START LISTS FOR CRANKWORX INNSBRUCK STACKED ACROSS THE BOARD, INCLUDING ONE OF BIGGEST ROSTERS OF FEMALE RIDERS

Battles for King and Queen of Crankworx about to kick off, strong field of women in Speed & Style set to take flight, and deep start list of DH racers ready to send it from Innsbruck June 16-20

WHISTLER, B.C., June 3, 2021 – Preliminary start lists have been released for Crankworx Innsbruck, June 16-20. On deck: a deep field of international riders across the board. It’s a very good vibe after a long period of uncertainty in the worlds of racing and events.

• Crankworx Innsbruck 2021 will feature the largest field of pro female riders ever to compete at a Crankworx festival outside of Whistler.
• 14 women will be taking on the Speed & Style in Innsbruck. This is the biggest women’s field (by far) this event has seen since the women’s category was added in 2019.
• Crankworx Innsbruck will be the first time in 15 months that some of our athletes have been able to come together in one place. This means the battles for the King and Queen of Crankworx will be well and truly on again.
• The DH start list is deep.  It is going to make the final day of racing something special.

“It’s been 15 months since we’ve been able to do a full international Crankworx, where all the athletes could travel. The excitement and anticipation from the athletes, as a result, is on another level,” says Darren Kinnaird, Managing Director of the Crankworx World Tour. “We’re seeing examples of that on Instagram, in registration numbers, and in fans’ reactions as we get closer. I’m blown away to see what athletes are doing to prepare…and the things they’ve been working on in the past 15 months. I can’t wait.”

The full lists of who’s competing in what is available here: crankworx.com/results/start-lists/

The following is what they’ll be competing in between June 16 and 20:

• Wednesday, June 16: Official European Whip-Off Championships presented by POC
• Thursday, June 17: Specialized Dual Slalom Innsbruck
• Thursday, June 17: Rockshox Pump Track Challenge Innsbruck
• Friday, June 18: CLIF Speed & Style Innsbruck
• Saturday, June 19: Crankworx Innsbruck Slopestyle
• Sunday, June 20: deuter Downhill Innsbruck presented by Raiffeisen Club

All (except Whip-Offs – highlights available after) will be live on Red Bull TV.

The list of qualified Slopestyle riders was released two weeks ago: crankworx.com/invited-riders-announced-for-crankworx-innsbruck-slopestyle-in-four-weeks-2 

What follows is a list of athletes that are taking on multiple disciplines and are queuing up to get amongst all the action in Innsbruck this year.

Pro Women

Vaea Verbeeck (CAN):

• Defending Queen (2019)
• Champion in 2020’s CLIF Crankworx Summer Series
• Taking on every single event on offer at Crankworx Innsbruck 2021: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH

Casey Brown (CAN):

• Has come in second in the overall Queen of Crankworx battle three times (2015, 2016, 2018)
• Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Kialani Hines (USA):

• Runner up for Queen in 2019
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH

Jordy Scott (USA):

• Has won in Speed & Style and Pump Track (Rotorua 2020)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Tracey Hannah (AUS):

• Retired last year from World Cup racing. We’re hoping she’s going to make a run for Queen.
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH

Vali Höll (AUT):

• Representing Austria and looking to defend her 2020 DH win at Crankworx Innsbruck
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track (which she’s podiumed before in) and defending in the DH

Tahnée Seagrave (GBR):

• Since 2018, has podiumed three times in Crankworx Dual Slalom, twice in DH and once on the Pump Track
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH

Georgia Astle (CAN):

• Two wins to her name in the punishing Garbanzo DH at Crankworx Whistler (2018 and 2019)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Emilie Siegenthaler (SUI):

• On top of Crankworx DH podiums, has finished top five in Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2018)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom and DH

Danielle Beecroft (AUS):

• Top Crankworx finish was a win on the Whistler Dual Slalom track in 2018 (upsetting Jill Kintner’s approx. 438x winning streak)
• Competing in Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Cecile Ravanel (FRA):

• 2018’s winner of the Whistler round of the EWS at Crankworx
• Competing in: Dual Slalom and Pump Track

Martha Gill (GBR):

• Top five in the Dual Slalom in Innsbruck last year
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and DH

Harriet Burbidge-Smith (AUS):

• Top five in the Dual Slalom in Innsbruck in 2019
• A recent Slopestyle competitor (the lone female) at the Highline Mountain Bike festival in Australia.
• Competing in: Whip-Offs, Pump Track and S&S

