Downhill and cross country converge for first time this season at Val di Sole

After three separate rounds apiece, cross country and downhill racers will converge for each of their fourth World Cup rounds in Val di Sole this weekend. Canadians are rolling into Italy in hot off stand out successes in both gravity and XC events, though with some injuries slightly reducing the roster.

The combined race weekend shuffles the usual schedule for both groups of athletes. The timing clocks kick into gear on Friday, July 14 and run through Sunday, July 16. Check below for the full schedule, broadcast info and who to watch from the Canadian crowd.

Schedule: Val di Sole World Cup XCO / DH #4

With cross country short track and Olympic distance cross country, both in under-23 and elite, and junior and elite downhill racing qualification, elites racing semi finals and elite finals, it is a hectic weekend for teams in Italy.

Friday, June 14

Thursday is the busiest day of the weekend. Downhill qualifying starts racing off for the junior and elites, running from noon to 15:00 (03:00-06:00 PT, 06:00-09:00 ET). Elites head right back up the hill for semi finals at 15:00 and 15:30 (06:00 and 06:30 PT, 09:00 / 09:30 ET).

Short track cross country is up next. Elite men and women are up first, and are the first live broadcast of the weekend. Elite women’s XCC starts at 17:15 with the elite men’s XCC following at 17:50 (08:15 and 08:50 PT, 11:15 and 11:50 ET).

Under-23 XCC follows next, though it will not be broadcast live. U23 women go at 18:40 and U23 men at 19:15 (09:40 and 10:15 PT, 12:40 and 13:15 ET).

Saturday, June 15

For downhill fans, Saturday is the big show. It’s also the start of live broadcasts for the gravity racing.

Junior women’s downhill finals start things off at 11:30 (02:30 PT, 05:30 ET). Junior men start at 12:00 (03:00 PT, 06:00 ET). Both races are free to watch, live and replay, on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel.

Elite women are up next, with the first riders scheduled to drop in at 13:15 (04:15 PT, 07:15 ET). The 30-rider elite men’s DH final runs from 14:00-15:00 (05:00-06:00 PT, 08:00-09:00ET). Elite men’s and women’s races are broadcast, in Canada, on FloBikes.

Sunday, June 16

Sunday switches back to cross country racing with the under-23 men’s and women’s XCO and elite men’s and women’s XCO.

Under-23 women’s XCO starts the racing off at 09:00 local time (Midnight Saturday PST, 03:00 ET). This race is live, free on YouTube.

Elite women’s XCO is up next at 11:15 local time (02:15 PT, 05:15 ET). This race is subscription access on FloBikes.

Elite men’s XCO follows at 14:00 (05:00 PT, 08:00 ET). Again, on FloBikes.

Under-23 men’s XCO wraps up the Val di Sole World Cup weeekend, starting at 16:00 local time (07:00 PT, 10:00 ET)

Canadians to watch

For cross country and downhill, Canadians are rolling into Italy hot off a series of big results. In almost every race, there’s a Canuck in with a shot at a win, podium, or chasing a career-best result.

Downhill

With just a few days off after the Leogang World Cup, a trio of Canadian juniors are heading into Val di Sole with momentum. Dane Jewett was second behind Max Alran in Austria, in a rare off-day for U.S. phenom Asa Vermette. His Pivot Factory Racing teammate Ryan Griffith is also on the move, scoring top 10 finishes, while Jon Mozell (We Are One Momentum Project) aims to get back on a World Cup podium.

In the elite women’s racing, Gracey Hemstreet joins Lucas Cruz on Norco Race Divisions growing injured list. The Sunshine Coast racer injured her hand in Leogang and will be out of racing this weekend. In her place, enduro podium finisher in Leogang, Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis), is switching to downhill for the Val di Sole race weekend.

In the elite men’s racing, Finn Iles will continue his quest to try unseat Specialized teammate Loic Bruni. Even racing with an injured hand, Iles was able to finish second in Leogang. That a second podium for Iles this year, but he’s clearly got eyes on the win.

Two younger racers, Bodhi Kuhn (Trek Factory Racing) and Jakob Jewett (Pivot Factory Racing) are working their way up the elite ranks. Several other Canadian men are on a quest to make it out of semi finals and into the 30-rider final.

Cross country

With the Olympic qualification period officially over, ending after the last round in Nove Mesto, and only two spots available for team Canada in Paris, much of the Canadian contingent is refocusing on the World Cup series. Canada’s Olympic team hasn’t officially been announced, but the front runners are all on the start list in Val di Sole.

Under-23

In the under-23 women’s XCO, Lidl-Trek’s Holmgren twins return for more mountain biking after Isabella’s stunning World Cup debut win in Nove Mesto. Emilly Johnton (Trek Future Racing) will be aiming for a third podium this year after finishing fourth in Nove Mesto. Ella MacPhee (Pivot Cycles-OTE) and Marin Lowe (Pittstop Racing) are also working their way up the standings.

There’s a fleet of young Canucks moving up the ranks in the under-23 men’s race, currently led by Zorak Paille and Owen Clark. More are arriving this weekend to try fight their way through the always-massive U23 men’s field.

Elite

In the elite men’s race, Gunnar Holmgren (KMC Ridley) had a huge result in Nove Mesto, finishing eighth among the world’s best. He’s the first Canadian in the elite men’s top 10 in nearly five years. Carter Woods (Giant Factory Off-Road Team), racing in his first year of elites, is quickly working his way up the standings to try join Holmgren at the front. He’ll be returning to racing after sitting out Nove Mesto with illness.

Finally, in the elite women’s racing, Jenn Jackson (Liv Factory Racing) is also hunting for her first elite World Cup top 10. The Canadian national champion was oh-so-close in Araxa, Brazil and again in Nove Mesto. Hopefully third time’s a charm. Jackson will be joined by Sandra Walter, Lea Bouchard, and Roxanne Vermette in Val di Sole. After a crash at the Baie-St.-Paul Canada Cup, Laurie Arseneault is sitting out this round)