2026 – SCOTT DH Factory — The North American Finale

by | 6-09-2026 | News | 0 comments

Two demanding rounds, tight margins and a seventh-place finish for Benoît Coulanges brought our 2026 World Cup season to a close.

Whistler: A Demanding Debut

For the first of the two North American rounds, we headed to Whistler, Canada, where the iconic 1199 track in Creekside hosted the World Cup.

The course brought together almost everything downhill can throw at a rider: rocks, roots, huge jumps, high-speed sections and an intimidating rock garden. Rain during the opening two days added another layer of difficulty, making grip unpredictable and rhythm hard to find.

Dakotah Norton was our only rider to qualify for the final. Benoît Coulanges missed the cut by a few seconds, while Jess Blewitt was unable to race and Ethan Craik was sidelined by illness.

With conditions improving slightly for the final, Dakotah delivered a solid run to finish 17th.

From Whistler to Lake Placid

After a long transfer east, we arrived in Lake Placid, New York, for the ninth and final World Cup round of the season.

Jess returned to training but had not recovered sufficiently from her World Championships crash to compete. Ethan, meanwhile, was back on track—and quickly back up to speed.

Under clear skies, the fast, relatively smooth sections of Whiteface Mountain suited our riders well. Benoît Coulanges qualified 7th, while Ethan Craikdelivered a standout performance to win Q2.

For Dakotah, the margins went the other way. He finished 32nd, missing the top-30 cut by just a few tenths. With nine riders separated by only three tenths of a second, it was a frustratingly close end to his season.

Fighting Until the Very End

Benoît and Ethan lined up for Sunday’s final with one goal: finish the season on a high.

The pace was fast from the first riders down, with times dropping well below qualifying.

Ethan attacked with confidence. A small mistake cost him time, but he kept pushing, set the fastest time in Sector 4 and crossed the line in 14th.

Benoît followed with a clean, committed run to finish 7th. In a race decided by fine margins, just one second separated third through eighth.

Two strong rides to close a demanding final weekend.

Season Complete

We finish the 2026 World Cup season 10th in the overall World Series team standings, with 313 points.

Our riders’ final individual standings:

  • Benoît Coulanges: 15th in the men’s standings — 697 pts

  • Ethan Craik: 19th in the men’s standings — 526 pts

  • Dakotah Norton: 32nd in the men’s standings — 249 pts

  • Jess Blewitt: 16th in the women’s standings — 342 pts

The North American finale brought demanding conditions, recovery challenges and incredibly tight racing. Through it all, our riders and crew kept pushing.

Thank you to our partners, staff and fans for being part of the season.From the workshop to the trackside, your support keeps this team moving.

Now comes a short reset, while our staff are already working on winter training camps and preparations for 2027.

See you back between the poles!

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