'26 DHI.1 // Mona Yongpyong

South Korea played host to the opening round of the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup season — and Yeti’s first DH World Cup win since Sam Blenkinsop in 2008. The event marked the first Downhill World Cup in Asia since 2001. Mona Yongpyong unveiled a brand-new, untested track, leaving everyone wondering what was in store — and riders were pleasantly surprised. Fresh World Cup tracks don’t come around often, and this one delivered. Properly steep, with loose, dry dirt and a huge helping of rock, it marked a fresh start for everyone — and a strong start to the season. As ruts began to take shape, this brand-new track was ever-changing and remained unpredictable through finals. 

Rider Breakdowns 

Jonty Williamson

On the younger end on the Junior Men’s field in 2025, Jonty consistently was able to podium amongst a stacked roster. Coming into ’26, he looked to carry that momentum forward, building on his success and a dedicated off-season. And boy, did he deliver. P2 in Q1 set the tone, proving he had the pace and earning him the second-to-last drop in finals. The gate dropped and Jonty clocked red splits in the first three sectors, totaling a 1.2 second deficit — a rough start. He found his flow and lit up the remaining few sectors, gaining speed and clocking the fastest time in the final two sectors. But would it be enough? Williamson crossed the line 0.2 in the green and into the Hotseat, claiming his first World Cup win and signaling the arrival of a new class of Junior Men’s downhill racers. Nice work, Jonty. 

Matilda Melton

Debut Yeti / FOX Factory athlete Matilda “Tilly” Melton kicked off her first World Cup with full Factory support. As a first-year Elite rider in the women’s field, the competition is steep, with only 15 of the fastest riders able to qualify for finals (top ten from Q1 and top five from Q2). Tilly placed 14th in Q1 with a time of 3:37, sending her to Q2 . Despite shaving five seconds off her Q1 time, she missed finals by one position. Although it wasn’t the result she was after, just 0.7 seconds separated her from a qualifying run—well within reach as she sets her sights on DHI.2. 

Richie Rude

Richie kicked off the ’26 DHI World Cup season with a renewed focus on downhill, spending more time than ever on the DH bike in the off-season. The fresh, ever-changing track played to Richie’s strong Enduro background. Rude went 29th in Q1, missing the direct-to-finals cutoff by 1.5 seconds and sending him to Q2. Richie picked up the pace in Q2 and just squeaked into finals as the man on the bubble. This marked the first time Richie qualified through Q2 in his return to DH. Come race day, Richie was the first man to drop, setting the time to beat. He charged down the hill, tackling the track where others struggled, showing how Rude’s bike control is among the best in the world. Rude’s 2:51 held for 22nd place on the day.  

Tyler Waite

Amid a massive influx of first-year Elite Men, Tyler kicked off the season with a bang. Tyler made finals on his first showing, in a year where qualifying is the hardest it has ever been. Waite’s speed is apparent, and his offseason prep is showing. He finished 24th on the day — and he’s only just getting started. Waite has proven time and again that he rises to the occasion; all eyes will be on him and the rest of the new Elite class as the season unfolds. 

With round 1 here in Mona Yongpyong, South Korea, done and dusted, the team now has time to reset ahead of round two, where the Enduro side of the Yeti / FOX Factory team will join in the action at the end of the month for DHI.2 and EDR.1 in Loudenvielle, France.