It’s crazy to think we just finished up the second-to-last Crankworx round for the season. Innsbruck, Austria is always one of the best locations for Crankworx action and this year’s edition certainly did not disappoint. Being the penultimate event of 2023, the King and Queen of Crankworx standings were tight, with Maxxis riders Bas Van Steenbergen (Hyper Bicycles) and Caroline Buchanan (Trek Bikes) hanging onto their crowns for now. On the slopestyle side of things, Emil Johansson (Trek Bikes) faced Innsbruck hoping to claim his third Triple Crown trophy. With all that’s on the line, fans around the globe are in for a treat.
The Official European Whip-Off Championships kicked-off Crankworx Innsbruck with a bang as riders tried to impress the judges with their best attempt at going sideways. Maxxis athlete Vinny Armstrong (Forbidden Bikes) was absolutely stylish out there, landing herself at the top of the women’s podium to start the week off right. Georgia Astle (Devinci Global Racing) wasn’t far behind her in third place.
Next, the riders took on the epic Dual Slalom race. Caroline Buchanan just missed out on the podium in fourth while Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) had a brilliant race and rocketed into second place. Crankworx veteran Sam Blenkinsop (Crestline Bikes) held down the fort for Maxxis in the men’s race, slotting into second place as well.
Speed and Style is always a fun one to watch, whether you’re at home or next to the course. Bernd Winkler (Abus) continues to impress, combining his stylish riding with some excellent speed to grab a fifth place finish in the men’s competition. Mike Ross (Trek Bikes) also barely missed out on the podium in sixth.
The Pump Track Challenge was as fierce as ever, pushing athletes to the point of exhaustion. Caroline Buchanan has looked unstoppable in this style of race as of late, taking another win. Jayce Cunning (Fist) was a recent new-comer to the top of men’s podium, proudly capturing the gold medal. Bas Van Steenbergen added to his overall lead with a bronze.
On Saturday, the Crankworx Innsbruck Slopestyle was the event that everyone was looking forward to. It all came down to the last run where Emil Johansson got the better of Dawid Godziek in an absolutely mind-bending run with several never-seen-before tricks. With the victory, Emil claimed his third Triple Crown trophy, an unheard of feat until now. Emil relied on his Maxxis Pace and Ikon tires to roll into the history books as one of the greatest slopestyle riders of all time.
Finally, the Innsbruck Downhill wrapped up the amazing week of Crankworx. Anna Newkirk was on the podium yet again with a second place in the women’s race. Mark Wallace (Canyon CLLCTV) picked up a great result, placing into fourth in the men’s.
With only one more round of Crankworx to go, Bas Van Steenbergen and Caroline Buchanan still sit in the King and Queen of Crankworx leader’s position. Don’t miss the action in Whistler, starting on July 21!
