GENERATION NEXT
Simon Makker talks to Trek’s new Kiwi elite downhill talent, Sacha Earnest and Lachie Stevens-McNab
Images: Boris Beyer
2024 was a breakout year for Sacha Earnest and Lachie Stevens McNab. Both came achingly close to the top step on more than one occasion with runs than promised much more to come. Sacha was consistently on the World Cup Junior women’s podium and was third at the World Championships, while Lachie picked up the men’s downhill racing torch to become the first rider from Aotearoa in five years to feature on the Elite Men’s rostrum.
Spoke sat down with Sacha and Lachie to talk through their podium-storming seasons and what the future holds.
Lachlan Stevens-McNab
After a major ankle injury destroyed his rookie Elite Men’s season in 2023, Rotorua’s Stevens-McNab re-signed with Union—Forged by Steel City Media in 2024 and made it on to the UCI World Cup podium twice, marking him as one of the most exciting young racers on the circuit.
Tell us about your ankle injury. What happened?
It was at Schladming—we’d been filming with the Union team all day, and I crashed on a jump track. It blew my ankle up; I ruptured a bunch of the ligaments and bruised my talus bone. It was the worst-case scenario where it wasn’t quite bad enough to require surgery, so it took a really long time to heal. It still gives me shit now.
The 2024 season started with the national champs, where you officially finished second, but there was a bit of confusion around that. What happened?
Yeah, I won the Elite, but I got beaten by a Junior rider, Tyler Waite. There was a new rule that Junior and Elite riders are ranked together now, but we race separately, which is a bit weird.
So, I was on the top of the podium and a UCI guy came up to me and said “oh, by the way, that was just for celebratory reasons—you’re not actually the national champion as a Junior had a faster time”. I told the guy to get f**ked!
Fair play to Tyler—he’s fast as hell—but if they’re going to rank us together, he shouldn’t be dropping 60 riders before me on a track that was getting more and more beat up.
You bounced back well, though, winning the Crankworx DH race in your hometown.
It was my first time racing some fast guys and I was like “I can actually win this,” even though the way they taped the track probably gave me the least home advantage.
The first day of practice was super muddy and it made the track rough and gnarly for the finals, which suited me perfectly.
My race run was pretty loose—I’d never ridden that fast before, especially for how technical the track was. I’ve never been a super-loose rider, but after that, and a few big moments this year, everyone thinks that’s how I ride.
So, take us through Leogang, where you got your first career UCI Elite Men’s podium. How did that feel?
It was an insane day. I’d crashed in the final of the previous round at Poland, so it was surreal to stand on the podium.
I was only in the hot seat for about three riders before Finn Iles beat me. I thought “OK, now we’ll start getting beaten”, but the riders kept coming across the line and I was like, “that’s a top 10 … this could be a top five … holy shit, a top three!” Standing on the podium in front of the crowd was the sickest feeling.
How much does a result like that boost your confidence, knowing you’re a top three guy?
I think it definitely helped with some little things, but I don’t really have problems with confidence, to be honest.
I’m not out there saying, “yeah, I’m a top three guy”, I just go out, ride my bike and see what happens. Maybe towards the end of the year I started having more belief that I could get more podiums, and that might’ve put more pressure on myself to do well. There wasn’t any external pressure from the team or anything, that’s for sure.
“I’m not out there saying, ‘yeah, I’m a top three guy,’ I just go out, ride my bike and see what happens.”
Lachie Stevens-McNab
And you finished the season on a high with your best-ever result—a second place at Mont Saint Anne. That looked like a gnarly race.
Yeah, we were at the top and it started raining and I thought “screw it, these rocks are slippery in the dry anyway, so let’s just ride them fast, stay on-line and send it”. I hit all my lines and knew I’d put in a good time, but it didn’t feel as good as it was—like, it was solid and consistent, but it didn’t feel crazy-fast.
How gutting was it to have Troy Brosnan cross the line just 0.2s faster, and deny you your first World Cup win?
Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I had to bring myself back to reality that I’d got second, which was pretty sick. It was gutting to be that close to the win, but at the same time I now know I have what it takes to win races.
From the outside looking in, it was bloody good to see a Kiwi on the Elite Men’s podium again.
It’s been a while! I pretty sure the last time was Sam Blenkinsop at Croatia in 2019. There’s been a bit of a gap with Brook MacDonald, Wyn Masters and Sam getting on in their careers, but I hope I can fill it. Those guys have been such a big part of me getting there, and I’ve been watching them race since I was 10 or 11. To now be up there is pretty bloody cool.
What are your goals for 2025
The first thing that comes to mind is to win races. I finished 12th in the overall standings this year, so moving to a top 10 or a top five would be pretty sick.
I’ve signed with Trek Factory Racing for 2025, and I’m super-excited about it. There’ll be some big changes over there, with Sacha and my best mate, Ollie Davis, signing to ride with them. I’m super-excited about it – the managers are sick, the brand is sick, and they want to do everything they can to win races. I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings.
