Asa Vermette is having a very different start to his 2025 World Cup season compared to 2024.
Last year, Vermette started the men’s junior downhill World Cup season with two wins. This year, Vermette was off the podium in the first two races because of crashes. The latest came on Sunday in Loudenvielle, France, resulting in Vermette finishing fifth.
Vermette showed his speed to start his run. He ripped through the fast and less technical part of the run at the top of the mountain; he was nearly three seconds faster than any other men’s junior rider in the field after the first two splits.
Then, once again, disaster struck. Vermette was riding down a steep part of the third split and carried too much speed into a part where a few trees were wrapped with covers to protect the riders.
Vermette got past the trees but got his front wheel stuck in a rut and went down. He quickly recovered and got back on the bike, but the damage was done. He lost all of his momentum and, despite this, put in some decent times in the third and fourth sectors.
The Durangoan finished the 2.53-kilometer run in three minutes and 19.672 seconds. Fellow American Bode Burke won the race in 3:16.640, followed by Tyler Waite in second in 3:17.177 and Max Alran in third in 3:17.245.
Next up for Vermette and the rest of the downhill World Cup competitors is round three at Saalfelden, Leogang-Salzburgerland, Austria, this weekend. Vermette is sixth in the men’s junior downhill standings with 57 points. Max Alran leads with 105 points, followed by Tyler Waite with 100 points in second and Till Alran in third with 68 points.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
