Shortly after the World Cup in Leogang, mountain bike racing came back to Austria for Crankworx Innsbruck. The ultimate celebration of the sport, Crankworx combines many disciplines of racing into one big event, with athletes competing in multiple races to chase the King and Queen of Crankworx titles.

The festivities kicked off with the Whipoff Competition – a fan favorite, as reflected by the massive crowd that showed up to watch! Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) took home the gold, throwing absolutely insane whips that impressed everybody.

Next up was the Dual Slalom. After the course received some rain, finals were slick and full of surprises. At her first-ever dual slalom race, Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) placed first, continuing the Syndicate’s success at Crankworx. Maxxis also took the other two spots on the Women’s podium with Vali Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) in second and Anna Newkirk (Beyond Racing) in third.

Pump Track is a growing event, with athletes showing up stronger and faster every year. If you didn’t know already, this race uses a side-by-side pump track for a race between two riders who are on chainless bikes. Whoever has the fastest time after two runs moves on. Kialani Hines (Pivot Cycles) came out swinging during this event, snagging first place out of a competitive Pro Women’s field. Caroline Buchanan (Trek Bikes) slid into second place as well. In Pro Men, Bas Van Steenbergen (Hyper Bicycles) looked back on pace, taking a solid second place.

Speed and Style is a unique event, combining elements of slopestyle and dual slalom. Pushing the envelope of Women’s freeride, Caroline Buchanan took third place. Australian Mike Ross (Trek Bikes) also slotted into bronze medal position in the Men’s.

Arguably the highlight event of any Crankworx week, Slopestyle did not disappoint. All eyes were on Emil Johansson (Trek Bikes) who hadn’t lost since he started winning – spoiler alert, he won for the seventh straight time. We’re not sure how to describe such a flawless run, so you can watch it yourself below.

Finally, the Downhill wrapped up an amazing week. Vali Höll and Anna Newkirk stepped onto the Crankworx podium once again, taking first and third in Pro Women. U19 Men saw Jackson Goldstone secure his second win in Innsbruck.

The 2022 edition of Crankworx Innsbruck turned out to be exciting as any we’ve ever seen. We’re definitely looking forward to seeing everybody at Crankworx Whistler, August 5-14!