'26 DHI.3 / EDR.2 // Leogang

The skies opened up for the third round of the UCI Downhill World Cup. But it was not the biggest change the racers would see this weekend. For the first time ever, the schedule was flipped upside down, with the Elite Men first on track for practice, qualifying, and racing. The women held the prime-time slot as the last down the hill come race day in, Leogang, Austria. A pivotal moment in women's cycling.  

Downhill  

The race kicked off with a wet and muddy track walk on Wednesday. Racers donned umbrellas as they took in the state the track conditions that awaited them. Leogang has always been known for some pretty tight racing, and with only minor tweaks from last year, this race was sure to deliver. Mud or not.  

Back at the truck, the mechanics got to work tearing down, cleaning, and rebuilding the race bikes for the weekend. With a bye week leading into this race, many of the athletes headed over to Schladming for training and bike park laps. 

The Downhill team also had a fresh kit for this race with factory custom Giro team shoes. Look good, feel good, right? Right. 

Elite Men had the task of burning in all the ruts as the first on track. With rain continuing on and off throughout the week, the track was a tricky one to tackle, and tire choice was the talk of the pits. Mud spikes would provide grip in the open-top section and the steep bottom woods, while dry tires would help riders keep speed on the infamous middle motorway section.  

Tyler Waite  

It was a learning weekend for Tyler in Leogang. Looking fast in practice and timed training, Tyler was ready for qualies. Q1 did not go Tyler's way, being just a few seconds off the top20 cut-off, so, it was back up the hill for Q2. A mistake in sector 2 caused Tyler to miss out on finals for the first time in his career.  

Richie Rude  

With years of EDR racing under his belt, Rude is no stranger to ever-changing conditions. This showed as Richie was able to go straight to the finals with an 8th place in Q1. Come race day, Richie improved on that result with a 7th-place finish. Richie is building this season, and we are stoked to see the continued momentum forward.   

Matilda Melton 

It's a tough time to be a first-year elite. Tilly continues to work towards breaking into the finals in the Elite Women's field. Missing the cutoff in Q1 and Q2 by just a few positions. Keen to continue working, Tilly heads for a fresh start next weekend in Lenzerheide.  

Jonty Williamson 

Three for three. Jonty has kept his perfect season going. With a P1 in Q1 and then backing it up with a win in finals. This time with the biggest margin yet, putting over 7 seconds into second place. Jonty is on fire this season. 

Enduro 

Leogang played host to the second round of the EDR World Series. And much like the downhill race, the wet weather was the talk of the race. The Yeti / FOX Factory team was keen to take on the 70 km of racing over 6 stages that lay ahead. The team described Leogang as fast and rooty. Two things that, when wet, can wreak havoc. After a very wet practice on Friday, the racers were greeted with a slightly drier course on race day.   

The day started off with a physical stage that was rough on the hands. JT Fisher unfortunately had a crash on stage one, sending his hands and face to the ground. He was able to finish the stage despite having trouble with his grip, but Fisher was forced call it after that. Fortunately, DH teammate, Richie Rude, was able to pick him up and get him back to the team truck.  

Slav started the day strong, looking to put round 1 behind him, he was on a mission. With a P2 on Stage 1 and taking the win on Stage 2, he earned a sizeable lead to build on. Slav would continue with that same pace, taking wins on Stage 4 and on the final stage, which would secure him the win in Leogang, Austria.  

Ryan was also on a mission to slay some past Leogang demons. Vibes were high come race day. Gilchrist took on the race, finishing in the top ten on most stages. When it was all said and done, he would go 7th on the day. A good start to the season for Gilly.  

The EDR side of the Yeti / Fox Factory team has a couple weekends off before they tackle EDR.3 in Val di Fassa.