Inside Vali Höll’s YT Tues Core 4 Setup and Specs

Even though she’s only 22, Vali Höll has already won three Elite Women’s Downhill World Cup titles and five UCI Downhill World Championship titles—two as a junior and two in the Elite Women’s group. Many people who have followed Vali’s racing career are predicting that she will be one of the top women’s downhill racers in history. She’s already on that path.

Vali was so impressive in her early years of racing that YT signed her to a six-year contract in 2013 when Vali was only 13 years old. When the contract period ended, Vali joined the Trek downhill team.
When Trek shut down its downhill team, Vali rejoined YT, saying that the people at YT were like family to her, and she had always stayed friends with them, even when she was riding for the other team.

VALI’S HISTORY

Vali Höll has been riding for Red Bull for years. Here are some of the things that she’s said about her early years when interviewed on RedBull.com:
“The place where I really learned the ropes growing up wasn’t so much a trail but Bikepark Leogang. It’s the biggest park close to my hometown, and it’s where all the World Cups are held. My parents would pick me up after school and take me there.

“At that time I was too young to ride, so I would hang out at the bottom of the trails there, waiting, while my parents were riding. For me, it was super boring. As I got older, I could finally ride with them and no longer wait at the bottom! One day, when I was maybe 9 or 10, I was faster than my mum, and a few years later I was faster than my dad.

“My first downhill race is a fun story. I was, and I still am, a really competitive kid when it comes to downhill racing. My dad knew if I didn’t get on a podium I’d be unhappy for the whole weekend, or even the entire next week! My dad found out about the iXS Rookies Cup where you could start racing at age 11. As a girl, you had to race with the boys; there’s no separate gender class. My dad prepared me to not get sad if I didn’t win. I did win and beat all the boys. I’ve been back again, and won again. That trail in Winterberg, [Germany], holds good memories.”

VALI HŐLL’S YT TUES CORE 4

Frame: YT Tues Core 4 Medium

Fork: RockShox Boxxer Ultimate (155 psi, 1 token/HSC -1/LSC -7/rebound -9)

Tires: Continental Kryptotal, Front/Rear 29” x 2.4”, 25/27 psi

Tire sealant: [YT believes the team uses Peaty’s sealant.]

Tire inserts: None

Rims: DT Swiss FR 1500 29

Brakes: SRAM Maven Ultimate (200mm rotor)

Handlebars: Renthal Fatbar 35 (20mm rise/760mm width/7-degree backsweep)

Grips: Ergon GDH Team

Pedals: Crankbrothers Mallet DH

Cranks: SRAM X01 DH (165mm/34t)

Drivetrain: SRAM X01 DH

Saddle: Ergon SMD2 Pro Ti (Team)

Seatpost: Thompson Elite 31.6mm

Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil (425-pound spring/HSC -2/LSC -4/rebound -7)

Stem: Renthal Integra 35 (10mm rise/50mm length)

Head angle: Regular, 63.2 degrees; low, 63.5 degrees

Bottom bracket height: Regular, 346mm; low, 351mm

Chainguide: E13 LG1 Plus

Weight: YT says that the stock YT Tues Core 4 bike weighs 15.2 kilograms (33.95 pounds)

VALI’S EARLY YEARS

Here’s how RedBull.com summarizes Vali Höll’s early years on the UCI World Cup circuit:
“In 2018, aged 16, she arrived on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup scene, already able to look back on a raft of rookie titles, and didn’t look out of place from the word go. A confident race in Lošinj, Croatia, saw her win the Women’s Junior category with a time that placed her sixth overall among the Elites. Vali carried that winning form throughout the rest of 2018, going on a winning streak that saw her win every single Junior Downhill World Cup race to be crowned overall champion and then claim her first-ever UCI MTB World Championships victory in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, to complete the perfect season.
“2019 was almost as impressive, with only a pair of second-place finishes across the season breaking up the sea of gold, as Vali again dominated to complete another World Cup and World Championships double.

“The following year saw her dominate Crankworx Downhill at Innsbruck in Austria. Then, in 2021, after enduring a difficult start to her rookie season among the Elites, she finished strongly with two thrilling race wins at the doubleheader finale in Snowshoe, USA, to take the overall World Cup title at the first attempt.

“In 2022, she crushed the competition at Crankworx Innsbruck once again before becoming the first Austrian downhill world champion as she dominated the rest of the field at the UCI MTB World Championships in Les Gets, France—a feat she repeated in Fort William, Scotland, in 2023 to become a two-time and back-to-back world champ.

“Vali won the overall title for the second time in just three years in 2023 as a result of some dominant performances throughout the season. ‘It’s pretty amazing to wrap up the title one race before the season is even over,’ said Vali after claiming third place in Snowshoe, USA, to confirm her title victory. ‘To be a world champion and win the overall World Cup is really just incredible.’”

VALI’S HOME TRAIL

Höllen Trail, Saalbach, Austria
“This translates as ‘The Hell Trail.’ It’s the trail my dad built. It’s basically where I started to learn to ride bikes. Before building this, my parents mostly only rode uphill, but they flew to Canada [and went to Whistler] in 2005, and after that trip decided to build their own track down near our chalet. [Höll’s parents run the Spielberghaus guesthouse.] My dad built it in 2005–’06, so I would have been around 6 years old when I rode it for the first time. A lot of big mountain bikers came and helped him build it, people like trials rider Hans Rey.

I started on the easiest lines, riding down then pushing up again. I learned through watching others riding it, and at our chalet we’d have a lot of mountain bike pros staying, so I learned a lot from watching them and absorbing the spirit of mountain biking. A lot of racers talk about riding in Saalbach because it has some of the best tracks in Europe. Just hearing your heroes talking about it, then riding the exact same trail they did, is pretty amazing.”

RIDER PROFILE:

Name: Valentina Höll
Nickname: “Vali”
Age: 22 years old
Birthdate: December 11, 2001
Birthplace: Saalbach, Austria
Height: 163cm [5 feet 4 inches]
Shoe size: UK 6.5
Helmet size: S/M
Marital status: N/A
Your vehicle: I drive a Mini John Cooper Works
Started racing: I began my racing career in 2013
Turned pro: I transitioned into a professional racer in 2018
Favorite course (North America): Whistler holds the title of my favorite course in North America
Favorite course (Europe): Saalbach, in Europe, is my preferred course [UCI racers know it as Leogang, Austria]
Favorite food: Ramen is my favorite dish
Goals: My primary goal is consistency in my performance
Heroes: I look up to Lindsey Vonn as one of my heroes
Favorite recording artist: Billie Eilish
Favorite movie: The Incredibles
Hobbies: Skiing is my main hobby when I’m not riding my bike
Jobs held: Other than professional mountain biker, I have not held any jobs yet as I am still in school
Most embarrassing moment: My most embarrassing moment was being caught cheating in math class
Always takes on a trip: I always bring along my stuffed octopus named Doudou
What you would be if you were not a racer: If I weren’t pursuing a racing career, I would have already finished my studies