Kiwi riders ready for MTB World Series opener
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Thirty-four New Zealand mountain bikers will line up for opening European leg of UCI World Series downhill and enduro at the popular venue of Loudenvielle-Peyragudes in the French Pyrenees this weekend.
Organisers expect over 60,000 to attend over the four-day event for the third round of downhill and the opening round for enduro competition.
LATEST HEADLINES:
The kiwi riders are there in force – the highest number of qualified riders per head of population from some margin, as testament to their ability to box well above their weight.
There is one rider per 157,000 New Zealand population who have qualified on the start line for the World Series event. The hosts boast the most starters (203) which is one rider per 325,000 of general population in France while the likes of Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Canada line-up with one rider per million of population or greater.
It is recognition of the world-class abilities of New Zealand riders, and their resourcefulness to mount a global campaign over six months in Europe and North America.
The host venue of Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is the main village in the Louron Valley, in the heart of the French Pyrenees. With its lake, summits, trails and ski resorts, the valley is an exceptional outdoor playground for all seasons, with over 500 kms of trails, several downhill tracks, pump tracks and skills areas for kids.
The downhill track is wild and fast with the top half relatively flat and open, but a steep and wooded nature at the bottom, requiring a strong commitment.
Last year kiwis Sacha Earnest and Luke Wayman both enjoyed elite top-10 finishes at Loudenvielle while Tyler Waite podiumed in junior men, and Christchurch’s Winni Goldsbury earned her first podium in elite Enduro World Series competition.
There will be excitement in the kiwi camp following the superb win by Palmerston North’s Jonty Williamson in the junior men’s downhill in the opener in South Korea, with compatriots Malik Boatwright (Queenstown) and newbie Camden Rutherfurd (New Plymouth) second and fourth respectively.
Auckland’s Sacha Earnest started her campaign superbly in South Korea with sixth in elite women for the Trek Unbroken professional, while Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua) also made the final, and Queenstown’s Indy Deavoll (Stoic Racing) led the New Zealand junior women in seventh.
There will be support for multi-junior downhill world champion Erice van Leuven, making her return to competition after wretched injuries sidelined her ambitions since moving to elite competition.
Hawkes Bay rider Tyler Waite was the best of the kiwi elite men at South Korea in his rookie start in the top league.
The 2026 Enduro World Cup begins the first of six rounds, with several big names stepping away this season and others including kiwi Winni Goldsbury on self-supported race programmes. Goldsbury will be joined by UCI E-Enduro World Champion George Swift from Warkworth, north of Auckland.
Enduro riders will cover a tick under 50kms with 1262m of climbing plus 1300m of lifts over the five stages
The competition finishes on Sunday NZ time, with the earlier event schedule likely to see a firmer surface than the muddy challenge in 2025.
New Zealand riders competing:
Downhill Elite Male: Oli Clark (Mondraker Factory, Kaikoura), Bradley Harris (Yeti Fox NZ, Alexandra), James Macdermid (The Alliance, Hamilton), Cooper Millwood (Yeti Fox NZ, Alexandra), Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (MS Racing, Rotorua), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Trek Unbroken, Rotorua), Camden Rutherfurd (Nukeproof Axess, New Plymouth), Seth Stylie (Yeti Fox, Auckland), Luke Wayman (Yeti Fox Factory, Christchurch), Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox Factory, Clive)
Elite Female: Bellah Birchall (The Alliance, Rotorua), Jess Blewitt (Scott Downhill, Queenstown), Sacha Earnest (Trek Unbroken, Auckland), Jenna Hastings (Pivot Factory, Rotorua), Kate Hastings (Rotorua), Eliana Hulsebosch (Santa Cruz, Tauranga), Erice van Leuven (Norco Adidas, Wellington).
Junior Male: Seppy Binsbergen (New Plymouth), Malik Boatwright (Continental Atherton, Queenstown), Cole Hulsebosch (Tauranga), Jed Kuegler (New Plymouth), Dexton Lock (New Plymouth), Jack Sole (Queenstown), Sterling Stevens-McNab (The Alliance, Rotorua), Jonty Williamson (Yeti Fox Factory, Palmerston North)
Junior Female: Indy Deavoll (Stoic Racing, Queenstown), Capella Martin (Martinborough), Roisin McGuinness (Team High Country, Christchurch), Ursula Summers (The Alliance, Christchurch).
Enduro, Elite Male: Asher Hart (Tauranga), Joe Millington (Yeti NZ, Rotorua), Marcus Sayers (Yeti-Fox, Alexandra).
Female Elite: Winnie Goldsbury (Christchurch), George Swift (Warkworth)