This past weekend the iXS European Downhill Cup celebrated the season finals in Brandnertal. At the end of an exciting and extremely demanding race under more than difficult conditions, Monika Hrastnik and Joshua Barth entered the books as the winners of the iXS EDC 2018. Wojciech Czermak On the first September weekend the iXS European Downhill Cup invited the downhill elite to its fifth and last race of the season. For the first time in EDC history Brandnertal in Austria hosted the final round of the cup and despite the unfortunate weather it was a great weekend at the bike…
Author: Tomas
The inaugural edition of BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang starts in just a few days’ time. From August 31 to September 2, visitors and athletes will be greeted by a large exhibition offering a first glance at 2019’s hottest new bikes and products as well as exciting race action and competitions. Registration for the races is still open online and is possible in person until an hour before the start of the various races. The heart of the new BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang is the large outdoor expo which features many big brands and names from the mountain bike, lifestyle, tourism…
The 2018 Mountain Bike World Cup might already be history, but the battle for glory in Downhill and Cross Country is about to reach another level! The world’s best mountain bike athletes and the rising stars of the future generation will be competing for gold medals and rainbow stripes during the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships presented by Mercedes-Benz from September 5-9 in Lenzerheide. 10 athletes and one national team will be crowned as World Champions in front of tens of thousands of supporters. First though athletes in both disciplines will have to overcome the demanding tracks. Tickets for the…
An exciting new contest format, more confirmed riders and the spectacular new location rapidly transforming into a world-class mountain bike venue; yes, preparations are running at full speed for the Audi Nines MTB 2018. From 8-13 September 2018, in partnership with Bikepark Idarkopf, the 8th edition of the prestigious mountain bike event will make its debut within a stone quarry in the Rheinland-Pfalz Region of Germany. This pioneering new contest format, debuting in the mountain bike scene leads the list of new developments for the Audi Nines MTB 2018, formerly known as Nine Knights MTB. Instead of the one-day contests…
The drier, the better. This seems to be the mantra of Australian downhill racers Troy Brosnan (AUS) and Tracey Hannah (AUS). They each took the wins in their respective elite fields at today’s Crankworx-closing Canadian Open Downhill presented by iXS, while also each besting their times from last year. Brosnan crossed the finish line in 2:45.37, compared to last year’s 2:46.04, while Hannah clocked a time of 3:16.27, faster than last year’s 3:17.85. After 2017’s race Brosnan had said the track was the driest he’d ever seen it. And this year? Troy Brosnan Troy Brosnan: Somehow it’s beaten it. The…
Nicholi Rogatkin (USA) stomped his way into the mountain bike history books in front of a crowd of over 35,000 fans at Crankworx Whistler today. His win at Red Bull Joyride marks his third this season. And with that, he becomes the first rider ever to claim the Triple Crown of Slopestyle. Nicholi Rogatkin Nicholi Rogatkin: I feel absolutely honoured to even have the opportunity to win this award today. To take it home. I’m absolutely speechless. I just have to thank everyone for believing in me that this was possible, because honestly it’s a feat that a lot of…
As Danielle Beecroft (AUS) was getting ready to drop in off the start gate in the gold medal matchup of the 100% Dual Slalom Whistler, she wasn’t thinking about the fact that her longtime hero was beside her. She also didn’t know that her opponent, Jill Kintner (USA), had won the Whistler event the past five years in a row. She just concentrated on doing what she came there to do. Jill Kintner vs Danielle Beercroft Danielle Beercroft: I just told myself: “I know what to do. Just do what you’ve done all day. Have fun.” I wasn’t even nervous.…
For many, it was the race to end the season – the race the season’s battles had been building toward. But for Caroline Buchanan (AUS), returning to the event she won a year ago was also her return to competition. Tonight’s RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge at Crankworx Whistler was her first race of the season. Jill Kintner vs Caroline Buchanan Caroline Buchanan: It’s pretty surreal. I came to this event with pretty low expectations. I wanted to just get through the first. I told myself that any result would be a bonus, and that’s kind of the mindset I…
“I think I should win today, it would be a good birthday present.” These were the fighting words now 19-year-old Whistler local Finn Iles (CAN) told himself before dropping in to today’s Fox Air Downhill at Crankworx Whistler. Sam Blenkinsop “And I did, so I’m pretty pleased with how it went. Good day.” Iles’ final time of 3:58.06 pushed him ahead of Magnus Manson (CAN), who was sporting the Canadian flag on his sleeve earned from his recent Canadian National Downhill Championship win, who crossed the line in 4:00.35. Kelowna’s Bas van Steenbergen (CAN), who won the event two years…
Crossing the finish line after 12:46.84 of full-gas racing, Sam Hill (AUS) bested a field of some of the world’s fastest men, reclaimed a throne that was last his 11 years ago, and set down a challenge for Crankworx Whistler 2019. Sam Hill Sam Hill: I won it quite a few times before Marcelo [Gutierrez Villegas] came along. I haven’t been here to race him. He was definitely the number one guy to beat here. I just wanted to have fun and wasn’t sure where i’d gauge myself really, but I’m happy to come down in first. It’s a familiar…
A punishing 1,548 meter descent on the last stage of the day would claim more than a few victims today in the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro presented by Specialized at Crankworx Whistler – notably the exhausted- and devastated-looking Richie Rude (USA), sweat dripping from his face, who rolled into the finish corral with a flat – but not Martin Maes (BEL). Martin Maes Martin Maes: It’s amazing. I think two or three years ago I was leading before the last stage. It’s kind of redemption for me. It just feels amazing. I’m super stoked. On top of the absolution of…
It was some simple, yet effective, words that propelled Tomas Lemoine (FRA), a man known for his stylish skills on a bike and the power of his pedal strokes, to the top of a podium he’s never been on before at Crankworx Whistler. Cam Zink vs Kyle Strait Going into the final matchup for the Gold in the Clif Dual Speed & Style presented by Muc-Off, Lemoine trailed Greg Watts (USA), whose speed earned him the win in the pair’s first. The Frenchman said he knew it was time to lay everything on the line. Tomas Lemoine: I was like…
Albania through last couple of years has been becoming more and more widely known as a tourist destination. This small country offers the best possible combination of landscape – mountains meet there sea. We must admit that it is a very spectacular combination, because rarely we can find mountains exceeding 2000 m above sea level growing straight from the sea. Adding to this amazing variety of terrain, and it’s wilderness mountains I immediately thought that it can also be an interesting cycling destination. Me with my wife are writing blog about Balkans, and we are quite frequent in Albania recently…
The Enduro World Series is back on Whistler’s iconic trails for one of the most anticipated races of the year, the Canadian Open Enduro presented by Specialized. The sixth round of the series will form the opening weekend of mountain biking’s biggest festival, Crankworx, and will be a single day of racing on some of the world’s most famous trails. And whilst this may be the series’ sixth visit to the venue, there are still plenty of surprises in store for the 350 riders competing in this Sunday’s race. Justin Leov The course compromises five stages featuring an incredible 3682…