It was a wild day of junior racing in Val di Sole on Saturday. Rain created challenging conditions with greasy dirt and slippery rocks giving way to drier sections, back and forth, as the course went in and out of the woods.
Jon Mozell just missed out on his second career World Cup podium, and first since joining We Are One Momentum Project. Mozell improved every split on his way down the wildly technical Val di Sole “Black Snake,” but would end up fourth.
Ryan Griffith continued his impressively consistent season with another top 10 finish. This time, the Pivot Factory Racing junior landed eighth in Val di Sole.
Dane Jewett started the day in the leader’s jersey after his podium last weekend in Leogang. The Pivot Factory Racing junior was building speed all the way down his race run until he was caught out by the compression of a steep section of rocks into a hard left-hander, nearly going off track. Jewett recovered and clawed back time on his way to the finish, but ends his day in an unlucky 13th place.
Jack McLeod had a solid showing in Val di Sole. After qualifying 25thand dropping in first, the Outlaw United rider finished 15th.
Loick Hudon rounded out the Canadian effort in 22nd.
The win, though, goes to Max Alran (Commencal Muc-Off). His clean run was just enough to finish ahead of Asa Vermette (Frameworks Racing), who made an absolutely wild save to hold on to second place in his finals run. Mylann Falquet (Goodman Santa Cruz) rounds out the podium in third.
Vermette takes back the junior men’s leader’s jersey. Though that points race is still incredibly tight after four rounds of racing.
Kiwi Sweep in junior women
On the junior women’s side, a Kiwi sweep that was hinted at in qualifying materialized again in finals. Eliana Hulsebosch (Union) dominated the race, winning by over 10 seconds. Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory Racing) and world champion Erice van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres) joined her on the podium to complete the sweep.
“I’ve felt good all season,” Hulsebosch said after her win. “It’s just been getting used to the World Cup stage. Finally got that mental state and I’m feeling really good, just out here riding my bike. I don’t really know what I did, I just wanted to get down and have fun. I did that and it worked.”
With that, Hulsebosch moves five points ahead of van Leuven in the overall standings….
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