BIGGEST ENDURO WORLD SERIES RACE IN HISTORY KICKS OFF CRANKWORX WHISTLER 2019, AND OVERALL RIDER LISTS RELEASED
675 enduro athletes set off wave of Crankworx momentum that will carry through the festival, August 9-18, as world’s top mountain bikers descend on Whistler
WHISTLER, B.C. August 9, 2019 – With 675 ridersqueued up to race this weekend, Crankworx Whistler will be hosting the biggest Enduro World Series (EWS) race in history.
And that’s just one weekend. In total, 10 days of competition will feature 13 races, contests and jam sessions, and see over 1000 pro and amateur athletes from different mountain bike disciplines take part. On top of that, 626 young riders are registered to take part in Kidsworx races and events (with more waitlisted).
Overall, the 16th year of Crankworx Whistler is shaping up to be the biggest yet, bringing together the best of the best in Enduro, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, Downhill, and Slopestyle.
EWS – Who to Watch For
The record-setting EWS number comes from the total riders in three categories of enduro race taking to the trails in Whistler. These include the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro presented by Specialized (pro category and 100) and the Bell Canadian Open Enduro 80 (formerly known as the Challenger).
Among the competitors, Jill Kintner, the reigning Queen of Crankworx, set to take on her second EWS race. Kintner came close to dominating in her debut, finishing just behind current series leader Isabeau Courdurier at the season’s second stop in Tasmania. Unforunately Cecile Ravanel, who’s finished first in Whistler the past three years (2016, 2017 and 2018) is still recovering from injury.
On the men’s side, Martin Maes won’t be eligible to repeat as he serves his suspension, and the status of 2017’s winner is still unknown. Jesse Melamed broke his leg in Val Di Fassa at the fourth EWS round, so the home crowd is still waiting to find out if he’ll be racing this weekend.
Likely to be pushing hard for the win in Whistler: Sam Hill, who’s twice come in second here (2017 and 2018), Eddie Masters, coming off his first-even EWS win in France, and Richie Rude, who’s reigned supreme here before (2015 and 2016) and came out of the gate running at this season’s EWS in Italy, taking first.
The full start list for the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro will be released today on https://www.enduroworldseries.com/.
Crankworx Rider Lists Unveiled
Meantime, invited and preliminary elite rider lists have been released for the 100% Dual Slalom Whistler, RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge, CLIF Speed & Style, and Canadian Open DH presented by iXS.
The invited rider list for Red Bull Joyride was released in July.
100% Dual Slalom Whistler
Preliminary Elite Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Dual-Slalom-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf
Watch for: Vaea Verbeeck, Kyle Strait, Jill Kintner, Mitch Ropelato, Danielle Beecroft, Matt Sterling, Kialani Hines, Keegan Wrigt
Current leaders, Crankworx Dual Slalom World Championships rankings:
Vaea Verbeeck and Keegan Wright
Notable facts:
- Verbeeck is undefeated in Crankworx Dual Slalom in 2019
- Kintner won five consecutive Crankworx Whistler Dual Slalom races between 2013 and 2017
- Sterling, who took down Ropelato in the finals at Crankworx Innsbruck 2019, is just 17-years-old
- The win in Innsbruck was Sterling’s first elite win of his career
RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge
Invited Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pump-Track-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf
Watch for: Adrien Loron, Jill Kintner, Tomas Lemoine, Kialani Hines, Keegan Wright
Current leaders, Crankworx Pump Track World Championships ranking:
Adrien Loron/Tomas Lemoine (tied) and Kialani Hines
Notable Facts:
- Lemoine and Loron have each taken a win and a third place finish this season (Lemoine won Rotorua while Loron won Innsbruck)
- Hines is undefeated on the Crankworx Pump Track in 2019
- Kintner and Hines each podiumed four times on the Crankworx Pump Track in 2018, with Kintner sitting one above Hines every time
CLIF Speed & Style
Invited Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Speed-Style-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf
Watch for: Tomas Lemoine, Billy Meaclam, Martin Söderström, Kyle Strait
Current leader, Crankworx Speed & Style World Championship ranking:
Martin Söderström
Notable Facts:
- Söderström and Lemoine are tied for the most recent Crankworx Speed & Style wins, at three a piece: Söderström (Rotorua 2015, Rotorua 2018, Innsbruck 2019) vs. Lemoine (Innsbruck 2017, Innsbruck 2018, Whistler 2018)
- Lemoine is the defending Crankworx Speed & Style World Champion
- Meaclam rose from relative obscurity to beat Söderström in the finals on home soil in Rotorua 2019
- CLIF Speed & Style at Crankworx Whistler will feature an official women’s category for the first time in 2019
Canadian Open DH presented by iXS
Preliminary Elite Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Canadian-Open-DH-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf
Watch for: Tracey Hannah, Brook MacDonald, Myriam Nicole, Troy Brosnan, Vaea Verbeeck, Sam Blenkinsop
Current leaders, Crankworx Downhill Championship rankings:
Tracey Hannah and Brook MacDonald
Notable Facts:
- Hannah and MacDonald are both undefeated in the 2019 Crankworx DH Championship series
- Hannah has won this event three years running as well as winning the overall championship every year since its inception
- A win in this event for Brosnan would make it five years in a row
- Verbeeck will be racing wearing the Canadian flag sleeve, after winning the Canadian National Downhill Championships at the end of July
- Blenkinsop came fourth in this event last year, securing him the King of Crankworx title for 2018
- Nicole is currently registered to race at Crankworx Whistler, after three+ months of rehab with a foot injury
Riders are ready. Fans are primed. The dirt awaits. Crankworx Whistler 2019 is go.
High res release photos: Dropbox
News: Press releases
Photos: Flickr
General resources: Media kit
About the 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. For additional information, visit crankworx.com.
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Media Contact
Julia Montague | Communications Manager, Crankworx World Tour
julia@crankworx.com