Vali Höll, Jamie Edmondson, and Tegan Cruz headed to North America for back-to-back race weekends in Snowshoe and Mont-Sainte-Anne. The pressure was on for Vali and Tegan as they were riding the high from victory in Vallnord.
YOUTH + GLORY: EPISODE 6
It's been an exciting and stacked two race weeks for the RockShox Trek Race Team! Round 6: Snowshoe, USA put the young team to the test with varying conditions, but Vali Höll, Jamie Edmondson, and Tegan Cruz were ready for redemption at Round 7: Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. Bringing the confidence of earning rainbow stripes as a Junior, Vali entered Round 7 with the determination to prove what she is made of.
SNOWSHOE,USAROUND 6After spending months together traveling around Europe, the team was reunited across the pond in Snowshoe, USA. Vali and Tegan were still feeling the spark from their victories in Vallnord, Andorra, and were excited to hit the ground running. With two World Cup wins in Snowshoe and the Overall title to her name in 2021, the stakes couldn't be higher for Vali.
The team received fresh kits for their North American rounds, pairing perfectly with their new, custom-painted Trek Sessions. Vali and Tegan will both don the National Champion sleeve for their respective countries.
BIKE CHECKFrame: Trek Session
Fork: RockShox BlackBox
Rear Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Ultimate
Seatpost: Truvativ Descendant
Handlebar: Truvativ Descendant
Drivetrain: SRAM X01 DH
Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
Rotors: SRAM HS2
Tires: Maxxis DHR11 DH Casing
Wheelset: DT Swiss Ex 511 with 240 Hubs
Saddle: Ergon SMD2
Grips: Ergon GFR1
PRACTICEWith heavy rain the following day, the course was laced with slick features, muddy lines, and moody clouds.
QUALIFICATIONSVali, Jamie, and Tegan all landed top 10 positions going into race day.
RACE DAYPicking up where he left, Tegan laid it down for U17 Men, securing yet another podium finish. AlthoughVali also found herself on the podium for Elite Women, she was disappointed to not carry on her winning streak from 2021.
The team headed to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, where Tegan will have the opportunity to represent his home country!
VALI - P4TEGAN - P2JAMIE - P23MONT-SAINTE-ANNE, CANADAROUND 6Straight from one race to the next, the team packed up and migrated north to Mont-Sainte-Anne to prepare for their next weekend of racing.
PRACTICEMont-Sainte-Anne hasn't hosted a World Cup event since 2019 when World Championships last filled the base area with pre-pandemic volumes of spectators. Quite the contrary to Snowshoe's muddy and slippery tracks, the team to Mont-Sainte-Anne's dusty track with their eyes on winning lines.
QUALIFICATIONSVali led the Women's field with a massive 13-second lead, putting her into P1 for race day while Tegan secured P3 for Junior Men. To qualify for a World Cup Final, only the Top 60 racers will move on. Unfortunately, a crash in Qualifications squashed Jamie's seat for Sunday.
RACE DAYCarrying momentum from Quali's into Finals, Vali laid down a tactical and confident run to cross the finish line with the fastest time of the day! This is the first time Vali has landed P1 in both Qualifications and Finals as an Elite! Congrats, Vali on your second World Cup podium!
VALI - P1TEGAN - P8 | My run was wild, and I wanted to bring it down safely. I rode confidently. Everything is possible now.—Vali Höll |
The team had a few weeks off before heading to Les Gets, France, for World Championships, where all three riders will represent their respective countries.
During their downtime, Tegan competed in a handful of events at Crankworx Whistler while Vali hosted her first ever girl's mountain bike camp in Austria. We look forward to cheering them on at World Champs!
Learn more about the RockShox Trek Race Team at
www.rockshox.comFollow the team
@rockshox_trek_raceteamPhotos by Sven Martin. Words by Lauren Chandler.