{"id":6709,"date":"2020-08-08T10:46:01","date_gmt":"2020-08-08T08:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/43ride.com\/en\/?p=6709"},"modified":"2020-08-08T10:46:22","modified_gmt":"2020-08-08T08:46:22","slug":"clif-crankworx-summer-series-relentlessly-technical-track-sees-enduro-riders-rise-to-the-top-in-kicking-horse-downhill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/43ride.com\/en\/events\/2020\/clif-crankworx-summer-series-relentlessly-technical-track-sees-enduro-riders-rise-to-the-top-in-kicking-horse-downhill\/","title":{"rendered":"CLIF Crankworx Summer Series: relentlessly technical track sees Enduro riders rise to the top in Kicking Horse Downhill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cA good bike rider is a good bike rider,\u201d<\/em> said Rhys Verner from the finish corral of the final event of the CLIF Crankworx Summer Series in Kicking Horse. The statement was a response to the fact that he and Jesse Melamed, two Enduro specialists, managed to take the two top spots in the Maxxis Kicking Horse Downhill race today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jesse Melamed \/ photo: Clint Trahan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I think that\u2019s what we had all hoped for and were expecting with this series. Kind of random, weird results. It\u2019s definitely interesting, all of us doing different disciplines. We\u2019ve just finished the second week of three, and there\u2019s so many variables that go into it. I can\u2019t say that I\u2019m stoked that Finn is winning the Enduros, but he\u2019s obviously such a good rider. I can\u2019t really complain, he\u2019s obviously so good.<\/p>– Jesse Melamed<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Whistler rider said his race run was his best run of the day, and was preceded by a double espresso and a bunch of shot bloks, possibly a winning secret given that the series\u2019 athletes have logged long practice and race days for 10 of the past 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Casey Brown \/ photo: Clint Trahan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s crazy managing the fatigue and trying to figure out how the track is and everything in one day. Practice and race in one day in all these events. It\u2019s a head-full and physically it\u2019s so taxing. It\u2019s a huge accomplishment to be able to even finish a day.<\/p>– Casey Brown<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a sentiment that was echoed by the other two women who finished just behind Brown.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vaea Verbeeck \/ photo: Chris Pilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I definitely went with the approach of late morning start. I wasn\u2019t sure because everybody else seemed to be doing more practice runs, but I knew my body could only take so much. So three practice runs later and I felt good with my lines and just went in confident but not too aggressive and that, I think, was key for me to stay clean and stay on my lines.<\/p>– Vaea Verbeeck<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Miranda Miller \/ photo: Chris Pilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Psychosis was an emotional day. At the top, for our first run, usually you\u2019re always kind of nervous before you do something like that, but everyone was scared. It was like a whole nother level. I feel like everyone was just collectively like \u2018Oh shit.\u2019 And so I think that day was just really draining and the heat really took it out of me. And so yesterday I felt physically really low. And then today physically I feel pretty good, but mentally more fatigued. Like I found it really hard to concentrate. My eyes weren\u2019t tracking as well. It\u2019s some ups and downs.<\/p>– Miranda Miller<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Definitely an up week for Miller\u2019s teammate Verner, who took third in Tuesday\u2019s Enduro and in Psychosis Wednesday. His second place finish today, with a 2:52.45, just 0.61 off of first place, is his best result of the series.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rhys Verner \/ photo: Chris Pilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a sweet week, a lot of fun, and fun is fast. Really happy with the week. Pretty relentlessly technical. I had a pretty good run. The top was really good. I got kind of tired at the bottom and made a few little mistakes, but nothing too costly and I still landed on the box, so it\u2019s good.<\/p>– Rhys Verner<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He said today\u2019s track, down Kicking Horse\u2019s infamously steep terrain, was full-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the third place finisher among the Elite Men, today\u2019s result was also his best of the series, and his first podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kirk McDowall \/ photo: Chris Pilling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was tired of being fourth and fifth and wanted to do well today. So I\u2019m glad I was on the podium. It was also not my finest downhill race run work, so that part of it is bittersweet as I didn\u2019t miss out by much. But it was a tricky course. The mistakes came in my run from trying to push a little bit too much. Normally you go up a couple percent from your practice runs. On this course it felt like as soon as I did that, a lot of mistakes happened.<\/p>– Kirk McDowall<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The results from the week now get added to the points totals from Week One in SilverStar, as the action rolls on to the final stretch of competition in Sun Peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s confidence inspiring. I know that I\u2019ve been doing what I need to do and I\u2019ve been riding really well. I\u2019ve been really happy with my riding. I think I\u2019m riding very consistently, which is something I\u2019ve had to work on in the past. It brings me some confidence and I\u2019m just going to keep doing what I\u2019m doing.<\/p>– Jesse Melamed<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We have another week ahead. I\u2019m ready for it.<\/p>– Vaea Verbeeck<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

FULL RESULTS – Maxxis Kicking Horse DH<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n