Monster Energy's Jordan Williams Wins Elite Men's Downhill at Round 5 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile

21-Year-Old Jordan Williams from Bristol, United Kingdom, Wins Elite Men's Downhill; 24-Year-Old Lisa Baumann from Montalchez, Switzerland, Finishes Second in Elite Women's Downhill; 24-Year-Old Luca Martin from Tourrette-Levens, France Wins Elite Men's Cross-country Olympic (XCO) and Takes Second in Cross-country Short Track (XCC); 25-Year-Old Charlie Aldridge from Crieff, Scotland Finishes Third in Cross-country Short Track (XCC)

LA THUILE, Italy, July 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Monster Energy continued its winning season at Round 5 of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in La Thuile, Italy. Jordan Williams claimed the Elite Men's Downhill victory with a blistering run on one of the circuit's most demanding tracks, while Lisa Baumann finished second in the Elite Women's Downhill final. Luca Martin won the Elite Men's Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race after also finishing second in the Elite Men's Cross-country Short Track (XCC). Charlie Aldridge added a third-place finish in the Elite Men's Cross-country Short Track.

From July 3–5, the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series returned to La Thuile in Italy's Aosta Valley for Round 5 of the 2026 season. Known for its steep alpine terrain, rocky descents, and technical features, the venue challenged the world's best downhill and cross-country riders on one of the most demanding courses on the calendar.

The headline result came in the Elite Men's Downhill final, where 21-year-old Jordan Williams from Bristol, United Kingdom, delivered a composed and aggressive run to claim the victory. Charging through the rugged La Thuile course with speed and precision, Williams stopped the clock in 3:25.767 to finish 0.961 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Asa Vermette. Jackson Goldstone rounded out the podium in third place.

"That was so insane! I can barely speak! I basically risked my life the whole way down the track," said Williams. "To win again after so many seasons feels amazing. Sometimes it felt like it would never happen again, but I had to keep pushing. The bike worked flawlessly and was so dialed in for the conditions. It was so loose out there, you had to push so hard to stay on top. I can't thank everyone enough for the support! This feels so good."

In the Elite Women's Downhill final, 24-year-old Baumann from Montalchez, Switzerland, continued her strong season with a second-place podium finish. Baumann crossed the line in 3:58.744, only 0.275 seconds behind race winner Vali Höll in one of the closest finishes of the weekend.

"Ah, what a race and what a track! I put extra pressure on myself this weekend as soon as I received my new [Monster] helmet," said Baumann. "I knew I absolutely had to make it into the finals to show off the new colors. I had been riding at a strong pace, but I knew I had to turn it up for finals. I landed on the podium, and wow, that felt great! The track had deteriorated significantly since our first day here, and it was a challenge to maintain speed while making little to no mistakes. I was so close to the win today, but I'm very happy with second for my first race with Monster!"

Monster Energy's Amaury Pierron continues to lead the Elite Men's Downhill overall standings in the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series with 683 points. Saturday's victory moved Williams into third place overall with 652 points as the series heads to round 6 in Pal Arinsal, Andorra. Monster Energy's Ryan Pinkerton sits in fifth place overall, Troy Brosnan sixth, Loris Vergier seventh, and Till Alran 10^th.

In Sunday's Elite Men's Cross-country Olympic (XCO) race, Martin earned the victory on La Thuile's demanding course after also finishing second in Saturday's Elite Men's Cross-country Short Track (XCC) race. Following his spectacular victory at La Thuile, Martin sits in first place in the Elite Men's Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) World Cup overall standings.

"It was insane," said Martin. "That was a real mountain bike track. It had dust, rocks, steep descents, and it was tough. The race line was impossible to see at times with all the dust and rocks rolling around. These types of tracks are getting harder to come by on the circuit, so this was really refreshing. I felt good going into this race, and I was super excited to ride here. Big thanks to the team staff for the support. It means so much to me to have them and to be able to achieve all this."

Earlier in the weekend, Monster Energy earned two more podium finishes in the Elite Men's Cross-country Short Track (XCC). Martin battled at the front throughout the nine-lap race to finish second, just one second behind race winner Adrien Boichis. Aldridge crossed the line in third after an intense final-lap sprint to complete another strong performance for the Monster Energy team.

"It was a mixed-emotion race for me this evening," Luca Martin explained following his second-place finish in the La Thuile short track. "I felt very strong, and it was great having Charlie stay with me throughout the race. We worked hard to stay up front and make it difficult to pull away. I was pushing to get him a well-deserved win, but a small misjudgment on my end had him fall on the last lap. He came away with a podium anyway, but I would have loved to see him win this. Sunday is going to be fast. We go again!"

"That was a proper bike race!" Charlie Aldridge said after his third-place finish in the short track. "I love it when it happens like that. I fought for the front, and the pace was full gas from the get-go. There isn't much tactical thinking there other than pushing hard for it. Unfortunately, the wheel touch with Luca set me back, but I managed to sprint the last little bit to keep my podium position. Happy with that and now on to Sunday!"

In Short Track (XCC), Martin is in third for the series overall standings, and Aldridge is in seventh. Monster Energy's Gwendalyn Gibson is in ninth place in the overall standings for the Elite Women's Short Track.

Stay tuned when the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series season continues at Pal Arinsal, Andorra, from July 10-12, 2026.

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For more on Jordan Williams, Lisa Baumann, Luca Martin, Charlie Aldridge, Amaury Pierron, and Monster Energy's mountain bike team, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for updates from the 2026 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.

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Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy, including all of its drinks, at www.monsterenergy.com.

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