Back up into the Alps for the final round of the World Cup delivered some all time scenery!
If you follow any number of the top downhill riders on one of their many social media channels then you would already know their thoughts on this track, that it is awesome! We headed off for track walk, initially with the conditions dry and sunny, as we type up this report a thick fog has descended over Meribel and light rain is falling, whether this wears off over night remains to be seen.
Meribel is no stranger to holding World Cups, they’re not all mountain bike related though! The finish of the downhill mountain bike track shares the same area as the ski downhill – that should give you just some idea of how fast it is going to be…
The track is super steep, little pedalling required and very fast. There are plenty of technical sections to keep riders on their toes too. The finish area reminds us of Schladming with a big open ski field, consisting of sweeping corners and some kickers that will send riders sailing.
Steeeepp!This race is going to decide the overall, realistically one of three riders can win it, Brosnan, Bryceland or Gwin.Andrew Crimmins checking out the line, like many riders the Kona team had a mission to get across from Whistler to this race here in France.We are calling this ‘the mosser’ mainly due to the large amounts of moss on this big rock face. This will test some riders nerves, no doubt there will be plenty of photos here too.Slightly different view, it is a sizeable drop and riders can send it some way.As we said this drop was getting a lot of attention!Track walk seemed to be a crowded affair, everyone wanting to check the track out.It is going to be hard for riders as some sections of the track are rocky and bone dry where as others are wet muddy due to water coming out of the hill.In some areas of the track there was actually a creek running as part of the course (inside the bunting!), definitely want to get your lines right through here.Classic grooves were cut into stumps down the course, chances are if you need them though you’re on the wrong line!Connor Fearon sent the creek gap straight up!
Riders hit the track for practice next and we will get our first indication of who is on pace here in Meribel.
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The Canadian Open is the final race on the final day of Crankworx Whistler, it usually attracts many big names of the downhill world. This year was no different with many big names such as Danny Hart and Marcelo Gutierrez and though Steve Smith didn’t race, he was around all week to say hey to his fans.
The track this year was the same as always, with the sun being out for the last few days the track had become very dusty and a little bit loose!A�But no where near as loose as all the people at hecklers rock, who turned on the heckle all race again this year. The track was wide open and fast, with times dropping quickly and speeds going faster and faster, even through the technical sections.
We were so busy clambering down the hill trying to avoid all the hecklers that we got lost in the racing. So when we got to the bottom the results were a surprise to us too.
The results were
1.A�Marcelo Gutierrez
2. Danny Hart
3. Connor Fearon
A special mention also goes to two up and coming junior racers, Remy Morton and Jackson Davis who finished 1st and 3rd respectively in the junior men’s category.
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Today is the biggest day of the crankworx festival, the Joyride day, one of mountain bikings largest events, if not the largest one. Part of the FMB world tour and the most prestigious slopestyle competition on the planet. The course has some new bits and some re-designed pieces to suit riders more after their input from last year. From the very start it appeared that riders were comfortable on the course with large airs and big tricks being thrown through the practice sessions. It was shaping up to be quite an event! Even the weather came to town with the sun coming out just in time for the scored runs.
Everyone came out very strong, some pushing perhaps a little too hard, with only two runs to get a good score. Tomas Zejda was possibly the best looking rider to crash out, in the first run with Brandon Semenuk putting down the strongest first run with some huge tricks and looking very solid. With first runs completed everyone got a re-shuffle so the highest scored rider would come down last. This left some big names to come first who had crashed out frst run to come down early, Cam McCaul and Darren Berrecloth were both early to do their second run, but also made further mistakes to the crowds dismay, however continued their runs to put on a show. Before we knew it there were only the top three left to come down. And come down they did! Plenty of style, plenty of huge tricks being thrown. When all the dust settled the podium looking like this:
1st Brandon Semenuk
2nd Brett Heeder
3rd Anthony Messere
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One of the last remaining dual slalom races in the pro circuit, for us oldies who remember them being everywhere! The Crankworx Dual Slalom is a fun event, notorious between riders who race each other head to head in a serious racing atmosphere with all the laughs of riding between friends. The weather here in Whistler was a little questionable with the sun peaking out momentarliy before the rain started coming down, not heavily but consistently. Both of the pump track winners, Barry Nobles and Caroline Buchanan were racing today, would te BMX bandits be a dark force?
As racing rolled on it did apprear those two would be a force to be reckoned with, looking very quick, as was Mitch Ropelato and Jill Kintner. As the finals came around all of these names were involved in them. At the end of racing Jill Kintner and Mitch Ropelato walked away on the top step.
Barry Nobles was looking very quick!
Mitch Ropelato was so quick that he had time to throw in some styleRacing couldn’t be much closer
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There isn’t a lot to say about the Whip Offs here at Crankworx except it got wild! Finn Iles took out the men and Casey Brown took out the womens. Instead of writing a boring piece about how sideways everyone got, we thought we would just show you! So here is a mega collection of images, enjoy:
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Victoria Armstrong was looking good over the first section of jumps
Welcome to Whistler, BC. The home of the world famous Crankworx. And the worlds largest bike playground. With this in mind, we at Downhill247 need to get some riding in too, so for the crankworx reports we are going to keep it short and sweet with a selection of banger shots and a quick write up with the key ingredients such as results and key points. We hope you enjoy the stories from Crankworx and we will see you on the hill!
Claire Buchar slaying some corners
Fox Air DH is run on the all famous A-line track, lots of jumps, lots of bumps and plenty of high speed. Todays weather was verging on ordinary, with drizzle all morning and as racing bagn the rain was on and off, though never heavy it was enough to make lots of the corners very greasy.With the ladies coming down the hill the speed increased quickly with Claire Buchar looking very fast, only really being beaten in speed in the sections we saw by Tracey Hannah.
With the men beginning it was all a question of speed or style, lots of riders were scrubbing the jumps, buts a few were throwing in some whips, perhaps practicing for tomorrows whip offs. The start lists seemed to be slightly skew with plenty of listed started not seeming to take to the track. Sik Mik was looking quick, and very confident for his first race back on the bike, look out world champs!
Pro Men:
1. Mick Hannah
2. Chris Kovarik
3. Danny Hart
Tracey Hannah throws in some style on her way down the hill2 or 4 wheels, its still fun!Travis Pastrana flip……did not go to planChoo, Choo!! David McMillan comes up caboose on this trainIts not Whistler without drunk spectators, Right?!Fastest and most stylish rider through the rocks definitely goes to this guyAline living up to its standards of wild whips
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