UCI Mountain Bike World Series: Jackson Goldstone wins Val di Sole downhill thriller as Valentina Holl dominates

Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) won his first elite UCI Downhill World Cup after a thrilling and unpredictable race in Val di Sole, while Valentina Holl (Rockshox Trek Race Team) stormed to an imperious victory in the women’s elite race. The Canadian recovered from an early error to produce a spectacular run on the technically demanding Italian course, with compatriot Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) and Frenchman Thibaut Daprela (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) completing the podium.

Ad “I don’t have any words, I’m so excited," Goldstone said. «The run was on the edge the whole time, on the first corner I was pushing really hard.

UCI Mountain Bike World Series'Just gets better and better' — Holl in stunning form to win women's downhill World Cup37 MINUTES AGO “I escaped with all the mistakes I made and kept the flow going. I had a good bottom where I made up a whole bunch of time.

I’m so stoked!” Britain’s Bernard Kerr (Pivot Factory Racing) set the leading pace early on under rainy conditions, a benchmark time of 3:40.945 that proved unbeatable until Troy Brosnan (Canyon CLLCTV) knocked him off top with just seven riders left. One of those unable to match Kerr's pace was world champion and series leader Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity), who has never won in Val di Sole and couldn’t maintain a fast start as he lost momentum and time in the mid to lower sectors to eventually finish 14th.