Trek MTB’ers were rolling in hardware in Mont-Sainte-Anne

Mont-Sainte-Anne is one of the most most beloved mountain bike venues in the world, especially in the fall when the foliage creates a golden backdrop for the last World Cup race of the season.  

Trek riders closed 2024 on a high, finishing with nine final overall podium spots, and five podiums just from the weekend’s racing. 

The Union’s Lachie Stevens-McNab highlighted the weekend. Men’s Elite downhill racing experienced arguably its most competitive season yet, and Stevens-McNab still managed to stand out from the crowd. He finished second on Saturday by 0.062 seconds — let’s add some emphasis, that’s just barely over six-hundredths of a second — behind winner Troy Brosnan. It was his second World Cup podium of the season, and came just one week after he won the U.S. Open in Vermont against a stout field. The 20-year-old has firmly staked his place as one of the sharpest riders in the game.

Evie Richards grinding out another short track podium in her World Champs jersey.

Bjorn Riley of Trek Future Racing, left, and Riley Amos of Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC, middle, atop the final U23 Men's overall XCO podium.

Bubbly and pyrotechnics for Madigan Munro's U23 Women's XCO third place overall finish.

Trek’s U23 XC riders also capped banner seasons. For Trek Factory Racing-Pirelli XC, Riley Amos polished off a season in which he dominated both the short track and XCO Men’s U23 standings. He didn’t have the performance he wanted in MSA, taking seventh in short track and 13th in XCO, but that didn’t take any shine off a season in which he racked up nine World Cup wins, an elite U.S. national title, and a seventh place finish at the Paris Olympics that was the best ever performance by an American men’s mountain biker.

Amos will be moving up to the Elite level for good starting in 2025. He became emotional discussing his short track performance on Thursday.

“I fought and tried to be as smart as I could with the legs I had, and it wasn’t quite enough to be in it at the very end,” Amos said. “But it meant a lot [to be lifting the overall trophy]. I think this morning, it was a normal morning, until I realized it was gonna be my last U23 short track of the year — I mean, ever. So it’s kind of a big graduation moment for me, from juniors as a kid, to a teen, to an Under-23, and next year we become an adult. It was kind of weird and a little sad to close the U23 chapter, but I’m pretty damn happy with what we accomplished.”

Sacha Earnest capped off the season with a second-place World Cup finish on track and third place on the overall.

Isabella Holmgren was damn near unstoppable on a mountain bike all season.

Amos’ teammate Madigan Munro also stood on two overall podiums, finishing third in both U23 Women’s short track and XCO. She had the most consistent season of her career, finishing Top 5 in a World Cup race nine times this season, including a fifth place finish in short track on Thursday. She closed the season taking sixth in XCO, leaving her hungry to begin her step up into the Elite ranks.

“I mean, it was a great race. I honestly gave it all I got,” Munro said. “I feel really confident in my descending. I think I still have to work on some of my climbing, and these young guns are hunting us down, and there’s some really strong girls out there. So I definitely left it all out on the course, and that’s really all you can ask for.”

Trek Future Racing racked up three overall podiums of their own. The ambitious development squad also has two budding men’s and women’s stars in Bjorn Riley and Emilly Johnston, respectively. Riley took second, right behind Amos, in the two U23 Men’s classifications, and Johnston took second in the U23 Women’s short track classification. Riley was also second in short track racing on Thursday for one last World Cup podium to close his U23 career.

Jolanda Neff riding into the stunning scenery.

After getting on the podium in Loudenvielle, Reece Wilson took his third Top 20 World Cup finish of the season.

Lidl-Trek’s Isabella Holmgren split her time with the road team this season, otherwise she likely would have been a much bigger factor in the U23 Women’s overall competitions. She finished fourth in the short track classification, but took first or second in every World Cup race she completed. She took second in short track in Mont-Sainte-Anne, but suffered a crash during her XCO that took her out of the race with a minor shoulder separation. She was gunning for perfect 5-for-5 in XCOs after winning all of her previous four starts.

Last, but very much not least, Sacha Earnest finished her final year of Junior downhill racing with a second place finish on the hill, and third place on the overall standings. She was the only rider to come within 14 seconds of winner Erice van Leuven, finishing just under five seconds back, and the two Kiwi riders absolutely drenched each other in bubbly to celebrate. Another New Zealand rider, The Union’s Ellie Hulsebosch, also deserves special mention. She was unable to race this past weekend due to injury, but she had an excellent season, winning in Val di Sole and finishing fourth overall, just behind Earnest.

Gwendalyn Gibson closed the season with a good performance to build on for 2025.

Bodhi Kuhn rocked out in a custom kit and paint scheme.

Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t go as planned for the TFR DH boys. Loris Vergier rode in the rainbow stripes as World Champion and finished 13th, while Reece Wilson was 20th. Bodhi Kuhn missed out on finals qualification for the first time during his debut Elite season, not including the races he missed due to injury. But Kuhn’s disappointing finish only emphasized what a breakthrough season it has been, and Vergier and Wilson have plenty of positives to take away from the way they closed the season — Vergier with a World Championship, and Wilson with triumphant return to the podium. 

TFR Enduro’s Hattie Harnden also threw her hat into the DH fray. She finished fifth in Mont-Sainte-Anne last season, but just missed finals qualification this season, taking 12th in semis after placing sixth during qualifications. The result doesn’t take any luster off a season highlighted by her first ever overall Elite Women’s Enduro World Cup title.

Hattie Harnden *just* missed out on finals qualification, but capped the year with an overall Enduro World Cup title.

Not much went right for Anton Cooper in 2024, but all the man does is fight.

For TFR XC, Gwendalyn Gibson closed the season with a strong ride to take 19th in the Elite Women’s XCO, after struggling to 31st in short track. Jolanda Neff took 25th in short track to finish off a season largely spent battling breathing issues. Unfortunately, a rough crash forced her to end her XCO bid early. Anton Cooper was 53rd in the Men’s Elite XCO, putting to rest a difficult season disrupted by illness.

Part of racing is learning to accept that not every race can go as hoped, and that not all finales are grand. After a trying second half of the season, Gibson was upbeat about what 2025 will hold.

“I’m OK with [my performance]. Honestly, especially after how I felt in short track when the body was a bit tired, I think today was better than I expected,” Gibson said. “I struggle in the wet conditions, but I can improve on it, and next year I’ll show up and be even better.”