Finn Iles starts 2024 season on the podium in Fort William
Big elite World Cup debut for Bodhi Kuhn
Photo by:
Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Finn Iles proved his confidence coming into the 2024 season was well founded, earning his first elite men’s World Cup podium of the year. The Fort William track served up thrilling racing all Sunday, with new winners, return champions and some exceptionally fast juniors all putting in race runs.
Specializing in Fort William
For Iles, it is a solid start to his World Cup campaign. It’s also one that shows the young Canadian is maturing in a way that could see him challenge his Specialized teammate, and Sunday’s winnner, Loic Bruni.
“I wanted it a little too much at the start and I think I raced quite smart because I knew I was attacking too much and it’d probably lead to a crash so I brought it back a little bit, calmed down and rode the bottom part really fast and smooth,” Iles said after the finish. “It’s a good marker because if I have the right mindset coming into the next race. I know I can ride faster than I did today and hopefully I can get on the top step.”
A new win for Super Bruni
Taking the top step in Scotland, though, was Iles teammate Loic Bruni. The reigning World Cup winner started his title defence with something rare: a win at a venue he’s never won at before. While “Super Bruni” has several wins at most World Cup venues at the point, Fort Bill has always challenged the Frenchman. On Sunday, Bruni put those ghosts to rest, putting in a dominant finals run to beat fastest semi-finals finisher Troy Brosnan (Canyon Cllctv).
“I’ve never been super strong here. I’ve struggled a lot in the last few years, but I knew I could do it one day or another. This weekend, I’ve been struggling a bit with the wet but today the clouds held off so there was no rain and I thought this was the opportunity. I’m feeling strong, the bike is good, everything was perfect for it,” Bruni said after his win, adding that the victory was extra special given his struggles. “I pushed everywhere; I wasn’t fresh at the bottom but I gave it [my] all. I’m so happy. That’s such an achievement for me and I’m over the moon.”
Bruni will have another chance at earning a new win when the World Cup series picks up on May 20th at in Bielsko-Biala, Poland on May 19. The Specialized leader will be in the leader’s jersey when the new venue makes its series debut.
Brosnan finished second, 1.840 seconds behind Bruni. It’s a return to form after an off-year in 2023, and comes at a venue where the Austrilian last won in 2014.
“Coming back from a very up-and-down season last year I wanted to go strong. Second place for me today feels like a win. I’m in a better head space and the bike is really working underneath me.”
Iles earns his first World Cup podium of the year in third, 0.149 seconds of Brosnan and 1.989 off his teammate.
A big day for North American men
Dakotah Norton joins the extended podium in his first outing for Mondraker Factory Racing while fellow U.S. racer Luca Shaw (Canyon Cllctv) rounds out the poduim in fifth. For those keeping track, that’s two Specialized racers on the men’s podium, two Canyon Cllctv teammates and three North Americans.
Bodhi Kuhn, the only other Canadian in the elite finals on Sunday, also put in an impressive race run. Making his elite World Cup with Trek Factory Racing, Kuhn not only made his first final but finished 23rd. It’s a huge result for the Rossland, B.C. racer that briefly held the junior men’s leader’s jersey in 2023.
Höll takes flight in Fort William
Valentina Höll also started her World Cup title defense off on the right foot. The Austrian cruised to a win in Fort William, the same venue where she won her world championships title in 2023. Riding a prototype Flight Attendant equipped RockShox Boxxer, Höll pulled ahead of Nina Hoffmann (Syndicate) across the last section of the course to take her first World Cup win since returning to the YT Mob.
“It’s a tough track to start the season. It wasn’t one of my best runs. I was so loose and tired at the end. I’ve never been on top at the first race so I’m really happy and I can just get better,” Höll said after her win. “We have a brand-new bike, brand new people on the team. It was the track where I won World Championships last year but there was no time to even rest.”
Hoffmann looked strong the whole way down Fort William, putting in the fastest splits in each of the demanding middle sections on Sunday. Her flow through the brutal rocks and technical woods wasn’t quite enough to keep her ahead of Höll at the finish line, though, and the German has to settle for second place.
Resurgent Seagrave
Third place goes to a resurgent Tanhée Seagrave. After a rough few seasons struggling with injuries, the Canyon Cllctv racer was thrilled to be back near the top of a results sheet.
“I’m so happy. I’ve been working really hard this off-season and I’ve just been building confidence. It’s been probably four or five years since I’ve felt like I was at podium contender pace, so it’s pretty good to be up there.”
Camille Balanche (Dorval AM) also returning to racing for the first time after an injury sustained in a terrifying crash in Vallnord last season, finishes fourth. Gloria Scarsi (Canyon Cllctv Pirelli) rounds out the podium in fifth.
World Cup downhill racing resumes in Bielsko-Biala, Poland on May 19, 2024.
