An outstanding 15 New Zealand riders will contest the finals in the fourth round of the UCI MTB World Cup downhill at the famed Swiss resort of Lenzerheide.
Kiwi gravity riders will start tomorrow’s downhill finals in all four classes, led by the mercurial Jonty Williamson from Palmerston North, who topped qualifiers in junior men. The Yeti Fox Factory rider is chasing a record-equalling fourth straight win in the final tomorrow.
He will be joined by five other kiwis in the junior men’s final, led by New Plymouth’s Seppy Binsbergen, who was second fastest.
Rotorua’s Lachlan Stevens-McNab, returning from a head injury, was outstanding, finishing second fastest in a white-hot qualifying session in the elite men. The Trek Unbroken professional was just 0.4s behind top qualifier Ryan Pinkerton (USA) down the 1.84km track.
First year elite, Tyler Waite from Hawkes Bay qualified in the first run, while Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (Rotorua) and Luke Wayman (Christchurch) advanced from the second qualifying session.
Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch produced a qualifying best in her first season in elite competition to be third fastest, with the Santa Cruz Syndicate rider joined by fellow kiwi Sacha Earnest (Trek Unbroken) who was fifth fastest.
Multi-national champion Jess Blewitt (Queenstown) and former junior world champion Jenna Hastings (Rotorua) qualified in the second session, with Blewitt flying down the course to set the fastest time, nearly four seconds ahead of the next best.
Queenstown’s Indy Deavoll continued her strong form, with the Stoic Racing rider qualifying sixth fastest in junior women.
The depth of young kiwi gravity riders was exemplified in the junior men with six riders qualifying in the top-20 for finals tomorrow, headed by Williamson and Binsbergen. They will be joined by Camden Rutherfurd (New Plymouth), Sterling Stevens McNab (Rotorua), Malik Boatwright (Queenstown) and Jed Kuegler (Rotorua).
New Zealand Downhill qualifying results:
Junior women: Lina Frener (AUT) 3:19.544, 1; Rosa Marie Jensen (DEN) 3:28.993, 2; Indy Deavoll (Queenstown, Stoic Racing) 3:30.497, 3.
Junior men (top 20 qualify): Jonty Williamson (Yeti Fox Factory, Palmerston North) 2:54.177, 1; Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth) 2:56.110, 2; Camden Rutherfurd (New Plymouth) 2:57.320, 8; Sterling Stevens McNab (The Alliance, Rotorua) 2:58.180, 12; Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton, Queenstown) 3:00.128, 19; Jed Kuegler (Rotorua) 3:00.754, 20.
Male, elite: First qualifying (Top 20 qualify): Ryan Pinkerton (USA) 2:48.406, 1; Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Unbroken, Rotorua) 2:48.816, 2; Finn Iles (CAN) 2:48.966, 36, 10. NZ riders also qualified: Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox Factory, Hawkes Bay) 2:49.47
Qualifying 2, top 10 qualify, NZ riders: Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua) 2:50.01, 5; Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton, Christchurch) 2:51.134, 9.
Female, elite (Top 10 qualify): Anna Newkirk (USA) 3:14.640, 1; Myriam Nicole (FRA)3:14.842, 2; Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz Synd, Tauranga) 3:16.449, 3. NZ riders also qualified: Sacha Earnest (Trek Unbroken, Auckland) 3:17.724, 5;
Qualifying 2 (top 5 qualify): Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill, Queenstown) 3:17.131, 1; Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua) 3:22.350, 5.
Lachie Stevens-McNab in 2025 action