Luke Meier-Smith piloted his Glory Advanced to Downhill World Cup victory on the new Whiteface Mountain course at Lake Placid. Photo: Sven Martin.
Luke Meier-Smith piloted his Glory Advanced to Downhill World Cup victory on the new Whiteface Mountain course at Lake Placid. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith posted the fastest time on the technical top section, and held the lead to the finish. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith posted the fastest time on the technical top section, and held the lead to the finish. Photo: Sven Martin.
With the new Whiteface Mountain course, Meier-Smith found terrain similar to what he trains on in Australia. Photo: Sven Martin.
With the new Whiteface Mountain course, Meier-Smith found terrain similar to what he trains on in Australia. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith's early lead held up as he crossed the finish line with the fastest time. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith's early lead held up as he crossed the finish line with the fastest time. Photo: Sven Martin.
Younger brother Remy was first to celebrate the winning run. Photo: Sven Martin.
Younger brother Remy was first to celebrate the winning run. Photo: Sven Martin.
It was an emotional win for Meier-Smith. Photo: Sven Martin.
It was an emotional win for Meier-Smith. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith told TNT Sports that he'd tried to keep the top half smooth with a plan to
Meier-Smith told TNT Sports that he'd tried to keep the top half smooth with a plan to "drill the pedals" on the bottom half of the course. Photo: Sven Martin.
The race winner atop the podium, flanked by his race-winning bike. Photo: Sven Martin.
The race winner atop the podium, flanked by his race-winning bike. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith's race-winning Glory Advanced. Photo: Sven Martin.
Meier-Smith's race-winning Glory Advanced. Photo: Sven Martin.
Lillo took his best-ever elite World Cup finish with a fourth-place finish in Friday’s XCC event. Photo: Robin Nevrala.
Lillo took his best-ever elite World Cup finish with a fourth-place finish in Friday’s XCC event. Photo: Robin Nevrala.

The technical top section and pedal-intensive bottom of the 2km course in the majestic Adirondack Mountains suited Meier-Smith to perfection. The Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider qualified second fastest aboard his Glory Advanced, and then unleashed an unbeatable finals run to take his first career DH World Cup win.

On a technical track full of loose dirt, large holes and rocks, Meier-Smith started fast, leading at the first split. He extended that lead to over one second ahead of German Henri Kiefer at the finish.

When he crossed the finish line, the 23-year-old Meier-Smith celebrated his near-perfect run as he was hugged by his younger brother Remy, also a World Cup downhill competitor. As the second-fastest qualifier, he didn’t need to wait for long to learn that he had won. Luca Shaw was the only rider left who could deny Meier-Smith, but the American was .07 seconds slower to take second.

The win was a breakthrough for Meier-Smith. He won a second Australian title in March and the Crankworx OG Canadian Open Downhill in August, but a DH World Cup victory had proven elusive.

"It means everything, I’ve worked my whole life for this, to pull it off is amazing,” Meier-Smith said. "I didn’t think I could win today, but I was hopeful of a top-five. To come away with the win is massive. I tried to keep the top pretty clean as I knew a mistake up there could cost you quite a lot, I tried to keep it smooth.

"Once I got past the second split, I really tried to drill the pedals and give it all I had from there." he continued. "The track suited me pretty well with the physical bottom half and pedaling. It’s cool to have a track a bit more suited to what I ride in Australia, that really helped me to come away on top."

In cross-country racing, Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider Dario Lillo piloted a prototype Anthem to his best-ever elite World Cup finish with a fourth-place finish in Friday’s XCC event, just four seconds off the winning time.

Riding the momentum of Alan Hatherly's XCO world championship victory and subsequent World Cup win in September, followed by Meier-Smith's Downhill World Cup success at Lake Placid, the Giant Factory Off-Road Team now sets its sights on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series season finale, held October 9-12 at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.