Legendary Downhill Track Sets the Stage as Seeding Kicks Off Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne

The first-ever Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne has officially kicked off, with athletes already putting in incredible training sessions on the Slopestyle course to get geared up for the Slopestyle Super League Finals on Sunday – get behind the scenes here. Wet conditions across the venue have led to some major shuffles in the festival schedule, ensuring all eight disciplines and every category, from Elites to Kidsworxand Amateurs, get their opportunity to race this long weekend. Fans can find the up-to-date schedule at crankworx.com/schedule.

Today brought the weekend’s first timed event: Seeding on the legendary Downhill track, building on the decades of legacy Crankworx is thrilled to build on at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Athletes got their boots on the ground during yesterday’s track walk before putting tires to dirt today, training on the ruthless 2.2km track that carries so much history, recognition, and weight in the global mountain bike community.

Mille Johnset and Kasper Woolley Set the Pace Ahead of Tomorrow’s Race

Last year’s Crankworx DH Champion Mille Johnset seeded first with a comfortable buffer of 15.32 seconds over Isla O’Connor, who isn’t just gunning for the win in tomorrow’s race, but is also looking to leverage the final opportunities to collect points in the race towards the Queen of Crankworx standings. Anaïs Trudelle put down the third fastest time in the women’s elite category, ahead of Taylor Ostgaard, Charlie Bernard, and Julia Lofqvist Traum.

*In muddy conditions, Mille Johnset is looking to secure the DH overall title for the second time in a row. (c) Clint Trahan*

In the men’s field, Kasper Woolley takes P1 in Seeding, setting himself up for a return to the Crankworx DH podium for the first time since 2020. Only 5.43 seconds behind him, Dane Jewett – a regular on Crankworx podiums across the globe – crossed the finish line to secure second, ahead of Chris Grice, who is racing his first Crankworx event since 2023. Reigning King of Crankworx Ryan Gilchrist also put down an impressive time, just fractions of a second faster than local hero Tristan Lemire. 2025 DH Series Champion Tegan Cruz seeded in P9, taking just enough risk to secure a top-10 position heading into tomorrow’s finals.

Full Seeding results are available at crankworx.com/results/.

Canadian Kasper Woolley puts down the fastest time on course today – tomorrow’s finals will determine who takes home gold (c) Clint Trahan

Looking Ahead

The weekend’s schedule is packed. Tomorrow brings Downhill racing and the first-ever Official North American Whip-Off World Championships presented by RAG. Sunday has something for everyone, kicking off with Air DH presented by Velosolutions Canada on a brand-new track built for the occasion, the first of its kind in the province of Québec, that will stay on for the local community to enjoy long after the festival leaves town. From there, the action heads into the Slopestyle Super League Finals at 4 PM, where the world’s best athletes will compete for the inaugural Slopestyle World Champion titles. Closing out the day, head-to-head racing takes over the newly built Dual Slalom course, another permanent addition to the resort.

A legacy discipline at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Cross-Country will see XCC racing on Sunday and XCO on Monday, closing out the first-ever Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne and the 2027 Crankworx World Tour.

The world’s best have been practicing for the inaugural Slopestyle Super League Finals, like Johanna Nussbaumer, looking to back up her victory at the Rhapsody Slopestyle at Crankworx Whistler (c) Clint Trahan

Saturday’s Elite Downhill and Sunday’s Slopestyle Super League Finals will be broadcast live on the Crankworx YouTube channel for anyone who can’t make it on site, though with a buzzing expo, true Crankworx vibes, and the signature Mont-Sainte-Anne party, the festival is best experienced in person.

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