New Zealand mountain bikers return to a favoured stop in the French Pyrenees for the next rounds in the UCI World Series for both downhill and enduro competition this weekend.

The popular venue of Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, perched in the Louron Valley, will host the second round of the UCI MTB World Series for downhill and the third row for enduro.

Last year nine kiwi riders finished in the top-10 and they are all returning to look for further success across both disciplines.

The enduro competition features familiar trails across five stages with a race distance of 43kms with 1470m of ascending and 2410 of descending.

Last year Charlie Murray (Specialized) finished sixth in the elite men, and is joined in elite competition by Rotorua’s Joe Millington from the Yeti NZ Development team, who was second in the junior men last year. Nelson national champion George Swift (Yeti-Fox) scored a top-10 in the elite women.

The downhill track was made by local course builders which melds man-made features with the sheer contours of the hillside. The top half of the track is relatively flat and open giving way to a steep and wooded bottom half which proved a major challenge.

Rotorua’s Lachie Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory) was ninth fastest in qualifying last year and was third quickest at the midpoint in the final but succumbed with a fall on the treacherous descent.

The 21-year-old is excited about the race ahead.

“I like riding the track and look forward to getting out there to see what they have changed and hopefully the weather stays away because the track is going to be real fast,” said Stevens-McNab.

“The top bit it flat so it is important that you are carrying good speed and not make any mistakes because when it is flat you can’t get the speed back as quickly.

“The bottom is very technical. I like riding the track and look forward to getting out there to see what they have changed and hopefully the weather stays away because the track is going to be real fast.”

Stevens-McNab has moved to the high profile Trek Factory team this year and impressed with the set-up.

“The new team is awesome. Everyone is here to do their best, whether they are a rider, a mechanic, or a manager - everyone is doing their best for one another which I feel is important.

“I have a new team, a new trainer and more testing than ever. My mechanic was with me in New Zealand for a month so preparation has been good.”

Fellow Rotorua rider Luke Wayman, who riders for the exciting Continental Atherton team, enjoys this track also, finishing on the podium in the junior men last year.

Compatriot Tyler Waite (Hawkes Bay, Yet Fox Factory) returns to the junior men’s competition after finishing runner-up last year.

Two-time junior world champion Erice van Leuven, who has made a miraculous recovery from significant injury, has her first elite start at the track where she won last year on the way to the overall junior title along with a second world title.

Also moving up to elites is Auckland’s Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory), who was third in the junior final at Loudenvielle last year, while Bellah Birchall (Rotorua, Team High Country) and Eliana Hulsebosch (Tauranga, Santa Cruz) return with high hopes after both placed in the top six last year.

All downhill riders will need to get to grips with the new qualification system this year where all elite riders completing qualifying round one, where the top 20 men and top 10 women advance to the final. The remainder have a second qualifying run where the top 10 men and top five women also make the final.

There is a single qualifying session for junior riders where the top-20 men and top-15 women advance.

There are 21 kiwi riders across both disciplines racing this weekend with the enduro competition on Saturday from 6pm to Sunday 1am (NZ Time).

The downhill qualifying is from 10.30pm on Saturday to 3am Sunday (NZ Time) and finals are on Sunday (NZT) from 8.50pm (junior female), 9.20pm (junior male), 10.15pm (elite female) and 11.10pm (elite male) – also NZ time.

The New Zealand entries are:

Enduro, Elite women: Winni Goldsbury (Specialized Gravity, Christchurch), George Swift (Yeti-Fox, Nelson).

Elite men: Oliver Jenkins-Jablonski (Christchurch), Edward Masters (Pivot Factory, New Plymouth), Joe Millington (Yeti NZ Development, Rotorua), Charles Murray (Specialized Gravity, Wanaka), Lachie Ross (Upper Hutt), Matthew Walker (Pivot Factory, Kawerau).

Junior men: Cooper Millward (Yeti Development NZ, Alexandra), Marcus Sayers (Yeti Development NZ, Rotorua).

Downhill, Elite women: Jess Blewitt (Cube Factory, Queenstown), Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory, Auckland), Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua), Erice van Leuven (Norco Race, Wellington)

Junior women: Bellah Birchall (Team High Country, Rotorua), Indy Deavoll (Queenstown), Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz, Tauranga).

Elite men: Nico Arnold (Wanaka), Angus Ferguson (Christchurch), Sam Gale (Nelson), Toby Meek (Queenstown), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Factory, Rotorua), Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua), Luke Wayman (Continental Atherton, Christchurch).

Junior men: Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth), Malik Boatwright (Team High Country, Queenstown), Oli Clark (MS Racing, Kaikoura), Rory Meek (Queenstown), Sterling Stevens-McNab (Rotorua), Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox Factory, Clive), Jonty Williamson (Yeti Fox Factory, Palmerston North).