A Wild Weekend In Loudenvielle

Race Recap - A Wild Weekend In Loudenvielle

The second round of the 2026 UCI Downhill World Cup and the opening round of the Enduro World Series took place last weekend in Loudenvielle, France.

Already known as one of the fastest and most demanding venues on the calendar, Loudenvielle became even more challenging this year due to extremely hot and dry conditions. The combination of high temperatures, loose terrain and heavy bike traffic created deep ruts, braking bumps and deteriorated track conditions that pushed both riders and equipment to their limits.

The result was one of the toughest race weekends of the season so far, with an unusually high number of crashes, punctures and mechanical issues throughout qualifying and race day. It is estimated that close to 40% of riders experienced either a crash or a mechanical problem during the event.

While the conditions made results highly unpredictable, TRP-supported teams and athletes once again demonstrated strong competitiveness across multiple disciplines.

Racing Highlights - Downhill World Cup Elite

Frameworks Racing Team

Frameworks experienced one of the most dramatic weekends of any team in the paddock.

Both Asa Vermette and Anna Newkirk faced significant challenges during qualifying. Asa suffered a crash in Q1, while Anna's qualifying run was compromised by a puncture. Despite these setbacks, both riders successfully qualified for the final through Q2.

Asa Vermette – Winner of Q2
Anna Newkirk – 2nd place in Q2

Asa Vermette

Asa looked on course for a potential race victory, holding a significant advantage over his competitors through the intermediate timing sectors. Unfortunately, a crash in the final section forced him off course and resulted in a disqualification, ending what had been one of the fastest runs of the day.

Despite the disappointing outcome, Asa once again demonstrated race-winning pace at World Cup level.

Anna Newkirk

The final itself demonstrated the team's speed and competitiveness. Anna delivered a strong and consistent run to secure an excellent 9th-place finish, adding another Top 10 result to her season.

Dragon Speed Racing

Dragon Speed endured a frustrating weekend despite showing strong potential.

Thibaut Daprela delivered one of his best qualifying performances of the season, securing direct qualification to the final through Q1 with an impressive 9th place result.

Thibaut Daprela

Unfortunately, a crash during Sunday's training session resulted in a shoulder injury, preventing him from taking part in the final.

His teammate Antoine Rogge also showed competitive speed throughout the weekend but suffered a mechanical issue that prevented him from qualifying for the final.

Unno Factory Racing

The Unno Factory Racing Team continued working through the development phase of its new platform. Although the riders were unable to qualify for the final, the team remains focused on improving bike setup and chassis performance.

Junior Categories

Junior Men

Frameworks rider Jack McCredie successfully qualified for the final but suffered a puncture during his race run, ultimately finishing 19th.

One of the standout performances of the weekend came from German privateer Lois Eller, a rider directly supported by Tektro Europe.

Competing in his first-ever Downhill World Cup event, Lois delivered an outstanding performance to finish 6th, narrowly missing the podium and confirming himself as one of the most promising young riders in the category.

Junior Women

The Frameworks sisters, Zanna and Raina Logar, both showed strong potential throughout the weekend but were ultimately unable to reach the final after crashes during qualifying.

The difficult and deteriorating track conditions proved particularly unforgiving for younger riders, with several crashes affecting the overall results across the category.

Although the final outcome was disappointing, both riders gained valuable experience at one of the most demanding events on the calendar.

Enduro World Series

Loudenvielle also hosted the opening round of the 2026 Enduro World Series.

TRP was represented by the S1 Racing Team, which delivered a solid and encouraging start to the season.

S1 Racing

Tristan Botteram – 12th Position
Frederik Matz – 26th Position

Both riders demonstrated consistency across the stages and secured valuable championship points.

These results provide a solid foundation from which the team can continue building throughout the remainder of the season.

European Racing Success

IXS European Downhill Cup

Beyond the World Cup action, TRP-supported athletes also achieved excellent results across Europe. The YT Racing Development Team enjoyed an exceptional weekend:

Junior Men

Tristan Stadlbauer – 1st Place
Matyas Povolny – 2nd Place

Elite Men

Hannes Lehmann – 2nd Place

The one-two finish in the junior category combined with another elite podium represented one of the strongest performances of the weekend for any TRP-supported team.