Kathi Kuypers (GER):

• Podiumed on the Pump Track in Innsbruck last year
• Competing in: Pump Track, Speed & Style

Mathilde Bernard (FRA):

• Has podiumed on the Pump Track every time she’s competed
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style and DH

Micayla Gatto (CAN):

• Returned to Crankworx competition in Rotorua in 2020
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track and Speed & Style

Pro Men

Tomas Lemoine (FRA):

• Earned a first, second and third place in Innsbruck competition last year
• In the race for the throne he has come in second (2018) and third (2019).
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, Slopestyle

Kyle Strait (USA):

• Second in the King standings coming out of Rotorua in 2020
• Has probably competed and podiumed in every event Crankworx has ever run, at least once since it all began in 2004 (not verified)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Bas van Steenbergen (CAN):

• The leader for King coming out of Crankworx Rotorua in 2020
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style and DH

Adrien Loron (FRA):

• Took two wins in a single day in Innsbruck in 2020 (Dual Slalom and Pump Track)
• Former King of Crankworx (2017)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, DH

Keegan Wright (NZL)

• Has taken wins in Crankworx Enduro (Rotorua 2018), Pump Track (Let Gets 2018) and Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2019)
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Austin Warren (USA):

• Was in fourth in King standings coming out of Rotorua 2020
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Luca Cometti (USA):

• Multiple podiums in Crankworx Dual Slalom (Rotorua 2018, Innsbruck 2019) and Pump Track (Les Gets 2018)
• Competing in Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Kaos Seagrave (GBR):

• The defending Whip-Off Champ in Innsbruck
• Taking on every event, except Slopestyle

Kade Edwards (GBR):

• First runner up (twice) at Whip-Offs (Les Gets 2018 and Innsbruck 2019)
• Like Seagrave, taking on every event, except Slopestyle

Mick Hannah (AUS):

• Frequent podium finisher at Crankworx DH events (most recently, winner of DH in Rotorua in 2020) and often cracks the top 10 in Dual Slalom
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Pivot Team – Eddie Masters (NZL), Matt Walker (NZL) and the boss, Bernard Kerr (GBR):

• Masters has twice come in second in the Innsbruck DH (2019 and 2020)
• Walker was just 50 points off the leader for King coming out of Rotorua 2020
• Kerr’s best Crankworx results in recent years have been in Dual Slalom, with a win in Les Gets in 2018 and a third place finish in Innsbruck Dual Slalom in 2020
• All three competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom and the DH

Tim Bringer (FRA):

• Following in Lemoine’s footsteps and branching out from Slopestyle
• Competing in: Pump Track, Speed & Style and Slopestyle (alternate)

Louis Reboul (FRA):

• Won the Innsbruck Whip-Off in 2018, fifth in Speed & Style last year
• Competing in: Whip-Offs, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Sam Reynolds (GBR):

• Major past success in Innsbruck S&S: second place in 2018 and 2020, plus a fourth place finish in 2019
• Competing in: Whip-Offs and S&S

Greg Watts (USA):

• In recent years has distinguished himself as a Speed & Style specialist, most recently coming in second in Rotorua
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Speed & Style

Tomas Slavik (CZE):

• Fixture on the Dual Slalom podium, including three top threes in the past three years
• Competing in: Dual Slalom, Speed & Style

Tommy Zula (USA):

• Two-time winner on the Crankworx Pump Track (Whistler 2019 and Rotorua 2020)
• Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style

Collin Hudson (USA):

• Zula’s teammate, he has also earned to Pump Track podiums (win in Whistler in 2018 and second in Rotorua in 2020)
• Competing in: Whip-Offs, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, DH

Plus, watch for the following in the DH:

• Gee Atherton (GBR)
• Camille Balanche (SUI)
• Sam Blenkinsop (NZL)
• Loic Bruni (FRA)
• Eleonora Farina (ITA)
• Laurie Greenland (GBR)
• Finn Iles (CAN)
• Brook Macdonald (NZL)
• Amaury Pierron (FRA)
• Luca Shaw (USA)
• Loris Vergier (FRA)
• Reece Wilson (GBR)
• Katy Winton (GBR)

Full schedule and details for all live events to come during Crankworx Innsbruck 2021: crankworx.com

Photos for media use: CWX Media Drive

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, CWNEXT categories for next gen athletes, Kidsworx contests for young riders, participatory events and celebrations of mountain bike culture, all while showcasing amazing destinations. For additional information, visit Crankworx.com