Sacha Earnest
As a privateer, Aucklander Sacha Earnest burst from obscurity to win two Junior Women’s World Cup races in 2023, then backed it up in 2024 with six podiums at eight rounds and finished third at the World Champs. As she jumps up to the Elite Women’s class in 2025, she’s eager to make her mark.
Sacha, it’s been an incredible watching your rise over the past couple of years. How has it been from your perspective?
In 2023, I went over with Dad and did six of the eight rounds. We saved up a lot of money to get over there, and we didn’t have any expectations—it was all about seeing what my potential was, how well I could do, and if I could hopefully get a ride with a little team for 2024. It was pretty phenomenal to sign with Trek after my first race and then race all eight World Cup rounds in 2024.
You won your first-ever World Cup race at Val di Sole, so I’m guessing that put you on their radar?
They actually noticed me the round prior at Lenzerheide during practice. I crashed before I could even enter the qualifying race, so my name wasn’t on the start list, but they’d seen me on track. My win at Val di Sole proved how quick I was, and they were quick to jump on and sign me after that!
Your deal with Trek didn’t come into effect until 2024 though, right?
Yeah, that’s right. They offered me a little bit of support for the rest of the season, and they helped me sign with 100%, so I could be under their pit for the rest of the year and get used to the big-team environment. The original plan was for us to go home after the World Champs, but they helped us stay on for the last three European rounds.
How daunting was it entering one of the biggest teams in the pits, especially coming from a little Kiwi privateer outfit?
It was so scary! I tried going into the pits to introduce myself at Fort William and I was shitting myself. It was so insane to be within five metres of Loris Vergier, Reece Wilson and Kade Edwards, and listening to how much knowledge they’ve got about racing.
How were the nerves going into the first round of 2024?
I was definitely a bit scared. The best way I could perform was trying to stay calm, consistent and being in my zone. Personally, I’d set myself of a top four result, so I was really stoked to qualify fourth, then finish second in that first race with the team.
Looking back on the whole season, are you happy with it?
Yeah, I am. I said I wanted to show more consistency with my racing and that was done 100 per cent this year, and I was on the podium at most rounds. I was consistently getting better from qualifying to racing, which I enjoyed.
It was amazing to work with the boys on the team and learn from them. At the start of the year, I didn’t feel confident going up and asking them questions, but that naturally got easier as the season went on.
After winning two races last year, are you disappointed that you didn’t find the top step in 2024?
It’s bittersweet: I can’t be too unhappy with my podiums, but I was a bit unhappy, especially with Leogang. I think that if I hadn’t crashed, I would’ve placed on top there, and that would’ve got my confidence up for the following rounds. Cracking that win was a bit harder than I thought it’d be.
You bounced back well from Leogang to Val di Sole, though. In the space of a week, you turned around a disappointing result and got yourself back to second place.
I needed to bounce back as soon as possible, so it was good to go to Val di Sole, which is a track I really like and win at last year. I came second to Ellie Hulsebosch, so it was awesome to have Kiwis on the top two steps of the podium.
How do you deal with the pressure-cooker situation of downhill racing?
When I’m warming up, I’ll be nervous and feel all the pressure, mainly from myself as I have these expectations that I should be the fastest. I don’t need other people to tell me how good I am, as that adds pressure. I deal with it best by being by myself—I calm myself down a lot better when I’m in my own thoughts, rather than having people trying to encourage and motivate me.
“I don’t need other people to tell me how good I am, as that adds pressure.”
Sacha Earnest
What was the highlight of your 2024 season?
I’m pretty stoked with finishing third in the overall. Coming into Mont Saint Anne, I was fourth in the standings; I’d set the expectation that I should be third or higher in the race, so I could get onto the overall podium. That, and being happy and consistent were the highlights for me.
In 2023 the Kiwi girls finished 1-2-3 on the World Champs podium and in 2024 you went 1-3-4. That’s just amazing.
I’m so, so stoked for Erice. She really deserved that win. It was a hard race for me as they weren’t my perfect racing conditions—my strengths are more in the technical, loamy, slick and steep stuff—but I was stoked to get third again.
You’re stepping up to the Elite Women’s field. How do you feel about that?
I’m very scared! It’s going to be a different schedule, and I’m going to have to race the girls I’ve been looking up to my whole life. It’s going to be really hard, but the girls are super-nice and supportive.
What are your goals for 2025?
We’ve got 11 rounds including the World Champs, which is quite a bit more than this year. I don’t know if that’ll play to my strengths, but I’m happy about it! More racing, more time doing what I love, and more opportunities to prove myself and improve my riding. I think making each of the finals is my first goal and just see where it goes from there. If I achieve better than that, maybe place a bit higher, then I’ll readjust. But as it’s my first year, I can’t expect too much as there’ll be a lot of ups and downs during the season. The main thing is to keep progressing and slowly get better as the year unfolds.