New Zealand ultra-quick junior women downhill riders were on fire again in the final European stop of the UCI MTB World Cup in France.

The four kiwis qualified in the top five for tomorrow’s finals at Loudenvielle in the French Pyrenees  after an impressive display in qualifying on a drying surface after wet weather forced cancellation of practice yesterday.

World championship bronze medallist, Sacha Earnest (Trek Factory) led the way as fastest qualifier with Tauranga’s Eliana Hulsebosch (Union) just 0.26s behind in second, world champion Erice van Leuven (Commencal les Orres) third fastest and Rotorua’s Bellah Birchall fifth fastest.

The quartet qualified for the finals tomorrow, on a competitive day with just a handful of kiwis earning a start tomorrow.

Hawkes Bay rider Tyler Waite (Yeti Fox) was third fastest in the junior men with Christchurch’s Luke Wayman (Gravity Cartel) 15^th as the only kiwis to qualify for the final.

The weather disrupted the usual two-step qualifying for elite riders, with the fastest 10 females and 30 males making it directly to the finals.

In-form Rotorua professional Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Union) was the only kiwi male to qualify, ninth fastest in another impressive effort, led by French star Loic Bruni, who was three seconds clear at the top of the standings.

Missing out were Tuhoto-Ariki Pene 31^st, Sam Blenkinsop 36^th, Wyn Masters 65^th, Toby Meek 70^th,  James Macdermid 100^th, Cameron Clemett 107^th while George Brannigan did not start.

Both New Zealand female elites missed the cut with Jenna Hastings 17^th and Jess Blewitt 24^th.

Following the finals tomorrow, the remaining leg of the World Cup for downhill is at Mont Sainte Anne in Canada in a month, while cross-country had an added stop at Lake Placid in three weeks.