Last but certainly not least of Crankworx Innsbruck is the RockShox Downhill Innsbruck Presented by Deuter. Many world class downhillers have converged to race this fast and rooty track. With a flat-out style track, the riders had to push as hard as they could to make up time, while also being smooth and staying off the brakes as much as possible. It made for some very tight racing.
First place seeds, Bernard Kerr and Valentina Höll both maintained their top spots, securing the gold medal position on the Elite podium.
So, so happy to win a Crankworx downhill. My first one was in 2009 so it took about 15 years later to win one of these. Honestly first time was ’09 in Whistler, so I’m very happy about this.
Bernard Kerr
The British rider’s race run was 0.77 seconds off of his seeding run, here is what he had to say about his race run:
It was honestly pretty bad out the gate. I was up there for almost an hour and I dropped in at around 6:20 so it was so dry, the light was different, well it was for every one of us but rode the bars a couple of times at the top. I thought I threw it away, but I brought it back. It wasn’t quite the run I was honestly wanting to put down, but I’m stoked it did the job. It was good enough – just!
Bernard Kerr
Valentina Höll has defended her title, securing her fourth Crankworx Innsbruck downhill gold medal. Here is what the Red Bull rider had to say:
Winning four times here at Crankworx is really special. I love competing at Crankworx. It’s one of the most fun events. It’s a bit more chill than World Cups so I’m less nervous and it makes it a bit more fun. Coming from winning Leogang finally at home to winning in Crankworx is pretty amazing. It’s sick!
Valentina Höll
Rounding out the Elite Men’s podium, Oliver Zwar took the second place position. Backing up his second-place position in Crankworx Rotorua earlier this year with another performance that saw him close to the top step of the podium. With a win earlier in the week in Dual Slalom, but a crash in seeding, we saw Jake Jewett drop in first in the Elite Men’s field holding onto the hotseat till the bitter end of the race grabbing his first ever Crankworx Downhill podium in third.
Anna Newkirk was looking on form and would have been threatening for the top time had it not been for a crash lower down on the track. The US rider will go home with a silver medal, her second silver medal this week after Dual Slalom. Phoebe Gale rounds off the Elite Women’s podium with an impressive race run, being only 0.1 seconds off of the second step of the podium.
Results – RockShox Downhill Innsbruck presented by deuter
- Valentina Höll (AUS) – 3:41.228 // Bernard Kerr (GBR) – 3:19.231
- Anna Newkirk (USA) – 3:50.615 // Oliver Zwar (SWE) – 3:19.607
- Phoebe Gale (GBR) – 3:50.712 // Jakob Jewett (CAN) – 3:20.362
Full results: crankworx.com/results
About Crankworx World Tour
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
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