching for the fastest lines through the constantly changing terrain. Keeping the bike straight was only part of the job. They also had to manage their body position, find grip where there wasn't much and work out where they could carry speed into the next section.

The track was already claiming a few victims during qualifying, with crashes and blown lines adding to the pressure. Then, just as the Elite field was getting underway, rain arrived.

On a track this technical, a sudden change in conditions is enough to make a difficult run considerably more interesting.

By Sunday, the riders who had made it through qualification were back at the start for the finals — this time with a run's worth of information about the track in their heads.

The pace went up.

Riders attacked the steep sections, cut into the technical corners and made constant micro-adjustments to keep the bikes on line. With so little room for error, the difference between a fast, clean run and a mistake could be measured in a heartbeat.

Brook MacDonald tops the Elite field

At the sharp end of the field, New Zealand professional Brook MacDonald took the Elite Men's victory.

It was he's second time racing at Thaiwoo, and he clearly wasn't short of praise for what he found waiting for him this time around.

The new track represents exactly the kind of development that could help Chinese downhill racing produce the next generation of international-level riders.

He also had plenty to say about the course itself.

With its high density of corners and almost continuous rhythm, there are few places where a rider can simply back off and reset. The changing terrain demands constant attention, while finding a truly fast run requires both technical ability and the confidence to commit.

MacDonald wasn't the only Elite rider impressed.

China's Tu Xuanzhou, who finished second, described the course as one of the most challenging and wild tracks he has ridden domestically.

For the Chinese riders, having an international-level rider such as MacDonald on the same track also offered another opportunity: watching where the world's fastest riders find speed.

Tu said seeing how he carried speed and stayed smooth through the technical sections gave him plenty to take away for his own training.

Sometimes the fastest way to improve is simply to have someone better show you what is possible.

Tu Xuanzhou

Winners across the categories

• The Masters victory went to Li Guo of AEROX Downhill Racing. After years racing downhill, Li said the new Thaiwoo track was considerably more demanding than expected, with its combination of physical intensity and technical difficulty testing even experienced riders.
• Xia Enjie of CYCGO Speed Racing won the Men's Adult category.
• The Youth A title went to Chen Junxi „Kimi" of AKKI PRO TEAM, while teammate Fang Yuze took the Youth B victory.
• In the Women's category, Zhou Peini of Shenzhen XDS Little Bear Racing came out on top, with teammate Zhang Siqi winning Junior Men.

The eight categories also included a children's experience class, giving younger riders the opportunity to get their first taste of the event environment.

Chen Junxi "Kimi"

Hard tracks are good for riders

One of the more interesting things about Thaiwoo's new course is that it isn't trying to make downhill racing easy.

It is rough, steep, technical and physically demanding. Riders need to think about line choice while riding quickly enough that there isn't much time to think at all. Fitness matters. Bike control matters. Confidence matters. And when the grip disappears, all three suddenly matter a lot more.

For the Chinese downhill scene, having access to terrain like this is valuable for another reason. Riders can race on a genuinely demanding track without having to leave the country, while younger racers get exposure to the kind of terrain they will eventually encounter at international events.

Zhou Peini

Zhang Siqi

Fang Yuze

Xia Enjie

MacDonald made that point himself after the race, saying that if more high-quality tracks like Thaiwoo's are built across China, the country's young riders could make significant progress and eventually appear on the international stage.

That's a long-term ambition.

For now, though, the track has done something much simpler.

It has given Chinese downhill racers a new place to race — and a new benchmark to chase.

The 2026 Thaiwoo round is over, the podiums are decided and the race tape has been packed away.

But the riders have now had their first proper look at the new double-black diamond trail.

Next time they return, they'll know the corners.

They'll know the jumps.

They'll know where the grip disappears.

And they'll know where they can go faster.

Results

Women Elite

Men Youth Group B

Men Youth Group A

Men Junior

Men Senior

Men Master

Elite Men

#mtbmagasia #nationaldownhillseries #thaiwoo #chongli #china #downhill