After a wild opening round in South Korea, the Downhill World Cup heads to Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France for round two of the 2026 season. And this is where the season starts to feel a little more real.
South Korea was awesome because it was new. New venue, new track, weird conditions, and basically no history for riders to lean on. Loudenvielle is different. The World Cup has been here before, riders know the general vibe, and the track has already delivered some pretty ridiculous racing over the last few years.
That does not mean it will be predictable.
Why Loudenvielle matters
For me, Loudenvielle is one of my favorite stops on the World Cup calendar. It sits in the French Pyrenees, which gives it that proper big-mountain European race feel, and the track has a good mix of speed, commitment, and steep technical riding. Plus it’s on my bucket list to get some DH riding in around this area.
The upper section is fast and open, very bikepark-ish, so racers have to carry speed and stay calm. The lower half is where things get spicy. It steeper, more technical, and way easier to throw away a good run with more line choices available and changing track conditions. Basically, you can look amazing up top and still completely unravel before the finish.
That’s what makes this race fun to watch. It rewards riders who can keep momentum, but it also favors the ones who can stay composed when the track starts getting nasty.
South Korea gave us a lot to talk about
Round one in South Korea was a pretty perfect way to kick off the season if you like chaos. On the men’s side, Asa Vermette came out swinging and won his first elite World Cup, which is just insane. First elite round, first win. No pressure, apparently. (I called it if you read my last article)
On the women’s side, Vali Höll did what Vali Höll does: showed up, handled the pressure, and put herself right back at the top. Not exactly shocking, but still impressive. She has that ability to make winning look controlled, which is probably the most annoying kind of fast if you’re everyone else.
So now the question is simple: was South Korea a sign of how the whole season is going to go, or was it just round-one weirdness?
Men to watch in Loudenvielle
Asa Vermette is obviously the headline. Winning round one immediately makes him the guy everyone is watching, and Loudenvielle will be a very different kind of test. South Korea had the “nobody knows this place” factor. Loudenvielle has history, and the pressure is no longer hypothetical. If Asa backs up that first win here, then yeah, we are not just talking about a hot start anymore.
Jackson Goldstone is still one of the safest bets in downhill. He’s the reigning world champ, he knows how to win under pressure, and Loudenvielle has been good to him before. If he gets through the top clean and turns it on in the lower steeps, he’s absolutely in the conversation.
Loïc Bruni is Loïc Bruni, which means he belongs in the conversation until the laws of downhill racing change. He is smart, precise, and usually very annoying for everyone else when the pressure gets high. A French rider at a French World Cup? Yeah, that storyline kind of writes itself.
Amaury Pierron is the rider I want to watch if things get rowdy. When he is healthy and on pace, he has that full-send, slightly terrifying speed that makes downhill worth watching in the first place. Loudenvielle feels like the kind of track where he could either win by a lot or scare everyone in the process.
Rónán Dunne is another name that should be on everyone’s radar. He has the speed to win big races, and he brings that aggressive, loose, very fun style that makes him hard not to root for. Loudenvielle could suit him really well if he can keep things tidy enough.
Women to watch in Loudenvielle
Vali Höll comes in as the obvious favorite. She won round one, she is the current series leader, and she is still the benchmark in elite women’s downhill. Even when the field closes in, Vali has a way of turning pressure into another win. Very inconvenient for everyone else.
Gracey Hemstreet is one of the riders I’m most excited to watch here. Loudenvielle has already been a good track for her, and she has the kind of speed that can make the lower steeps look like they are being ridden in fast-forward. If she keeps it clean, she can absolutely win.
Harriet Harnden is another really interesting one. Coming from enduro, she has that technical, composed, physical riding style that should translate well when tracks get rough and awkward. Loudenvielle is not just about raw speed; it’s about handling the track when it starts fighting back. That feels very Harriet.
Myriam Nicole is always worth watching, especially at a French round. She has the experience, the speed, and the ability to show up when everyone remembers, “Oh right, she can win this.” If conditions get tricky or the race becomes more about precision than pure aggression, she could be dangerous.
Gloria Scarsi feels like one of the riders who could quietly make a big statement. She was right up there in South Korea, and if she carries that confidence into Loudenvielle, she could easily be in the podium fight again.
What makes this weekend interesting
The biggest thing is that Loudenvielle gives us a better read on who is actually carrying season-long pace.
South Korea was sick, but it was also a brand-new venue with a lot of unknowns. Loudenvielle is more familiar. Riders have data. Teams know the track. Mechanics know what kind of setup the place demands. So if the same names are still at the sharp end, that starts to mean a lot more.
It’s also the first European downhill round of the year, which always brings a different energy. Bigger crowds, more familiar venues, and a lot of riders who probably feel like the season properly starts once the circus lands back in Europe.
Plus, this weekend also kicks off the Enduro World Cup season, so the whole venue should be buzzing. Downhill gets the Sunday spotlight, but Loudenvielle is basically turning into a full gravity festival. Hard to complain about that.
Final thoughts
I’m pretty fired up for this one. South Korea gave us the perfect chaotic opener, but Loudenvielle should tell us a lot more about where the 2026 season is headed.
Can Asa Vermette back up one of the coolest elite debuts we’ve seen in a while? Does Vali Höll start turning the women’s series into another Vali season? Does Goldstone, Bruni, Pierron, or Dunne punch back immediately? And can Gracey Hemstreet repeat the kind of pace she’s already shown on this track?
That’s the good stuff.
Round one gave us the storylines. Loudenvielle is where they start getting real.
