This brutal track, carved into the Dolomites, is one of the toughest tests in downhill racing, combining steep fall-line speed with savage root webs, rock slabs, and relentless physical punishment.
With fresh loamy sections and added corners, this year’s course pushed riders deeper into line choice strategy and demanded total confidence in bike setup. And under dry, dusty, and utterly unforgiving conditions, one thing was clear: you had to trust what you were riding.
For Pivot Factory Racing, that meant one constant—Reynolds DH wheels.

Roger Vieira’s Breakout Ride
After a string of near-misses, Roger Vieira broke through in Val di Sole with a confident, composed ride all week long. He powered into the top 20 during Q1, qualifying 18th on one of the hardest tracks on the calendar. In finals, he couldn’t quite link up the full run he was aiming for, but still held strong for 22nd overall—his best-ever World Cup finish and a milestone moment for the Brazilian rider.
Roger’s result is a testament not only to his perseverance but also to his total comfort on the Reynolds DH platform. With the track chewing up wheels and frames all weekend, Roger’s setup stayed dialed—thanks to carbon rims designed for maximum impact resistance, lateral stiffness for high-speed tracking, and a layup built to tame the harshest terrain the World Cup throws at riders.

Grit from the Whole Squad
Jenna Hastings showed up to Val di Sole with clear intent, just 0.1 seconds off the Q1 cut, finishing one heartbreaking spot shy of automatic qualification. In Q2, she pushed hard to break through but went down while chasing time—proving again that she’s on the verge of something big. The speed is there, and with Reynolds’ precise handling under her, it’s only a matter of time.
Ryan Griffith, continuing his comeback after injury, looked smooth in practice and showed great pace, but couldn’t quite pull a clean qualifying run together. While he didn’t make the finals, his return to full strength is gaining ground with every lap—backed by a wheel system that gives riders confidence to push without compromise.
Remy Meier-Smith had the pace all weekend but struggled to string it together when it mattered most, finishing 35th in both Q1 and Q2. A tough break, but his form and speed remain undeniable—and with Reynolds wheels providing unmatched stability and feedback in the rough, the foundation for a big result is in place.

Wheels Built for Black Snake
Val di Sole is notorious for breaking bikes—and riders. But the Reynolds DH wheels under Pivot’s Phoenix bikes never flinched. With a carbon layup engineered specifically for downhill racing, an asymmetric profile for perfect spoke balance, and Industry Nine Hydra hubs delivering lightning-fast engagement, they’re the kind of wheels that can survive the Black Snake and come back wanting more.

Looking Ahead
With Val di Sole in the books, the Pivot Factory Racing team now splits: the Enduro squad heads to Val di Fassa for more World Cup racing, while Bernard Kerr continues his recovery back in the UK. His progress is steady—and we can’t wait to see him back pushing Reynolds wheels at full gas soon.
From personal bests to resilient comebacks, Val di Sole was a proving ground. And once again, Reynolds was there at every corner, every drop, every brutal compressive hit—delivering race-ready performance where it matters most.