Bode Burke finished third, putting two Americans on the Junior Men’s Downhill World Championship Podium for the first time in history.
PAL ARINSAL, Andorra (August 29, 2024) – On day two of the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, it was all about the Junior Downhill Finals, followed by the Elite Downhill Qualifications.
Junior Men’s Downhill Finals
First-year junior Asa Vermette (Durango, Colo.; Frameworks Racing) won three out of five Junior Men’s World Cups this year and is currently leading the overall standings. He came into the World Championships with the pressure on and finished first in qualifications yesterday, proving his speed. Bode Burke (Rhododendron, Ore.; Outlaw Bike Team) was also on pace, finishing with the third-fastest time yesterday.
As racing kicked off, Vermette’s splits were down at the start, but he was able to find his speed to keep getting faster as the race went on. By the third split, he was sitting second to France’s Max Alran, but was not far off. At the finish line, Vermette was able to make up 1.516 seconds on Alran winning the Junior Men’s World Championships. Burke had the fastest split at the top of the track, proving he was on pace with yesterday’s run. He finished third behind Alran, only 2.514 seconds off Vermette’s time. Gavin Tomlinson (Burbank, Calif.; Gravity Collective) rode to a career best 12th place in his last year racing in the junior category.
It’s been over a decade since an American has been on the Junior Men’s Downhill podium, and the first time ever that there have been two Americans sharing that podium. Richie Rude was the last rider from the U.S. to win the event in 2013 at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Results:
1. Asa Vermette (USA) 2:39.185
2. Max Alran (FRA) +1.516
3. Bode Burke (USA) +2.514
12. Gavin Tomlinson (USA) +6.305
21. Lucas DeDora (USA) +7.792
58. Ryder Lawrence (USA) +32.538
Junior Women’s Downhill Finals
On the women’s side, Kale Cushman (Old Town, Maine) rode to her career best international result taking sixth place, finishing in a time of 3:18.577. Julia Lofqvist Traum (Issaquah, Wash.) was the next American in line finishing in the top 10 at her first World Championship.
Results:
1. Erice Van Leuven (NZL) 2:59.891
2. Ella Svegby (SWE) +6.357
3. Sacha Earnest (NZL) +12.180
6. Kale Cushman (USA) +18.686
10. Julia Lofqvist Traum (USA) +25.322
