Luke and Alex Mallen are going downhill fast. The 17-year-old twins from Sandy are making an impact in the world of downhill mountain biking and just completed their junior debut at the UCI Downhill World Cup in Bielsko-Biała, Poland.

They both advanced through qualifying rounds to compete in the men’s junior finals, with Alex finishing 15th and Luke close behind in 17th. The brothers have been racing for several years and work with coach Tyson Henrie, from the Outlaw Bike Team.

“It’s just something fun,” Alex said. “We have an amazing coach who helps us with our training and everything outside of mountain biking. So he definitely helps with our overall life. I love the adrenaline. I love the fact of being outside and traveling the world.”

Their top-20 finishes in Poland earned them an invitation to two additional World Cup events. The first race was June 20-22 in Val di Sole in northern Italy and the second is July 3-6 in La Thuile, an alpine ski town in northwest Italy. Racing under the USA Cycling federation, the twins will represent the United States.

Luke and Alex have won multiple national titles and have been on several international podiums. They have trained diligently to qualify for the junior World Cup series and are working to earn a spot at the UCI World Championships in September. Downhill racing can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Luke said that’s the best part.

“It’s crazy and I love it,” he said. “It’s different. If someone asks you, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I say, ‘Oh, I race down the mountain on a bike.’ That’s pretty cool. When someone asks what sport you play, they don’t think you’ll say, downhill mountain biking.”

Training, competing and international travel are expensive. The twins operate a lawn aeration business in the spring and work for a catering company to help cover costs. They also have a few generous sponsors, but are always looking for financial support. To donate to their journey, visit UtahMountainSportsAcademy.org and leave their names in the “options comments” section. 

Henrie has coached the twins since they were 7 years old. The boys spent years building their skill level, going from easy off-road trails to steep mountain drops. Around the age of 14, all the training began to pay off as they started seeing racing success.

“We took them to Europe to watch the world championships when they were 14,” Henrie said. “It was a big turning point for them. It was definitely what they wanted to do. Having seen it in person, they’re like, ‘Hey, I can go that fast. I want to go that fast.’”

Training consists of endurance and weight workouts, racing in different venues, including California and Vancouver, and developing a strong mindset to combat fear and doubt. 

“It’s about building their competence to give them confidence,” Henrie said. “That gives them the motivation to keep going and keep pursuing hard things and challenging themselves with the next step.”

Henrie said Alex’s strengths include a methodical and motivated approach to racing, while Luke’s killer instinct and competitive mindset drive him to work harder. On top of training, competing and working several jobs, the boys are studying through an online platform to finish their senior year next spring. 

Follow their World Cup journey on Instagram @thosemallentwins, @alex_mtb11, @lukemallen_1 and @the.outlaw.way.

“My goal [in Italy] is to get a top 10 finish, or a top five,” Alex said. “I’m just excited to be there. I love being in Europe. I think it’s a great place. I haven’t been to Italy yet. I’m just happy to be there.” λ