The Frenchman and the Brit back to the top in Trentino after battling injuries, thrilling the crowd in Daolasa on a challenging and breathtaking Downhill course, echoing their victories from 2018 in Val di Sole. Olympic Cross Country to round out the weekend tomorrow
In the realm of sports, it's when the odds are against you that the most captivating narratives unfold, it is when cards get shuffled that the greatest stories are penned. That was the case on a June day on the Val di Sole's Black Snake, honoring two champions whose recent journeys were marred by falls, injuries, and setbacks — two champions who rediscovered their mojo on a track that had already crowned them years ago.
This is the tale of the 2024 Val di Sole Downhill event of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series, culminating in the finals on Saturday, June 15. And the starring duo of this narrative is made by none other than Amaury Pierron and Tahnee Seagrave.
Pierron carved out a flawless line through rocks and roots, setting himself apart from his rivals, and reclaiming the top podium spot almost two years after Snowshoe 2022. Last year, a neck vertebra fracture in Lenzerheide halted his season, giving way to months of arduous recovery to return to form after such a serious injury. Today he can proudly call this a mission accomplished.
Seagrave, 29 years old today and Junior World Champion at Val di Sole in 2016, in recent years faced challenges far more daunting than Black Snake’s roots and slopes, and today succeeded in despite clouds, mist, and mud. Her tortuous journey began in 2019 with a severe shoulder injury from a fall at Fort William, followed by a broken ankle at the start of 2020, setting her on another lengthy road to recovery.
The toughest comeback was still to come, as the Brit had to fight back from a concussion after another severe crash. On her 29th birthday, this is the best gift she could have asked for: "Today, I rediscovered the true Tahnee."
The emotions of these two winners, who had already celebrated together here in Daolasa in 2018, resonated with the fervor and passion of a large and ever-vocal crowd along the course and at the finish line, despite the almost autumnal weather. The chainsaws’ symphony is ready for another day, as tomorrow the XCO stars will clash for the big prize on the Val di Sole Cross Country loop.
AMAURY PIERRON'S MASTERCLASS
In a magical weekend, yesterday's semi-final proved prophetic: Amaury Pierron showcased his exceptional connection with Val di Sole by dominating the Black Snake right from the start, a feat that only champions can dare to achieve. For the French champion, this second victory comes six years after his initial triumph in 2018. His encore was the result of a flawless run, clocking in at 3:39.004, the only athlete to break the 3 minutes and 40 seconds barrier. Riding for Commencal/Muc-Off, Pierron outpaced USA’s Dakotah Norton (Mondraker Factory), who trailed by approximately 5 seconds. Norton himself has showed his third place on the Black Snake in 2022 was no fluke, but his first World Cup win proved elusive once again.
"Winning in Val di Sole, at the pinnacle of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, is sheer madness. When I looked down from the start gate, I knew I had to go full gas, all or nothing. I gave it all and everything flowed naturally", said Pierron.
Canadian Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) secured third place, 5.880 seconds behind, followed by Aussie Troy Brosnan (Canyon) and France’s Loic Bruni (Specialized Gravity), whose display earned him the top of the overall ranks, but still fell short of what’s needed to finally tame the Black Snake.
SEAGRAVE’S ONCE AGAIN QUEEN OF THE BLACK SNAKE
Tahnee Seagrave's talent shines again in Val di Sole, five years after her last success in the World Cup and eight years after her first victory on the Black Snake, in 2016, when she became Junior World Champion. The British rider from Team Canyon CLLCTV proved to be the most solid athlete on Saturday in Trentino’s final Women Elite’s run, wiping away the daunts of her semifinal’s struggles.
True talent comes out at the most important and sometimes unexpected moment, and today Seagrave's performance came close to perfection. With a time of 4:31.471, Seagrave prevailed over Frenchwoman Marine Cabirou (Scott Downhill), just 0.3 seconds slower. Third place went to Slovenian Monika Hrastnik (Dorval Am Commencal), who finished about a second behind Seagrave.
“I didn’t think it was possible today, I was so far behind yesterday. I think today we have seen the real Tahnee after long time. After so many injuries I had a lot of self-doubt, and mental health issues with my concussion. Getting back to this point was a longer process than people think, but now I am glad to be here. I felt lucky to compete today thanks to my protected status from yesterday, so I just had a blast. Yesterday I had struggled a lot, today at the started gate I just closed by eyes, told myself to be strong, and try to channel all my energy in the race.”
Three athletes finished within one second in a race characterized by thick fog in the upper part of the track. Veteran Myriam Nicole (Commencal Muc-Off) stopped just short of the podium, along with her dream of achieving a legendary fourth win in Val di Sole. World Champion Valentina Höll (YT MOB) made a remarkable run but was betrayed by a difficult passage on the stony upper section. New Zealander Jess Blewitt, who dominated the semi-finals, did not start due to a hand injury in the morning training.
