When technical downhill racing meets a spectacular Alpine backdrop, Les Orres isn’t far away. The fourth round of the season offered everything that makes the iXS European Downhill Cup so special: one of the most challenging courses of the year, flawless organisation, enthusiastic fans and racing of the very highest standard.

A strong start on Friday

Les Orres was already at its best right from the start of training. Pleasant temperatures, a great atmosphere and a perfectly prepared course ensured a successful start to the race weekend. The track was long, technical and demanding – exactly the sort of course Les Orres has become known for.

In the afternoon, dark clouds rolled in over the French Alps. Due to an approaching thunderstorm, training was brought to a close around two hours early. It was the right decision, as rain and thunderstorms reached the venue shortly afterwards.

Perfect timing on Saturday

Saturday provided a striking demonstration of just how important good organisation is for an alpine race. Due to the forecast of thunderstorms, the training session and seeding run were slightly rescheduled. This decision proved to be spot on: no sooner had the last riders crossed the finish line than the rain set in, and shortly afterwards the thunderstorm swept across the bike park. The entire seeding session was therefore able to take place in dry conditions.

The young riders impressed once again – Juliano Lavergne (FRA – Commencal 101) put in an outstanding run in the Pro U17 male category and was among the fastest riders of the entire day. In the women’s race, Lucy Jenkins Jablonski (NZL) from the Pro U17 female category even clocked the fastest female time of the day, underlining once more the exceptionally high standard of the young riders.

Perfect Race Day

The rain during the night turned out to be a real stroke of luck. On Sunday, the course offered perfect grip without losing any of its extremely technical nature. Every metre demanded the utmost concentration, and even the slightest mistake was immediately punished. Added to this were glorious sunshine, pleasant temperatures and superb organisation. The large crowds lining the route, together with the teams and riders, created a fantastic atmosphere in the finish area. 

The winners of the day

In the Elite Women’s race, Soline Besson (FRA – Athena Gravity) came out on top, winning on one of the most challenging courses of the season. As on Saturday, Neo Tielens (BEL – G-Bikes) secured victory in the Elite Men’s race, although he posted only the second-fastest run of the day on the technically demanding course. 

Juliano Lavergne once again set the fastest time of the day across the whole weekend, impressively demonstrating why this young talent is currently attracting so much attention. In the women’s category too, Lucy Jenkins Jablonski set the fastest time of the weekend, confirming her strong performance with an improvement of a full 15 seconds!

A real highlight

In its second edition, Les Orres has once again impressively demonstrated why this race is already one of the absolute highlights of the EDC calendar. The combination of a spectacular Alpine backdrop, one of Europe’s most challenging courses and superb organisation makes this event something truly special. The whole weekend went almost perfectly. The weather windows were utilised to the full, the organisers did a brilliant job, and both riders and teams praised the location, the bike park and the event as a whole.

The atmosphere in the finish area was also outstanding. Fans, riders and crews celebrated together a race weekend that will live long in the memory. Les Orres has delivered once again – and shown yet again why this round is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful and challenging races of the entire season.