The women's elite competition in Saalfelden Leogang gets off to a tough start, but turns into a real thriller towards the end. The German Nina Hoffmann is missing after a crash in the morning training session.

Marine Cabirou, who only made it to the final via the second qualifying race (Q2), is in top form and wants to make up for lost time in the Epic Bikepark Leogang. The transition from the root section to the "motorway" in particular is perfect for her. She is clearly in the lead at the first two split times and beats Harriet Harnden's best time to date by four seconds.

Rider after rider reaches the finish line, but no one even comes close to Cabirou's time. Everything points to her first Leogang victory and the ninth World Cup win of her career. Then Gracey Hemstreet rolls off the start hill.

She loses some time at time measurement three, but she strikes back in the steep forest section and how. Taking maximum risk, she made up for everything and took the lead by three seconds. Behind Hemstreet, Anna Newkirk from the USA is the first to line up and ensures a North American podium. She narrowly missed out on her first World Cup victory since 2019.

All eyes are now on the local Valentina Höll, the fastest qualifier, reigning world champion and overall winner of last season. At the penultimate split time, she is still one second in the lead and victory at home seems within reach. However, she was also unable to counter Hemstreet's sensational final section and fell back to third place to audible groans from the crowd.

For Hemstreet, it was her second World Cup victory in two weeks, making her the sixth racer in history to follow up her first World Cup win with another. Höll (2021) and Cabirou (2019) were the last to do so. Camille Balanche was the best Swiss skier in seventh place.

"I definitely didn't expect this," said Hemstreet at the finish. "I wasn't actually particularly confident all week. I had problems on the motorway, but I just pedaled as hard as I could. I felt it at the finish and was just happy."

Thanks to her victory, Hemstreet also takes the lead in the overall standings. Great Britain's Tahnée Seagrave got off to a strong start, but was hampered by an old injury in the technical section, lost a lot of time and finished sixth. Local hero Valentina Höll remains without a win of the season despite a strong performance.

Rankings Elite Women

A Canadian also triumphs in the men's race

The jumbled up qualifying for the men's race in Leogang makes for a thrilling race. The second final run already brings action: Ronan Dunne slips off the pedals, but is still the first to break the three-minute mark this weekend. In the end, that was enough for fifth place.

Oisín O'Callaghan was still well in the race until a technically demanding triple bend, but then crashed heavily. Shortly afterwards, Andreas Kolb, Austrian local hero and teammate, gets the crowd going with a strong forest section. At the intermediate time, the light turns green, but his 0.066-second lead is not enough at the finish.

The lead changes a little later: New Zealander Lachlan Stevens-McNab finally delivers the run he has been waiting for all season. After crashing at the season opener in Bielsko-Biała, he remained penalty-free this time and took the lead with a top time. Loïc Bruni (FRA), winner of the opening race, urgently needs a strong result and delivers. With a powerful, flawless run, he rides 1.4 seconds faster than Stevens-McNab. But then comes Jackson Goldstone. The Canadian glides effortlessly over the root passages and through the "motorway", shows full commitment in the steep slope to the wall-ride section and is rewarded. With a lead of 0.059 seconds, he beat Bruni in the photo finish.

Top riders such as the fastest qualifier Loris Vergier (rainbow jersey) and overall leader Amaury Pierron are still at the top. Goldstone trembles in the finish area. But no one could get close to him.

The German Henri Kiefer surprisingly showed the strongest counterattack, alongside Bruni and Goldstone he was the only one to win a sector. In the end, he finished third behind Goldstone and Bruni.

  "The last split and the root passage into the motorway were the two decisive sections for me. I don't think I could have ridden them any better," said Goldstone after the race.

Rankings Elite Men

Home fans celebrate triumph in the juniors

Rosa Zierl gave the Austrian fans goosebumps right at the start of the final day. The reigning national champion was the last junior racer to roll off the ramp and set the fastest time of the day. She relegates the American Aletha Ostgaard to second place. Eliana Hulsebosch from New Zealand came third. The best Swiss skier, Gianna Nef, rides to fifth place. 

Ostgaard dominates the field with a lead of over four seconds over the competition. Zierl also got off to a strong start and fought a duel with the American for the best section times. Although she never clearly pulled away, she turned a one-second deficit at the penultimate timing point into a lead in the final section and secured victory in the last few meters.

"It's incredible, I'm super happy. A close duel with the girls. I know the course well and just wanted to have fun," said Zierl at the finish."

New Zealander Oli Clark won the junior race by less than a second.

American Asa Vermette set the fastest time before the two fastest qualifiers started. Alran was ahead in the first two sections, but was unable to bring his lead to the finish and was narrowly beaten in second place in the end.

"It's pretty surreal. I've worked hard to get here and I'm just happy," said Clark after his victory.

Ranked juniors

Ranked juniors