PAL ARINSAL, Andorra – August 31, 2024 – Big titles in Andorra!
The Junior Women division race saw 17-year-old Monster Army rider Erice van Leuven from Aotearoa, New Zealand, claim a dominant victory, finishing over six seconds clear of her nearest competitor.
From August 28 to September 1, the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships brought the world elite of the sport to the mountainous slopes of Pal Arinsal in Andorra. At a length of 1.3 miles, the challenging downhill racetrack provided the backdrop to crown this season’s champions in cross-country (XCO), downhill (DHI), and cross-country short track (XCC) disciplines.
On Thursday, the Junior Women division downhill final saw Monster Army rider Erice van Leuven drop in as the defending world champion. Entering as the top qualifier from earlier rounds, the Kiwi rider was the last rider to compete on the course and proceeded to shut down the final with a dominant run that broke the three-minute barrier.
Attacking the course with speed, van Leuven built a one-second lead at the first checkpoint. From there, she raised the bar to a five-second lead at the second time check and was ahead of the nearest competitor by six seconds at the third marker. Barging into the finish with a final time of 2:59.891, van Leuven took the victory 6.357 seconds ahead of the next rider to defend her Junior Women division UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup championship.
“From day one, I was having a lot of fun! I recently raced in dusty conditions so that was good prep for the track here in Andorra,” said Monster Army’s van Leuven. “I put the same effort in my race run, stayed on my lines, and let ‘er rip! It all came together when it mattered most. Very Happy to have earned the rainbow jersey heading into the final rounds!”
“This means so much to me. To back it up is incredible, and to do it with some of my family here is really special,” said van Leuven upon claiming the Junior division World Championship.
By claiming the 2024 world championship, van Leuven became the first Junior since Vali Höll in 2018/19 to take back-to-back titles.
She managed to claim the Jr Women’s World Championship by over 6 seconds, making her a back to back Jr Women’s World Champ!
