Every step of his young downhill mountain biking career, Durango’s Asa Vermette has risen to the challenge of a new level of competition, and this season will be his biggest test yet.
Vermette has won a lot as a junior, whether it’s a world championship, national championship, World Cup races, or Red Bull Hardline. Now 19, Vermette is starting his first season as a men’s elite downhill rider in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup with the opening round in South Korea on Friday-Sunday.
“I’m stoked for it,” Vermette said. “Just like the last races, I’m not trying to think about it being any different from juniors and just trying to do my best. It’s the only thing I really can do. It’s sick that it’s (South Korea) a fresh track that nobody’s ever ridden. So I kind of get the advantage of that, too.”
The 2025 World Cup season didn’t get off to the best start for Vermette, crashing in Round 1 in Poland and finishing 10th. He also crashed in Round 2 of the World Cup in Loudenvielle-Peyragudes, France and finished fifth.
However, the Durangoan riding for Frameworks Racing rebounded nicely after that tough start. Vermette was on the podium in the final eight World Cup races. He didn’t finish lower than second in the final six races, and Vermette won two of the last three races.
Vermette finished second in the men’s junior overall standings behind Max Alran, who’s also moving up to the elite in 2026. Vermette knows if he had been more consistent earlier in the season, he would’ve won the overall. That’s one of his goals for the upcoming season.
The 19-year-old’s bike handling was dialed in at the end of last season, so Vermette has been focused on his strength in the offseason. At the beginning of this year, he was working on his upper body and his core. He then shifted to his lower body, and now he’s been doing full-body workouts.
Other than winning Red Bull Hardline Tasmania in February, Vermette had a pretty laid-back offseason. He went to Red Bull Rampage and did some motoing at home. Vermette took advantage of the warm winter and got a lot of riding in around Durango.
Vermette is excited this season to bounce back at Loudenvielle after his crash there last year. He made a lot of little mistakes last year he’s looking to correct. Vermette is excited to race at Whistler Mountain Bike Park in British Columbia. It’s the first time the World Cup has stopped there, but Vermette has raced it before.
There are plenty of veteran competitors Vermette is looking forward to competing against like Loic Bruni, Amaury Pierron and Loris Vergier. At the same time, Vermette is part of a loaded junior class of riders moving up to elite alongside Max Alran, Till Alran, Oli Clark and Tyler Waite. Vermette is excited for this rookie class to take it to the big dogs, including reigning World Cup champion Jackson Goldstone.
“My goal every race is to try to win, for sure,” Vermette said. “Now that I’m going to elite, even being on the podium is kind of like a win, almost. But I’m still going to try to go for the top spot every race. I feel like I can do it.”