1st Edition of Crankworx Les Gets
The biggest MTB festival in its new European home
Crankworx found a new European home this summer, moving from Les 2 Alpes to Les Gets, where it will stay for at least the next three years and what a success it's been...
The weather may have been a bit uppity and not playing ball throughout the 5 days of the event, which saw some events needing to be postponed or put back a day, but on the whole there was just enough clear weather to run pretty much everything they had planned.
The Dual speed and style saw some surprise victories on Friday, with a number of the top riders failing to make it through the knock out stages and first-timer British rider Daryl Brown managed to get on the podium. This year there was also a women's competition for this event too, with Jill Kitner & Casey Brown battling it out for the 1-2 places.
Dual speed & Style Results Men:
- Daryl BROWN (GBR)
- Adrien LORON (FRA)
- Louis REBOUL (FRA)
Dual speed & Style Results Women:
- Jill KINTNER (USA)
- Casey BROWN (CAN)
- Anneke BEERTEN (NED)
The biggest event of the week, the Slopestyle finals on Saturday was brought forward to 10:30 from 16:00 as looming clouds threatened to cancel it all together. Sadly because parts of the course were still pretty slick, and deemed unsafe, the event organisers decided to change the format of the competition to 'Best tricks' on the last jump of the course. Despite being a bit of a disappointment to the crowds of onlookers, there were still some huge tricks thrown down, with Nicholi Rogatkin stealing the show, and the 5k prize money, with the "Twister".
Best Trick results:
1. Nicholi Rogatkin (USA) – The Twister
2. Antoine Bizet (FRA)—Oppo-Cash Roll
3. Brett Rheeder (CAN)—Oppo Cork-720
On Sunday the downhill racers were met with some interesting conditions on track. Very wet, slippery mud which started to cake up as the morning led into the afternoon. As the amateur riders tentatively made their way down, with a lot of sideways action in the slick mud, we waited patiently to see how the pros would fare. It was no surprise that riders from the Southern hemisphere didn't cope as well in the tyre deep mud as their European counterparts. The French and British riders show the rest of the field how it should be done.
Results Men, Crankworx Les Gets Downhill presented by iXS:
- Remi Thirion (FRA)
- Brendan Fairclough (GBR)
- Jack Moir (AUS)
Results Women, Crankworx Les Gets Downhill presented by iXS:
- Morgane Charre (FRA)
- Emilie Siegenthaler (SUI)
- Tracey Hannah (AUS)
The event moves on to its home base again at Whistler bike park from 12th to 21st August 2016, but don't worry if you missed out this year, as it will be back in Les Gets at the same time next year. We'll see you then!
