For the third round of the 2022 Crankworx World Tour, racers headed down under to Cairns, Australia. The points earned there for the King and Queen of Crankworx were vital since there’s only one more round after Cairns. Tire choice would be crucial as well; the courses in Cairns were very dry and dusty in comparison to previous rounds this year.

Crankworx Cairns kicked off with the rapidly growing Speed and Style event. Vaea Verbeeck (Rocky Mountain Bikes) quickly added to her overall points with a second place, followed by Caroline Buchanan (Trek Bikes) in third. Bas Van Steenbergen (Hyper Bicycles) managed fifth place in Pro Men. On the same day, Thomas Locke (Yeti Cycles) scored a second place in Pro Men during the Whip-Off competition.

The next day, the much-anticipated downhill race was in full swing. Sian A’Hern (YT Industries) rocketed into second place in Pro Women, barely behind first place. In the Men’s race, Troy Brosnan (Canyon Collective) was looking like his old self, taking the gold medal. Brosnan piloted his Canyon Torque to victory with his signature Maxxis Dissector tire on the rear on his bike. Connor Fearon (Forbidden Synthesis) also had a phenomenal result, slotting into second behind Brosnan.

Saturday brought around the fan-favorite Pump Track Challenge. Caroline Buchanan soared into first, proving she’s still the queen of this event. Bas Van Steenbergen was also on the Pro Men’s podium, adding to his overall points total with a silver medal. Unfortunately, while Saturday also showcased the ever-popular Slopestyle event, Emil Johansson (Trek Bikes) crashed on his first run and was knocked unconscious. He then made the absolute right decision not to take his second run. We wish Emil the best in his recovery process.

Finally, Crankworx Cairns wrapped up with the Dual Slalom on Sunday. Riding her momentum from the Pump Track win, Caroline Buchanan snagged the gold in Pro Women. Vaea Verbeeck also stepped onto the podium in third. Van Steenbergen was once again a medal winner, taking second in Pro Men.

That does it for another amazing round of Crankworx! Don’t miss out on the last round’s action in Rotorua on November 5-13.

Photos: Clint Trahan and Con Chronis