The 2024 season of the World Cup Downhill series kicked off at the legendary Fort William course, providing fans with thrilling moments to remember. This round saw two new Junior winners emerge, while Vali Höll continued her dominance and Loic Bruni finally clinched a win in Scotland.
Heather Wilson shone on home soil, securing the win by 3.597 seconds after finishing second in qualifying. Sacha Earnest took second place on her new Trek race bike, just edging out Eliana Hulsebosch. Despite a rear flat, 2023 World Champion Erice Van Leuven powered through to finish in fifth place. Asa Vermette impressed with his first World Cup victory, finishing six seconds ahead of Luke Wayman. Daniel Parfitt grabbed third place, 6.218 seconds off the winning pace.
Vali Höll showed no signs of slowing down with a new team and bike, starting the 2024 season with a win just like she did in 2023. In a tight race, Höll managed to match her previous World Championship winning result in Fort William by edging out Nina Hoffmann by 0.561 seconds. Tahnee Seagrave finished in third place, showing a return to top form.
Loic Bruni finally clinched his first elite World Cup win in Fort William after setting the fastest time in qualifying. He held off tough competition to secure the victory by 1.8 seconds over Troy Brosnan, who settled for second place. Finn Iles rounded out the top three, coming in within two seconds of Bruni.
The action now moves to Poland for round two, where a brand new track awaits the riders
