A MONTAGE OF RIDERS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS YEAR (AT CRANKWORX AND EVERYWHERE ELSE)
We have watched their spectacular races, their rad video edits and checked out their latest bikes. But how many of these stars would we be able to recognise if we are to bump into them at a bike park? With their faces usually shielded by their flashy helmets, it’s small wonder we might have missed them even if we had the chance to brush shoulders with them. So here’s a montage of these super folks. May you have the good fortune to meet them at a bike park or trail near you.
THE FACES OF CRANKWORX 2021
Here’s the list of athletes that are taking on multiple disciplines and are queuing up to get amongst all the action in Innsbruck this year.
Vaea Verbeeck (CAN):
- Defending Queen (2019)
- Champion in 2020’s CLIF Crankworx Summer Series
- Taking on every single event on offer at Crankworx Innsbruck 2021: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH
Casey Brown (CAN):
- Has come in second in the overall Queen of Crankworx battle three times (2015, 2016, 2018)
- Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
Kialani Hines (USA):
- Runner up for Queen in 2019
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH
Jordy Scott (USA):
- Has won in Speed & Style and Pump Track (Rotorua 2020)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Tracey Hannah (AUS):
- Retired last year from World Cup racing. We’re hoping she’s going to make a run for Queen.
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH
Vali Höll (AUT):
- Representing Austria and looking to defend her 2020 DH win at Crankworx Innsbruck
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track (which she’s podiumed before in) and defending in the DH
Tahnée Seagrave (GBR):
- Since 2018, has podiumed three times in Crankworx Dual Slalom, twice in DH and once on the Pump Track
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH
Georgia Astle (CAN):
- Two wins to her name in the punishing Garbanzo DH at Crankworx Whistler (2018 and 2019)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
Emilie Siegenthaler (SUI):
- On top of Crankworx DH podiums, has finished top five in Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2018)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom and DH
Danielle Beecroft (AUS):
- Top Crankworx finish was a win on the Whistler Dual Slalom track in 2018 (upsetting Jill Kintner’s approx. 438x winning streak)
- Competing in Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
Cecile Ravanel (FRA):
- 2018’s winner of the Whistler round of the EWS at Crankworx
- Competing in: Dual Slalom and Pump Track
Martha Gill (GBR):
- Top five in the Dual Slalom in Innsbruck last year
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH
Harriet Burbidge-Smith (AUS):
- Top five in the Dual Slalom in Innsbruck in 2019
- A recent Slopestyle competitor (the lone female) at the Highline Mountain Bike festival in Australia.
- Competing in: Whip-Offs, Pump Track and S&S
Kathi Kuypers (GER):
- Podiumed on the Pump Track in Innsbruck last year
- Competing in: Pump Track, Speed & Style
Mathilde Bernard (FRA):
- Has podiumed on the Pump Track every time she’s competed
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style and DH
Micayla Gatto (CAN):
- Returned to Crankworx competition in Rotorua in 2020
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and Speed & Style
Tomas Lemoine (FRA):
- Earned a first, second and third place in Innsbruck competition last year
- In the race for the throne he has come in second (2018) and third (2019).
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, Slopestyle
Kyle Strait (USA):
- Second in the King standings coming out of Rotorua in 2020
- Has probably competed and podiumed in every event Crankworx has ever run, at least once since it all began in 2004 (not verified)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Bas van Steenbergen (CAN):
- The leader for King coming out of Crankworx Rotorua in 2020
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style and DH
Adrien Loron (FRA):
- Took two wins in a single day in Innsbruck in 2020 (Dual Slalom and Pump Track)
- Former King of Crankworx (2017)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH
Keegan Wright (NZL)
- Has taken wins in Crankworx Enduro (Rotorua 2018), Pump Track (Let Gets 2018) and Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2019)
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
Austin Warren (USA):
- Was in fourth in King standings coming out of Rotorua 2020
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Luca Cometti (USA):
- Multiple podiums in Crankworx Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2018, Innsbruck 2019) and Pump Track (Les Gets 2018)
- Competing in Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Kaos Seagrave (GBR):
- The defending Whip-Off Champ in Innsbruck
- Taking on every event, except Slopestyle
Kade Edwards (GBR):
- First runner up (twice) at Whip-Offs (Les Gets 2018 and Innsbruck 2019)
- Like Seagrave, taking on every event, except Slopestyle
Mick Hannah (AUS):
- Frequent podium finisher at Crankworx DH events (most recently, winner of DH in Rotorua in 2020) and often cracks the top 10 in Dual Slalom
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
Pivot Team – Eddie Masters (NZL), Matt Walker (NZL) and the boss, Bernard Kerr (GBR):
- Masters has twice come in second in the Innsbruck DH (2019 and 2020)
- Walker was just 50 points off the leader for King coming out of Rotorua 2020
- Kerr’s best Crankworx results in recent years have been in Dual Slalom, with a win in Les Gets in 2018 and a third place finish in Innsbruck Dual Slalom in 2020
- All three competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom and the DH
Tim Bringer (FRA):
- Following in Lemoine’s footsteps and branching out from Slopestyle
- Competing in: Pump Track, Speed & Style and Slopestyle (alternate)
Louis Reboul (FRA):
- Won the Innsbruck Whip-Off in 2018, fifth in Speed & Style last year
- Competing in: Whip-Offs, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Sam Reynolds (GBR):
- Major past success in Innsbruck S&S: second place in 2018 and 2020, plus a fourth place finish in 2019
- Competing in: Whip-Offs and S&S
Greg Watts (USA):
- In recent years has distinguished himself as a Speed & Style specialist, most recently coming in second in Rotorua
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Speed & Style
Tomas Slavik (CZE):
- Fixture on the Dual Slalom podium, including three top threes in the past three years
- Competing in: Dual Slalom, Speed & Style
Tommy Zula (USA):
- Two-time winner on the Crankworx Pump Track (Whistler 2019 and Rotorua 2020)
- Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style
Collin Hudson (USA):
- Zula’s teammate, he has also earned to Pump Track podiums (win in Whistler in 2018 and second in Rotorua in 2020)
- Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH
WATCH THEM AT CRANKWORX INNSBRUCK
The following is what they’ll be competing in between June 16 and 20:
- Wednesday, June 16: Official European Whip-Off Championships presented by POC
- Thursday, June 17: Specialized Dual Slalom Innsbruck
- Thursday, June 17: Rockshox Pump Track Challenge Innsbruck
- Friday, June 18: CLIF Speed & Style Innsbruck
- Saturday, June 19: Crankworx Innsbruck Slopestyle
- Sunday, June 20: deuter Downhill Innsbruck presented by Raiffeisen Club
All except Whip-Offs – highlights available after) will be live on Red Bull TV.
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