After facing wet conditions during the track walk and training sessions on Friday, the weather was in favour of athletes and trail builders alike. Exposed to plenty of sunshine throughout the weekend, the Taniwha trail in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa forest was in pristine condition for the first Crankworx event of the year, marking both the kickoff of the Crankworx World Tour and the exhilarating 10-year anniversary of Crankworx Rotorua. Some of the world’s top athletes gathered to compete on the iconic volcanic soil of Aotearoa.
Local athletes proved to be unbeatable, with Rotorua’s own Lachie Stevens-McNab and Eliana Hulsebosch from nearby Tauranga taking first place.
An all-kiwi podium was celebrated in the women’s category as Jess Blewitt and Shania Rawson were following Eliana Hulsebosch onto the steps at the award ceremony. Despite having a challenging run, Eliana managed to maintain her lead with quite some room between her and the first runner-up.
Bernard Kerr, who was last to start after dominating in yesterday’s seeding, unfortunately crashed while going for the big new triple feature on the course. This left the men’s podium to be rounded out by two Kiwis and Canadian Jakob Jewett. Lachie grabbing the first spot witnessed by his family and friends, was in good company with South Island’s Samuel Blenkinsop coming in third. Young Canadian rider Jakob Jewett who was tight on Lachie’s heels, sums up his strategy for the race:
Local athletes were particularly stoked about this year’s Taniwha Downhill track, attributed to Rotorua’s forgiving and fast-absorbing volcanic soil.
Results – RockShox Taniwha DH – Male Category (Elite/U19)
- Lachie Stevens-McNab (NZL) 2:45:612
- Jakob Jewett (CAN) 2:47:934
- 3. Samuel Blenkinsop (NZL) 2:53:472
Results – RockShox Taniwha DH – Female Category (Elite/U19)
- Eliana Hulsebosch (NZL) 3:24:130
- Jess Blewitt (NZL) 3:30:021
- Shania Rawson (NZL) 3:34:907
Full results: crankworx.com/results
As this first weekend of the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua wraps up, athletes are already looking forward to the events coming up next week at Skyline Rotorua.
The RockShox Taniwha Downhill was just the beginning to another eight days of action-packed schedule, moving to Skyline Rotorua for the Air DH, Whip-Off, Speed & Style, Specialized Dual Slalom, and the Crankworx Rotorua Pump Track Challenge. The program will conclude with the Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza on March 24, the first ever Diamond Level Slopestyle to host both men’s and women’s categories.
Everyone who doesn’t want to miss this monumental instant creating history in the world of Freeride Mountain Biking can grab tickets to Crankworx Rotorua, tune in on Red Bull TV and check out @Crankworx and @CrankworxRotorua for updates on Instagram.
About Crankworx World Tour
Crankworx is the ultimate experience in mountain biking. Born in Whistler, B.C. in 2004, Crankworx has evolved into a multi-stop international festival series. The Crankworx World Tour brings together the best mountain bike athletes to compete in elite-level competitions in a variety of disciplines. Crankworx World Tour festivals also host races for amateurs, Kidsworx contests for young riders, participatory events, and celebrations of mountain bike culture, all while showcasing amazing destinations.
Official website: crankworx.com
Media: facebook, instagram, twitter, youtube, flickr