B.C.’s Weitien Ho wins Leogang U21 enduro World Cup
Kasper Woolley career-best fourth in Austria
Photo by:
Commencal / Instagram
The Leogang Enduro World Cup round is all wrapped up and, just like in 2023, there’s a Canadian at the top of a podium. Last year, Rys Verner earned his career first elite enduro win while Emmy Lan added to her pile of u21 women’s wins. This year, its the Sea-to-Sky’s Weitien Ho standing on the top of a podium. The Commencal 7Mesh racer won the under-21 men’s race by a massive 17-second margin on Friday in Austria.
In the elite men’s race, it was Kasper Woolley leading the Canucks with a career-best fourth place. Emmy Lan finished second in the under-21 women’s race while Lily Boucher matched Woolley with a fourth in the u21 women’s race.
Weitien Ho takes u21 series lead
Weitien Ho (Commencal 7Mesh) was fastest on two of six timed stages in Leogang and never finished a stage in worse than third. That incredible consistency earned him the win ahead of JT Fisher (Yeti/Fox Factory Team) and Australia’s Sascha Kim (Giant Factory Off-Road Team).
With this win in Leogang, Ho moved into the overall lead for the under-21 men. The reigning u21 national champ has a win and two fourths to put him ahead of Fisher and Theory Racing’s Bailey Christie, the winner of the first two rounds in Italy and Poland.
Noah Rubuliak, the only other Canadian in the under-21 men’s race, joined Ho in the top 10. Rubuliak finished 10th in Leogang.
Lan picks up the pace
In the under-21 women’s World Cup, Emmy Lan made her first podium appearance of the year. Lan earned seventh in the opening round and a fifth a week laster in Poland, where she doubled up to race the downhill World Cup. The Forbidden Synthesis racer was second on Friday in Austria. The busy Vancouver Islander is scheduled to race this weekend’s downhill World Cup in Leogang, too.
Rocky Mountain Gravity Racing’s Lily Boucher finished fourth, just off the podium behind race winner Winni Goldsbury of New Zealand, Lan, and Simona Kuchynkova. Elly Hoskin, on the podium at the first two rounds, was seventh in Austria. Geza Rodgers rounded out the Canadian effort in 12th.
Woolley on the verge of first elite podium
In the elite men’s race it was Squamish’s Kasper Woolley (YT Mob) putting in the best Canadian result. The YT racer finished fourth, also his career-best elite World Cup result. It’s a result a long time coming for Woolley, who has battled through a wild series of injuries and freak accidents to get to up among the world’s best. But for one slower result on Stage 3, Woolley was on pace with the eventual podium finishers all Friday.
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The race was won by Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Racing). It’s the U.S. racer’s second win this season in three races. Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) finished second with Slawomir Lukasik, Rude’s Yeti/Fox teammate, continuing his breakout season with another podium in third.
Jesse Melamed (Canyon) joined Woolley in the top 10, finishing sixth in Leogang. Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis) placed 12th and Jack Menzies (Canyon) 15th for four Canadians in the top 15.
Emmett Hancock (Rocky Mountain Gravity) was 22nd, Elliot Jamieson (Commencal 7Mesh) 30th and Remi Gauvin (Rocky Mountain Gravity) 31st. Carter Krasny finished 46th, rounding out the Canadian effort.
ALN adds another top 10
In the women’s race, Andréan Lanthier Nadeau (Commencal 7Mesh) was again the lone Canadian entry. ALN continued her consistent season, adding a 7th place to her sixth in Poland an ninth at the opening round in Finale Ligure.
The women’s race was won by Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective), with Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing) in second and Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) in third.
All the Canadians will have a shot at the first-ever enduro world championships, which were also announced Friday. That event will take place in Italy in September.
Racing in Leogang continues on Saturday and Sunday with the third downhill World Cup of 2024.
