Crankworx Whistler’s 20th anniversary continued under blazing sunshine, with high-octane racing bringing together youth, amateur, adaptive, and elite athletes. Across multiple disciplines, today’s schedule showcased the breadth of the mountain bike community that Crankworx continues to nurture.
Crankworx Whistler 2025: Garbanzo DH
The legendary Garbanzo DH took centre stage, drawing 200 athletes eager to take on one of the most gruelling tests in mountain biking. Known as a “vertical marathon”, the Garbanzo DH sends riders on a 7km descent with a punishing 3,400 feet of vertical drop, demanding stamina, smoothness, and precise strategy. The course weaves through some of Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s most aggressive terrain, making it a true leg-busting tour de force.
A Golden Debut for Aletha Ostgaard
In the women’s elite race, American rider Aletha Ostgaard stormed to gold in her first-ever Crankworx Elite race, clocking a winning time of 14:05.149. Three-time champion Georgia Astle claimed silver by a hair’s breadth, while fellow BC rider Emmy Lan took bronze – finishing less than a second behind Astle after over 14 minutes of racing.
Richie Rude Does It Again
On the men’s side, defending champion Richie Rude proved unstoppable once again, securing the fastest run of the day with a 12:08.870. His Yeti teammate and reigning King of Crankworx, Ryan Gilchrist, followed 13.863 seconds back in silver despite still recovering from a wrist injury sustained at Crankworx Cairns earlier this season. Luke Meier-Smith, fresh off his OG CDN OPN DH victory, rounded out the podium in third place, less than two seconds behind Gilchrist.
Crankworx Whistler Garbanzo DH podium:
- Richie RUDE (USA) – 12:08.870 // Aletha OSTGAARD (USA) – 14:05.149
- Ryan GILCHRIST (AUS) – 12:22.733 // Georgia ASTLE (CAN) – 14:18.117
- Luke MEIER-SMITH (AUS) – 12:24.283 // Emmy LAN (CAN) – 14:40.434
Full results: crankworx.com/results
Future Stars and Adaptive Highlights
A breakout performance came from 14-year-old Mack Manietta in the U15 category, whose 13:19.857 would have earned a top-20 position among the elite men. Adaptive riders also had their moment to shine in the aMTB Tech DH, which joined the Garbanzo course partway down, demonstrating the progression and inclusion of adaptive mountain biking at the festival. Many of these athletes also competed in the Specialized Dual Slalom today, wrapping up this year’s competitive adaptive program.
What’s Next at Crankworx Whistler
Tomorrow, attention turns to Air DH on Whistler’s world-famous A-Line – the third of four Downhill races in the festival – before shifting gears for the first cultural highlight of the week: the Deep Summer Photo Challenge at Whistler Olympic Plaza.
Still to come this week:
- Official Whip-Off World Championships presented by POC
- RockShox Canadian Open DH – riders tackling the iconic 1199 trail in Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s Creekside Zone
- Outdoor Research Speed & Style – where speed meets tricks in head-to-head battles
- Red Bull Joyride – the crown jewel of Slopestyle, with the best in the world throwing down on the Boneyard
- Head-to-head racing – the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge and Specialized Dual Slalom will have athletes fighting for valuable points for the overall standings
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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