UCI MTB World Cup: Hoffman and Deprala secure downhill wins in Andorra
Win a GO3 Camera by Insta360 this issue in our FREE subscriber prize draw.
Extreme weather led to a heavily disrupted day in Vallnord.
Nina Hoffman and Thibaut Daprela secured impressive downhill victories during the fourth round of the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, while there were podium finishes for Vali Höll, Tahnee Seagrave and Finn Iles in Andorra.
With heavy rain and thunderstorms causing plenty of disruptions in Vallnord, the elite finals eventually got underway on Saturday afternoon and it was Hoffman who triumphed in the women’s race.
With just five riders remaining it was Seagrave who held the lead, with the Briton refusing to be slowed down by the rain and strong winds.
Hoffman was second last out of the gate and produced an incredible run to go fastest by four seconds. Höll, who recently triumphed at the UCI World Mountain Bike Downhill Championships, was the only one who could deny the German rider victory but the Austrian lost time at the bottom section and had to settle for second.
Win a GO3 Camera by Insta360 this issue in our FREE subscriber prize draw.
In the men’s race, Greg Minnaar appeared to have produced an unbeatable time when he topped the charts by more than two seconds with just 11 riders remaining. However, Daprela was the next rider out of the gates and instantly snatched the advantage with a brave ride in the rain.
Finn Iles was the next competitor but the Canadian was unable to match the speed of Daprela and Minnaar as he had to settle for third place. Conditions then got even worse and the final few racers were unable to mount a challenge, with Frenchman Loïc Bruni doing incredibly well as the last man out to finish 22nd in the heavy rain.
Women’s downhill result
1. Nina Hoffmann GER 3:09.755
2. Valentina Höll AUT +2.836
3. Tahnee Seagrave GBR +4.192
4. Marine Cabirou FRA +4.641
5. Eleonora Farina ITA +5.825
Men’s downhill result
1. Thibaut Daprela FRA 2:46.455
2. Greg Minnaar RSA +0.121
3. Finn Iles CAN +2.316
4. Antoine Vidal FRA +2.559
5. Bernard Kerr GBR +2.590
2023 UCI MTB World Cup women’s DH standings
1. Valentina Höll AUT 1242 points
2. Camille Balanche FRA 1020
3. Nina Hoffman GER 868
4. Marine Cabirou FRA 713
5. Rachel Atherton GBR 616
2023 UCI MTB World Cup men’s DH standings
1. Finn Iles FRA 969 points
2. Jackson Goldstone CAN 816
3. Thibaut Daprela FRA 807
4. Loris Vergier FRA 782
5. Loïc Bruni FRA 768
