BIELSKO-BIAŁA, Poland — Elite mountain bikers from around the world opened the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup season with dramatic victories and crashes this weekend in southern Poland, where freezing weather and treacherous trails tested even the best in the sport. British rider Tahnée Seagrave and France’s Loïc Bruni claimed hard-fought wins in the downhill competition at Szczyrk Mountain Resort, while Polish rider Slawomir Lukasik thrilled home fans by dominating the enduro race on the nearby trails of Bielsko-Biała.
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The downhill course in Szczyrk, typically a summer race venue, was blanketed in snow during the finals. Riders slid, skidded and, in several cases, crashed on steep wooden bridges and muddy switchbacks. Many struggled to simply stay upright, with race times swinging wildly depending on the weather window.
In the elite women’s downhill final, Seagrave delivered a fearless run despite limited braking power and a near-crash near the bottom. Her time of 3 minutes, 34.340 seconds was fast enough to beat American-born Anna Newkirk by several seconds. It marked a strong comeback for the British rider, who has battled injuries in recent seasons.
“Because of the conditions my brakes weren’t working very well so I think that helped,” Seagrave said with a laugh after the race. “You’ve just got to make the best of it.”
Defending overall champion Valentina Höll of Austria finished fifth after a cautious run. Her fellow competitor Harriet Harnden, a British rider transitioning from enduro to downhill this year, crashed hard and bottomed out midway through the course. A volunteer race marshall then mistakenly ran across the track during her run, a moment that went viral on social media. The incident fortunately had no bearing on the results, but could have caused serious consequences had Harnden still been in contention for the podium.
In the men’s final, Bruni edged out Ireland’s Oisin O’Callaghan by just 0.156 seconds. The win was a personal redemption for Bruni, who lost last year’s race in Bielsko-Biala by an even slimmer margin. After recovering from a collarbone injury, he returned to Poland uncertain about his form but delivered an almost flawless run.
“To me it was not so perfect, it was really rough,” Bruni said. “I just had to give everything.” The narrow win ties Bruni with legendary French rider Nicolas Vouilloz for 44 career World Cup podiums.
Downhill mountain biking has changed a lot in the past two decades, and Australian competitor Troy Brosnan, who crashed on his run and placed 29th, told SnowBrains at the race how he’s seen it change since he started competing 15 years ago. Brosnan said that the biggest changes have been to the bikes riders now used as well as the tracks: 15 years ago, riders were racing on 26-inch wheel sizes before that progressed to 27.5-inches, to now 29-inches, allowing for bigger travel which means more speed and explosiveness on the track. The Downhill courses have intensified as well, when previously they were longer, roughly 4 minute tracks to now steeper, straighter, shorter courses that typically take riders about 3 minutes to complete in competition. “It’s been pretty fun to have been through all the changes,” Brosnan said. “Different parts, different bikes—it’s good.”
The weekend also included a round of the UCI Enduro World Cup on Bielsko-Biała’s dense network of trails, where Lukasik gave local fans reason to celebrate. The Polish rider led from start to finish across five timed stages, conquering slippery roots and slick rock features to claim his first elite win by more than six seconds.
“It was crazy. I still can’t believe it,” Lukasik said. “The home crowd was so crazy. I am so stoked.” In the women’s enduro race, Canadian Elly Hoskin took her first World Cup win after Germany’s Raphaela Richter crashed out while leading. Richter had built a lead heading into the final stage, but went down with a reported shoulder injury. Hoskin stayed consistent through the day and finished with a combined time more than 45 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.
The junior categories also delivered excitement. Denmark’s Rosa Maria Jensen won the women’s junior downhill, calling it the best day of her life. France’s Max Alran repeated as the men’s junior downhill winner, holding off a late charge from New Zealand’s Tyler Waite. In enduro, Tommy Bougon of France and Slovenia’s Nezka Libnik topped the junior podiums.
The event drew hundreds of fans and volunteers despite the weather, and also featured an Enduro Open race that welcomed amateur and electric mountain bike riders to compete on the same trails as the pros. Next, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series continues in Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic, with Olympic-style cross-country races taking center stage May 23 to 25. The downhill and enduro riders return to action at the next gravity round in Loudenvielle, France, at the end of the month.
A list of complete results from all of the races the can be found on the UCI website.
