Jill Kintner (USA) left it all out on the dirt today, running a smooth and calculated race on Skyline Rotorua’s Mr. Black trail and reclaiming the top podium spot in the Crankworx Rotorua Air DH, and the top spot in the race to claim the Queen of Crankworx title in 2018.
Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner:
I was pretty fired up after last year. I sprinted a lot harder and knew exactly where I touched my brakes at every part and just stuck to my little practice plan.
2017’s race belonged to Vaea Verbeeck (CAN). This year she and Kintner swapped, with just +01.88 between them. Emilie Siegenthaler (SUI) rounded out the top three.
Jill Kintner:
This whole track is about being on the right edges, knowing which jumps are too short, which ones are long and then where you can pedal and where you brake. It’s about executing as precisely as you can. It’s fairly easy to ride, but ro race it’s a completely different game. Very strategic.
Vaea Verbeeck
Today’s race results mirror the current top two in the race for Queen of Crankworx. Kintner now leads with 375 points, with Verbeeck just 10 points behind her. Casey Brown (CAN) shifts into third after today’s race, with 325.
Emilie Siegenthaler
In the Pro Men’s category, a similar shuffle took place, with 2017’s winner Matt Walker (NZL) bringing in the second fastest time of the day this year, followed by Tomas Slavik (CZE), who also takes one step down his result last year, ending his day in third place.
The usurper? Mick Hannah (AUS). Hannah stormed the track this year, laying down a 2:08.96, +00.72 ahead of Walker.
Sam Blenkinsop
Mick Hannah:
It was just perfect conditions,. On this track you just have to maintain a really good, smooth line all the way. Lay down the pedals when you can and conserve energy you can. It all went to plan and I had a great run.
Despite losing his claim to the top step of the Air DH podium, Walker was pleased to walk away with some valuable points toward the King of Crankworx title. His points have been hard fought – today’s fourth pro-level event at Crankworx Rotorua marks Walker’s fourth competition.
Matt Walker:
After the Enduro I was absolutely toast. I’ve had a few rest days. But went surfing when I probably shouldn’t have. But you just gotta keep trucking along, having a bit of fun along the way.
Matt Walker
Walker now sits in second place in the season-long battle with 305 points. Fellow Kiwi Sam Blenkinsop (NZL) holds the lead with 350. Hannah’s win also bumps him up near the pointy end of the rankings, into fourth behind Keegan Wright. With one more Downhill race looming at the end of the week, the Crankworx Rotorua Downhill, the heat is on.
Before that, Crankworx Rotorua goes live to the world for the first time in 2018, with action from the RockShox Rotorua Pump Track Challenge presented by Torpedo7 coming live to crankworx.com.
—
Official website: crankworx.com
Photos: Fraser Britton