OLD TRACK, NEW RIDERS
SRAM / RockShox Junior Athletes Dominate at Maribor World Cup DH
As the host of first round of the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill season, the legendary Maribor, Slovenia track was back on the schedule for the first time in 9 years. It was a fast start, with the SRAM / RockShox roster of juniors showing the same form that dominated the 2018 season.
SRAM-TLD Racing’s, Valentina Höll was the fastest junior female rider in qualifying and carried that confidence through to finals. Unbeaten through the rock gardens, rooty off cambers and brutal compressions of the Maribor course, her almost ten-second margin over 2nd place underlined just how quick the Austrian teenager is.
Vali’s winning YT Tues 29” is equipped with SRAM X01 DH, SRAM Code RSC brakes, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate, RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate DH with MegNeg air can, TRUVATIV Descendant Bar, Stem, and Seatpost.
SRAM Young Guns Racing latest recruit, Anna Newkirk, was on a high after finishing her debut World Cup for the team in second place.
In the junior men’s finals, the top four places were taken by SRAM / RockShox athletes, with Commencal-Vallnord DH Team rider Thibaut Daprela taking the win. TREK Factory DH Racing's new talant, Ethan Shandro, Kye A’Hern from the Canyon Factory DH team and Lucas Cruz from the SRAM-TLD Racing team proudly filled up the podium on Sunday morning.
With a long wait until Fort William in early June, we are all excited to see who holds onto form, or finds renewed fire and fitness for the legendary Scottish course. With Leogang only the week after, all eyes will be on the Austrian local, Vali Höll to yet again show her supreme pace and skill.
All photos by Sven Martin / SRAM LLC
Results
Pro Men
3rd: Troy Brosnan (Canyon Factory DH Team) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 27.5", RockShox Super Deluxe Coil DH, SRAM Code RSC Brakes.
4th: Charlie Harrison (Trek DH Factory Racing) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Super Deluxe DH w/ MegNeg Air Can, SRAM Code RSC Brakes, Descendant Bar/Stem
Junior Women
1st: Valentina Höll (SRAM-TLD Racing) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Super Deluxe DH w/ MegNeg Air Can, SRAM Code RSC Brakes, Descendant Bar/Stem/Seatpost.
2nd: Anna Newkirk (SRAM-Canyon Young Guns) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 27.5", RockShox Vivid Coil, SRAM Code RSC Brakes, Descendant Bar/Stem.
Junior Men
1st: Thibaut Daprela (Commencal-Vallnord DH) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Super Deluxe DH w/ MegNeg Air Can, SRAM Code RSC Brakes.
2nd: Ethan Shandro (Trek DH Factory Racing) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Super Deluxe DH w/ MegNeg Air Can, SRAM Code RSC Brakes, Descendant Bar/Stem.
3rd: Kye A'Hern (Canyon Factory DH Team) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Vivid Coil, SRAM Code RSC Brakes.
4th: Lucas Cruz (SRAM-TLD Racing) SRAM X01 DH, RockShox BoXXer Ultimate 29", RockShox Super Deluxe DH w/ Meg Neg Air Can, SRAM Code RSC Brakes, Descendant Bar/Stem/Seatpost.