On the penultimate day of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, the Elite Men and Women dropped from the top of Pal Arinsal for Downhill Finals. The race unfolded under dry and dusty conditions, with fans packed into every corner of the track, making it an electrifying atmosphere.
The men’s race was exhilarating from the start, with each lap getting faster and crashes toward the end made for an unpredictable finish. Dakotah Norton (Clinton, Tenn.; Mondraker Factory Racing) didn’t have the best run in qualifying, but he knew he had the speed and was eager for more. As the third-to-last rider to drop, the pressure was on. Norton had a smooth, fast start, showing all green splits after Loris Vergier (FRA) set the fastest time of the day. He kept gaining time, nearly delivering a mistake-free run, but just before the final exit out of the woods, he went off the track and crashed. It was a heartbreaking day for Norton.
Luca Shaw (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Canyon Collective) also showed green splits as one of the final riders to drop, but his pace slowed as he progressed down the track, ultimately finishing 17th. The top Americans on the day were young superstars Dylan Maples (Orangevale, Calif.; Commencal Muc-Off) and Austin Dooley (Yucaipa, Calif.; Commencal Schwalbe), both of whom had career-best race runs, finishing in the top 15.
1. Loris Vergier (FRA) 2:38.661
2. Benoit Coulanges (FRA) +0.148
3. Finn Iles (CAN) +0.169
12. Dylan Maples (USA) +2.342
13. Austin Dooley (USA) +2.534
17. Luca Shaw (USA) +2.775
22. Ryan Pinkerton (USA) +3.608
50. Dante Silva (USA) +8.446
73. Dakotah Norton (USA) +21.735
The women kicked off the day in Andorra with a thrilling final as the anticipation built for the last riders to drop. National Champion Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Beyond Racing MTB) was the fastest American of the day, improving on all of her splits from Thursday. She set a blistering pace, finishing sixth in the world, marking her best result at an Elite World Championship. First-year elite Abby Ronca (Bethlehem, Pa.; Evolve Racing) rode to a solid 31st place, with Abby Hogie (Heidelberg, Germany; Beyond Racing MTB) close behind in 35th.
1. Valentina Holl (AUS) 3:00.212
2. Myriam Nicole (FRA) +0.520
3. Tahnee Seagrave (GBR) +1.212
6. Anna Newkirk (USA) +3.718
31. Abby Ronca (USA) +22.162
35. Abby Hogie (USA) +27.405
On the final day of the World Championships, the U23 and Elite Cross-Country riders will battle for the rainbow stripes. Watch all the action live on FloSports.
