Crankworx Announces Rider Lists for Whistler

With 675 riders queued up to race this weekend, Crankworx Whistler will be hosting the biggest Enduro World Series race in history.

And that’s just one weekend. In total, 10 days of competition will feature 13 races, contests and jam sessions, and see over 1000 pro and amateur athletes from different mountain bike disciplines take part. On top of that, 626 young riders are registered to take part in Kidsworx races and events (with more waitlisted).

Overall, the 16th year of Crankworx Whistler is shaping up to be the biggest yet, bringing together the best of the best in Enduro, Dual Slalom, Pump Track, Speed & Style, Downhill, and Slopestyle.

EWS - Who to Watch For
The record-setting EWS number comes from the total riders in three categories of enduro race taking to the trails in Whistler. These include the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro presented by Specialized (pro category and 100) and the Bell Canadian Open Enduro 80 (formerly known as the Challenger).

Among the competitors, Jill Kintner, the reigning Queen of Crankworx, set to take on her second EWS race. Kintner came close to dominating in her debut, finishing just behind current series leader Isabeau Courdurier at the season’s second stop in Tasmania. Unforunately Cecile Ravanel, who’s finished first in Whistler the past three years (2016, 2017 and 2018 ) is still recovering from injury.

On the men’s side, Martin Maes won’t be eligible to repeat as he serves his suspension, while the status of 2017’s winner is still unknown. Jesse Melamed broke his leg in Val Di Fassa at the fourth EWS round, so the home crowd is still waiting to find out if he’ll be racing this weekend.

Likely to be pushing hard for the win in Whistler: Sam Hill, who’s twice come in second here (2017 and 2018 ), Eddie Masters, coming off his first-ever EWS win in France, and Richie Rude, who’s reigned supreme here before (2015 and 2016) and came out of the gate running at this season’s EWS in Italy, taking first.


The full start list for the CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro will be released today on https://www.enduroworldseries.com/.

Crankworx Rider Lists Released
Meantime, invited and preliminary elite rider lists have been released for the 100% Dual Slalom Whistler, RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge, CLIF Speed & Style, and Canadian Open DH presented by iXS.

The invited rider list for Red Bull Joyride was released in July.

100% Dual Slalom Whistler
Preliminary Elite Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Dual-Slalom-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf

Watch for: Vaea Verbeeck, Kyle Strait, Jill Kintner, Mitch Ropelato, Danielle Beecroft, Matt Sterling, Kialani Hines, Keegan Wrigt

Current leaders, Crankworx Dual Slalom World Championships rankings:
Vaea Verbeeck and Keegan Wright

Notable facts:
Verbeeck is undefeated in Crankworx Dual Slalom in 2019
Kintner won five consecutive Crankworx Whistler Dual Slalom races between 2013 and 2017
Sterling, who took down Ropelato in the finals at Crankworx Innsbruck 2019, is just 17-years-old
The win in Innsbruck was Sterling’s first elite win of his career


RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge
Invited Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Pump-Track-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf

Watch for: Adrien Loron, Jill Kintner, Tomas Lemoine, Kialani Hines, Keegan Wright

Current leaders, Crankworx Pump Track World Championships ranking:
Adrien Loron/Tomas Lemoine (tied) and Kialani Hines

Notable Facts:
Lemoine and Loron have each taken a win and a third place finish this season (Lemoine won Rotorua while Loron won Innsbruck)
Hines is undefeated on the Crankworx Pump Track in 2019
Kintner and Hines each podiumed four times on the Crankworx Pump Track in 2018, with Kintner sitting one above Hines every time

CLIF Speed & Style
Invited Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Speed-Style-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf

Watch for: Tomas Lemoine, Billy Meaclam, Martin Söderström, Kyle Strait


Current leader, Crankworx Speed & Style World Championship ranking:
Martin Söderström

Notable Facts:
Söderström and Lemoine are tied for the most recent Crankworx Speed & Style wins, at three a piece: Söderström (Rotorua 2015, Rotorua 2018, Innsbruck 2019) vs. Lemoine (Innsbruck 2017, Innsbruck 2018, Whistler 2018 )
Lemoine is the defending Crankworx Speed & Style World Champion
Meaclam rose from relative obscurity to beat Söderström in the finals on home soil in Rotorua 2019
CLIF Speed & Style at Crankworx Whistler will feature an official women’s category for the first time in 2019

Canadian Open DH presented by iXS
Preliminary Elite Rider List: https://www.crankworx.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Canadian-Open-DH-Rider-List-Whistler-2019.pdf

Watch for: Tracey Hannah, Brook MacDonald, Myriam Nicole, Troy Brosnan, Vaea Verbeeck, Sam Blenkinsop

Current leaders, Crankworx Downhill Championship rankings:
Tracey Hannah and Brook MacDonald


Notable Facts:
Hannah and MacDonald are both undefeated in the 2019 Crankworx DH Championship series
Hannah has won this event three years running as well as winning the overall championship every year since its inception
A win in this event for Brosnan would make it five years in a row
Verbeeck will be racing wearing the Canadian flag sleeve, after winning the Canadian National Downhill Championships at the end of July
Blenkinsop came fourth in this event last year, securing him the King of Crankworx title for 2018
Nicole is currently registered to race at Crankworx Whistler, after three+ months of rehab with a foot injury

Riders are ready. Fans are primed. The dirt awaits. Crankworx Whistler 2019 is go.

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Racing and Events Crankworx Crankworx Whistler 2019