The 2025 Downieville Classic wrapped up over the weekend with a Canadian sweep at the top of the pro men’s standings. Fernie’s Carter Nieuwesteeg took the win, followed by veteran Geoff Kabush in second and american Tobin Ortenblad in third.
In the women’s pro category, Katerina Nash claimed her seventh Downieville title, ahead of Amy Henchoz in second and Emma Maaranen in third.
One bike, two brutal races
The Downieville Classic forces riders to choose a single bike for both a 26.5-mile cross-country race and a 15-mile downhill stage with 5,000 feet of vertical drop. The XC stage climbs from Sierra City at 4,100 feet to the Sierra Nevada crest at 7,100 feet before dropping into downtown Downieville. The downhill, from Packer Saddle to town, combines high-speed singletrack with rugged, rocky descents.
Kabush’s dream build for Downieville
For Kabush, the race was also a showcase for a custom bike he described as “a keeper.”
“Dream build for Downieville Classic,” Kabush said via Instagram. “Dubbed the All-Mountain World Championships, Downieville is a conundrum for bike setup. Two days with a physical XC point-to-point stage and a punishing 45-minute DH stage on the exact same setup. This ASR feels like it meets that challenge as perfectly as possible while looking stunning at the same time.”
More than just racing
While the racing is the main draw, the Downieville Classic is also a celebration of mountain biking culture, with the Ron’s House of Big Air River Jump, the log pull competition and live music throughout the weekend.
Since 1995, the Downieville Classic has served as both a showcase for elite endurance athletes and a symbol of how mountain biking can revitalize rural towns. Its story was immortalized in Dirt Magic, a Patagonia Films and Teton Gravity Research documentary about Downieville’s transformation from a fading mining hub into a mountain bike mecca.
For Nieuwesteeg and Kabush, the 2025 edition was a chance to etch their names into that legacy.
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