VERMETTE BREAKS THROUGH AS HÖLL RULES AGAIN

As our 2026 season review series continues, we look back at a UCI Downhill World Cup campaign that saw Asa Vermette make history in his debut Elite season, Valentina Höll return to her dominant best, and Aletha Ostgaard and Jonty Williamson rule the Junior ranks.

The 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup season marked the arrival of a new star at the top of the men's field, while a familiar face reasserted her dominance in the women's field.

Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) delivered one of the most remarkable debut Elite campaigns in UCI Downhill World Cup history, overcoming established names and fellow title contenders to claim the men’s overall crown. His breakthrough season came amid a shifting competitive landscape, with reigning UCI Downhill World Cup overall winner and UCI World Champion Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) unable to replicate the consistency that had made him such a dominant force in 2025, while Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) was sidelined for much of the season.

In the women’s competition, Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) delivered another season of remarkable dominance. Despite adapting to a new team and bike setup, the Austrian quickly re-established herself as the benchmark in women’s downhill. Six victories from nine rounds, coupled with another rainbow jersey, powered Höll to a fifth UCI Downhill World Cup overall title and further cemented her place among the sport’s all-time greats.

VERMETTE MAKES HISTORY IN BREAKTHROUGH ELITE CAMPAIGN

The rivalry between Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing / TRP) and Max Alran (COMMENCAL / MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction) defined the Junior category in 2025, with the pair regularly posting times that would have challenged the Elite field. Their long-awaited move into the Elite category was one of the biggest storylines heading into 2026, but few could have predicted the impact they would make against some of downhill’s most established stars.

After missing out on the Junior overall title by just 12 points the previous season, Vermette arrived in the Elite ranks with a point to prove. The American announced himself immediately, winning his first-ever Elite UCI Downhill World Cup race in MONA YongPyong (South Korea) by a commanding 1.5 seconds.

That breakthrough victory was followed by a turbulent spell. Vermette was disqualified in Loudenvielle – Peyragudes (France) and could only manage 30^th in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), briefly stalling the momentum generated by his dream start. However, the 19-year-old quickly regrouped, returning to the podium with third place in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) before finishing runner-up in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy).

While Vermette was rebuilding his challenge, the Specialized Gravity duo of Jordan Williams and Finn Iles took advantage. With Loïc Bruni sidelined and Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) unable to find his best form, Williams and Iles shared four victories between them and pushed Vermette down to third in the overall standings heading into the summer break.

The title picture became even more complicated when former rival Alran stole the headlines in Les Gets – Haute-Savoie (France), claiming his maiden Elite UCI World Cup victory in front of a home crowd while Vermette finished sixth. But the American responded in style at Whistler Mountain Bike Park, British Columbia (Canada), winning the venue's first-ever UCI World Cup downhill race to move back into the overall lead and set up a three-way battle with Williams and Amaury Pierron (COMMENCAL/MUC-OFF by Riding Addiction).

Vermette arrived at the season finale at the Lake Placid Olympic Sites, New York (USA) knowing the title was within reach, although Williams still had a mathematical chance of overturning the deficit. In front of a home crowd, the American delivered when it mattered most. An eighth-place finish proved enough to secure the Men’s Elite UCI Downhill World Cup overall title, making him just the second American rider to win the crown. In doing so, Vermette also became only the second rider in history to claim the Men’s Elite overall title in his debut season, following in the footsteps of French legend Nicolas Vouilloz and completing one of the most remarkable rookie campaigns the sport has ever seen.

SIX WINS AND A FIFTH CROWN FOR HÖLL

A winter move to a new team and bike setup raised questions over how quickly Valentina Höll (Commencal Schwalbe by Les Orres) would adapt in 2026. Yet after a 2025 season that yielded just a single UCI World Cup victory, the reigning UCI World Champion returned to the kind of dominant form that has defined much of her career.

The Austrian made an emphatic start to the campaign, winning the opening three rounds of the season in succession. Among those victories was a memorable triumph in Saalfelden Leogang – Salzburgerland (Austria), where the women’s race served as the grand finale of a UCI Downhill World Cup round for the first time. In front of a home crowd, Höll delivered one of the most commanding performances of the season, setting the fastest time in every split and winning by a considerable margin.

The only significant setback in her campaign came in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), where she finished tenth as Anna Newkirk (Frameworks Racing / TRP) claimed her maiden UCI Downhill World Cup victory. Any hopes that Höll’s dominance might be fading were quickly extinguished. The Austrian immediately bounced back with victory in La Thuile – Valle d’Aosta (Italy) before winning again in Pal Arinsal, securing her fifth victory in just six rounds.

By the time the series arrived in Les Gets, Höll’s advantage was already overwhelming. A third-place finish proved enough to mathematically secure her fifth Elite Women overall title with two rounds still remaining, effectively turning the closing stages of the campaign into a celebration of another remarkable season.

Far from easing off after sealing the overall crown, Höll continued to add to her legacy. One week later she successfully defended her UCI World Championship title, claiming the rainbow jersey for a fifth time before crossing the Atlantic and returning to the top step of the podium at Whistler Mountain Bike Park.

Höll rounded out her season with a second-place finish at the finale in Lake Placid. It left her just one victory short of equalling the all-time record of seven wins in a single Women’s Elite season, currently shared by Anne-Caroline Chausson and Rachel Atherton. Even without that final milestone, seven podiums and six victories underlined a season of near-total dominance as Höll claimed yet another overall title.

OSTGAARD AND WILLIAMSON DOMINATE THE JUNIOR RANKS

Two riders stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Junior field in 2026, producing commanding campaigns that left little doubt over who would leave the season with the overall titles.

In the Junior Women category, Aletha Ostgaard (Canyon DH Racing) delivered a remarkably consistent season, standing on the podium at every UCI Downhill World Cup round. The American claimed victories in MONA YongPyong, La Thuile, Pal Arinsal, Les Gets and Whistler, while never finishing lower than third throughout the campaign. That consistency proved impossible for her rivals to match, with Ostgaard ultimately securing the overall title by 175 points and underlining her readiness for the step up to the Elite ranks next season, having posted times faster than some of this year’s Elite winners.

The Junior Men category was similarly dominated by Jonty Williamson (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team), who enjoyed one of the most impressive seasons of any rider in the downhill field. The New Zealander claimed an outstanding six UCI Downhill World Cup victories, establishing a commanding lead in the standings early in the year. His only significant setback came in La Thuile, where he could finish no higher than 17^th. Despite suffering a wrist injury at the UCI World Championships that ruled him out of the final two rounds in Whistler and Lake Placid, Williamson's advantage was already so substantial that his rivals were unable to close the gap. Even without racing the final events of the season, he comfortably secured the Junior Men overall title, capping a campaign defined by speed, consistency and outright dominance.

The 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup ultimately delivered a season of both breakthrough and dominance. Vermette’s remarkable rise showed just how quickly a new generation can reshape the Elite field, while Höll’s commanding campaign once again demonstrated the consistency required to remain at the very top. With Ostgaard and Williamson setting an equally impressive benchmark in the Junior ranks, the season closed with established champions adding to their legacies and emerging talents proving they are ready to shape the next chapter of downhill racing.

Credit Words & Pictures: 2026 WBD Sports



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