The 2026 iXS European Downhill Cup season began in Santiago de Besteiros, Portugal over the weekend. Round one delivered heat, dust and wind. A mix that turned a fast, open track into something unpredictable.
For Canadian Finn Iles, it also delivered a strong early-season result. The Specialized Gravity rider won seeding on Saturday, then placed third in Sunday’s final, just one second off the win. It feels like a clear sign that Iles is excited to race this season.
Limited practice runs
The 1.7-kilometre track was fast, but riders didn’t get many chances to dial it in. Shuttle access limited practice runs, making every lap matter. Lines had to be chosen quickly.
The Maxxis Course Preview from Danny Hart gave riders a first proper look at the track.
Iles sets the benchmark
By the time seeding rolled around, wind had picked up across the upper sections. Riders were not just racing the clock, they were reacting to mid-run gusts. Iles handled it best.
The Canadian put down the fastest elite men’s time in seeding, setting the benchmark heading into finals. Junior rider Kasper Hickman turned heads by posting the fastest time of the seeding day by almost a second.
Wind reshapes finals
For the Finals the wind stuck around and in some sections, got worse. One jump was closed for safety, forcing last-minute adjustments for riders and officials alike.
In the elite field, Jordan Williams rose to the top, taking the win with a time of 2:23.292. Hartenstern followed just six tenths back.
Iles, despite leading the day before, could not quite match that pace on his final run.
He crossed the line in third, roughly one second off the win.
Women and juniors
After early-season victories at Crankworx, Jenna Hastings continued her streak to take the win. Siel van der Velden placed second and Eleonora Farina took third.
In the junior ranks, Gianna Nef beat reigning Junior World Champion Rosa Zierl by just six tenths of a second in a tight U19 battle.
On the Junior men’s side, Kasper Hickman took the win that would have put him in second spot in Elite.
A podium, and a reminder
More than 300 riders from 31 nations lined up in Portugal, including some of the sport’s most promising juniors. Not many of the World Cup riders showed up. But for Iles, the takeaway is straightforward. The gap to the top step is small, but in downhill, it always is.
Next stop of this tour is in Czechia on May 1. The same weekend…
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