Photo Cred: Andy Vathis
The Downhill World Cup heads to Pal Arinsal, Andorra this weekend, and this one feels like a proper way to close out the first big chunk of the season. It’s great for the riders to get a break and gather themselves, but selfishly I wish we could have races every week.
La Thuile was one hell of a race and now Andorra is a different kind of test. It still has plenty of rocks, tech, and demanding turns, but it also has that high-speed, wide-open top section that will get so sketchy in the wind. And the dust. It looks incredibly dry and loose.
The track is 1.9km long with nearly 500 meters of vertical drop, that’s steep.
Why Andorra should be a good one
Andorra is a high-mountain track in the Pyrenees, and it has a little bit of everything that makes World Cup downhill worth watching.
It has speed, massive rocks, big triples, and crucial turns. There are plenty of places where riders can carry a ton of momentum, and ones where one small mistake can turn into a very long afternoon.
2026 Andorra DH World Cup Course Preview
The course starts up near Pic del Cubil and drops down toward Fontanals, so riders are getting a lot of descending packed into a pretty short track. That usually makes for tight racing because there is not a lot of time to recover from mistakes. If you blow a line, lose momentum, or hesitate in a key section, that might be the difference between a podium and wondering what happened.
I always like tracks that force riders to solve the course. It is not just about being strong or brave. You have to figure out where to push, where to stay light, where to brake, and where to trust the bike underneath you.
And with the race coming right before the summer break, this weekend feels even bigger. Riders want to go into the break with momentum, not spend the next few weeks replaying a blown qualifying run in their head.
Amaury Pierron has the leader’s jersey
Photo Cred: Commencal
The biggest men’s storyline heading into Andorra is Amaury Pierron taking over the series lead.
Amaury is a rider who can make fast, physical tracks look absolutely terrifying in the best way. When he is on, he carries speed through sections where most people would be grabbing brakes and hoping for the best.
Andorra should suit that style. It is fast, rough, and demanding, and the winner is probably going to need a run that looks aggressive without getting too wild. That is kind of the Amaury sweet spot.
Jordan Williams is coming off a massive win
One of the coolest stories from La Thuile was Jordan Williams getting back on top.
That win was huge. La Thuile was steep, dusty, technical, and not giving riders much room to fake it. Jordan put together a massive run and reminded everyone just how dangerous he can be when things click.
Now the question is whether he can carry that momentum into Andorra.
Asa Vermette is still right there
Asa Vermette continues to be one of the best stories of the season.
He won the opener in South Korea, had the crash in Loudenvielle while looking insanely fast, had that huge crash in Leogang, then came back with a podium in Lenzerheide and second in La Thuile. For a first-year elite rider, that is pretty ridiculous.
The speed is clearly not a question anymore. He belongs at the front.
What I’m watching now is how he keeps stacking results. Early in the season, Asa felt like the exciting new storyline. Now he feels like a legitimate threat every weekend. That is a big shift.
Andorra could be a really good track for him if he keeps it clean. It rewards commitment, confidence, and the ability to carry speed through rough terrain.
Jackson Goldstone is still too good to ignore
He is the current world champion, and he was back on the podium in La Thuile. That matters. The season has been a little chaotic, with different riders taking turns at the front, but Jackson still feels like one of the safest bets whenever a track requires speed, precision, and a little bit of chaos management.
Andorra should suit him well. He has that ability to make rough sections look weirdly smooth, and when the track gets fast, he does not look like he is hanging on. He looks like he is controlling it.
That is a big difference.
At some point, it feels like Jackson is going to put another winning run together. Maybe Andorra is the place.
What about Finn Iles?
I’m also interested to see how Finn Iles responds this weekend.
After winning Leogang and Lenzerheide, he looked like he had really taken control of the season. Then La Thuile shook things up, and now Amaury has the series lead. That is how fast momentum can change in downhill.
Finn still has the speed. We know that. The question is how quickly he resets.
Other men to watch
Loris Vergier is always worth watching at a track like Andorra. He has the precision and smoothness to find time where other riders are fighting the bike. If conditions are dry and fast, that clean style could be a big advantage.
Luca Shaw is still one I want to keep an eye on. Since his first Elite World Cup win in Loudenvielle, the season has been a little more up and down. A clean weekend here would be a great way to reset before the break.
Rónán Dunne feels like a great chaos pick. He has the speed and commitment to do something big, especially on a track where riders have to stay loose and improvise.
Lachie Stevens-McNab has shown serious pace too, and this kind of terrain could suit a rider willing to attack.
Vali Höll is still the rider to beat
Photo Cred: Bartek Wolinski
On the women’s side, it is still very much the Vali Höll show.
Vali comes into Andorra as the series leader and current world champion, and she is coming off another win in La Thuile. At this point, every preview kind of starts with the same question: can anyone stop Vali?
That is not meant as a knock on the rest of the field. The women’s field is really good right now. Lisa Baumann has been right there. Sacha Earnest is coming off a podium. Gracey Hemstreet has the speed.
But Vali is still the benchmark.
Lisa Baumann is knocking on the door
Lisa Baumann is one of the riders I’m most excited to watch this weekend.
She has been so close recently, and La Thuile was another one where she was right there. You get the feeling that a first Elite World Cup win is not far away if she keeps putting herself in that position.
Sacha Earnest keeps building
Sacha Earnest is another rider who deserves attention after her La Thuile podium.
It feels like she is building confidence every round, and that is usually when things start getting really interesting. Once a rider knows they can be on the podium, the next question becomes whether they can fight for the win.
Other women to watch
Gracey Hemstreet is always a threat, especially on a track where commitment matters. She has the speed and aggression to make things exciting, and Andorra should give her plenty of chances to attack.
Marine Cabirou is another rider who could be dangerous here. Fast, physical tracks suit her well when she is comfortable.
Myriam Nicole brings the experience and precision that can make a big difference on a track with so little room for error.
Nina Hoffmann and Jess Blewitt are also worth watching. Both have the speed to get into the fight if they put together clean runs.
What makes this weekend interesting
It is the final downhill round before the summer break, which means everyone wants to leave with something positive. If you are leading the series, you want to protect that lead. If you are chasing, this is a chance to close the gap. If your last few rounds have been messy, this is the weekend to fix it before sitting with it for a few weeks.
That creates pressure.
The men’s field feels especially interesting right now. Amaury has the lead. Finn had the two-race heater. Jordan is coming off a huge win. Asa keeps looking like he could win any weekend. Jackson is right there. Loris, Luca, Rónán, Dakotah, Lachie, there are too many riders with real podium pace to feel confident about anything.
That is exactly how downhill should be.
On the women’s side, Vali is still the rider to beat, but the battle behind her is getting really good. Lisa is knocking on the door. Sacha is building. Gracey is dangerous. Tahnée, Marine, Myriam, Nina, and Jess all have the pace to make things interesting.
If the track stays dry and fast, I think we could see some really tight racing.
Final thoughts
Photo Cred: Dave Trumpore
I’m fired up for Andorra.
Pal Arinsal is a classic World Cup venue, the track is short, steep, fast, and physical, and the timing makes it feel even more important. This is the last chance for riders to make a statement before the summer break, and with how tight the season has been, every point matters.
The big questions are pretty simple: can Amaury Pierron hold onto the leader’s jersey? Can Jordan Williams back up that massive La Thuile win? Can Asa Vermette keep stacking elite podiums? Can Jackson Goldstone get back on the top step? Can Finn Iles respond after losing momentum?
And on the women’s side: can anyone stop Vali Höll?
Andorra should give us some answers.
And probably a few wild saves along the way.
