Vero Sandler, Vali Höll and Vaea Verbeek tell us who they think we should keep our eyes on this year and beyond.
It’s International Women’s Day – and yes, we are going to shout about it. Over the last few years women’s riding and racing has gotten way more coverage, and deservedly so. Just think of the first women’s edition of Red Bull Rampage last year – that was incredible – and with brands and race organisers giving women the platform, more and more of us can be inspired to pick up a bike and shred. Maybe don’t try some of the Rampage-style insanity until you’re a bit more experienced though…
I digress. But, the growth of women’s mountain biking is great to see. And I’m saying that not only as a woman, but as a journalist who now gets to write about these talents and feel really old when I see their birth years start with 20 instead of 19. So to follow this up, we asked a couple of top riders to tell us who they think the next big talents are going to be, and it’s a pretty impressive list.
Vaea Verbeek drops into her line at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah October 10th, 2024 // Emily Tidwell / Red Bull Content Pool
Vaea Verbeeck, Red Bull Rampage competitor, Crankworx rider and former downhiller
Verbeeck is a pretty rad rider in her own right, as one of the first women to compete in Red Bull Rampage, as well as an extensive history in downhill racing and even competing at Crankworx. She gave us quite a few names of women emerging in their disciplines, and they’re definitely worth a follow.
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Kirsten van Horne
Van Horne is originally from Canada, but splits her time between British Columbia and Queenstown, New Zealand. She competes in freestyle events but also dabbles (we say dabbles but mean, she absolutely bosses) endurance challenges including bikepacking adventures. She also just podiumed at Natural Selection Bike in NZ.
Find her on Instagram here.
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Janelle Soukup
19-year-old Soukup recently joined the Lucid Gravity team, which alongside Martha Gill and Jayfen Fleming, will be focusing on Crankworx and freeride events.
Find her on Instagram here.
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Lucy van Eesteren
Originally from Squamish, Canada, van Eesteren recently signed with Specialized after four years with Rocky Mountain. Last year she had her own video part in ‘Anytime’ and continues to set the freeride world alight, most recently competing at Natural Selection Bike in NZ.
Find her on Instagram here.
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Brooke Anderson
YT Mob rider Anderson may be young but already she’s no stranger to the Crankworx podium. Hailing from the US, she combines pro riding with her college studies, but has re-signed with YT Industries for a few more years and looks set to be an exciting talent and one to watch, now she’s riding under the ‘pro’ banner.
Find her on Instagram.
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Tayte Proulx-Royds
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Zoe Witwicki
Vero has done a huge amount for women’s freeriding.
Vero Sandler, freerider, trail builder and absolute badass
Sandler is one of the biggest names in women’s freeriding, and rightly so. She’s accomplished on the bike as well as a big advocate for women’s events. Last year she even helped to set up her own Backyard Battle with partner Sam Hodgson. Here are some standout women in the world of freeride by her recommendation.
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Charlotte Kay
Kay is an 18-year-old Brit who’s dabbled in Enduro, DH as well as freeride. She currently rides with Stif Mountain Bikes atop GT bikes, and should make a big impact on the national calendars as well as competitions further afield.
Find her on Instagram.
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Erice van Leuven
UCI DH Junior World Champ in 2023 and 2024, van Leuven has just signed with Norco Race Division. She rode Red Bull Hardline Tasmania earlier this year, but unfortunately had a big crash that meant she couldn’t compete in finals. She’s recently updated her Instagram account, saying “recovery is going very well,” so we’re looking forward to seeing what she does this year in the DH World Cups.
Find her on Instagram.
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Natasha Miller
Even though she’s just 18 years old, NZ-born Miller has already won her first Crankworx Slopestyle event in February in Christchurch. She’s set to ride Crankworx Rotorua next, and we can’t wait to see if she can continue to bring her great form into March and beyond.
Find her on Instagram.
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Patricia Druwen
Vali was on fire in 2024, starting the season with a win here in Fort WIlliam.
Vali Höll – does she need an introduction?!
Reigning DH World Champ, World Cup overall winner, and just incredible bike rider all-round, if you’re making a good impression on Höll then it’s safe to say you’re worth keeping a close eye on. Here’s who she’s picked out as standout women in the mountain bike world.
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Rosa Zierl
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Lina Frener
Austrian junior DH rider Frener is stepping up to race alongside Gracey Hemstreet and Erice van Leuven as part of the Norco Race Division team this year. She won the U17 overall DH World Cup last year, and finished 2nd to Rosa Zierl at the European champs last year.
Find her on Instagram.