Photo Epic: Dual Slalom - Crankworx Innsbruck 2021
In true Crankworx fashion, the organizers wasted no time hosting the first of two finals on the second day of competition here in Innsbruck. It was the Dual Slalom race that kick-started the morning and needless to say, it's a crowd favourite. The format attracts racers from virtually every discipline of the sport and at an event like Crankworx, there is a lot of variety on the start list. The matchups today had veterans competing against rookies and everything in between. Naturally, the odd matches made upsets more prevalent as the brackets wore down to the final. Knockout after knockout, the athletes dropped into the dry track and dug deep. There are valuable points on the line and, at this event, anyone could come and snatch them.
Tomas Slavik is the man when it comes to slalom.
Noel Niederberger dialing it in.
Kyle Strait was one of many big names to get knocked out earlier than expected.
Joe Breeden in one of the early match ups
The first few brackets had some big names in them. Kyle Strait and Phil Atwill facing off early on.
Kade Edwards couldn't quite hang on to Adrien Loron who would advance
All smiles
Vali Höll taking down Robin Goomes in the morning heat.
Kyle Strait and Phil Atwill ready to battle it out.
Keep your wheels on the ground and pedal hard. Phil Atwill
Jackson Goldstone against Bas van Steenbergen
This is what we came for. Jackson Goldstone roosting those turns
Eddie Masters kept climbing the ladder and put the hurt on unsuspecting opponents.
Kyle Strait tries to reel Eddie in to no avail.
Bernard Kerr versus Bas Van Steenbergen. Bernard had an answer for his every move, forcing Bas to sit the rest of the morning out.
Luca Cometti with a drift in the flat turns which would cost him the semi finals
The slalom course had some perfectly shaped berms up top and some nice flat grass turns at the bottom
A favourite for anything gate racing, Vaea Verbeeck would climb to the semi's, only to get stopped at the consolation round.
Harriet Burbidge-Smith making quick work of whoever she was facing.
Luca Cometti and Noel Niederberger head to head with Niederberger coming out on top.
Not quite like Eddie 'The Eagle', Masters stays low on the rhythm section
Vaea Verbeeck layed down some great runs but came up short and placed 4th
Slavik started his path of destruction early on. Not even Adrien Loron could put a stop to him.
The only Mike you want on the mic. Mikey Haderer gracing us with his voice all day long.
The men's semi's had everyone on their feet. Bernard Kerr tries his hand at Tomas Slavik, who would ultimately take the W.
Tomas Slavik took the semi heat by a hair over Bernard Kerr.
Harriet Burbidge-Smith putting the power down to sprint towards her first slalom win
Vali Höll vs Harriet Burbidge-Smith
Another big semi-final. Vali takes on Harriet but her run would end there and would take on Vaea for the bronze.
The other women's semi had Casey Brown come out on top, and Vaea to face off with Vali.
Vaea Verbeeck would take the first of two heats but would bobble on the second and give Vali the difference in time and the bronze medal.
Bernard Kerr
Harriet Burbidge-Smith edges out Casey Brown in the first of two final heats.
It's great to see Slavik this confident and back on the top.
Noel Niederberger takes the bronze by a fraction of a second.
In the men's final, Slavik took the first round by .003 of a second.
The ladies were neck and neck entering the grass turns. Harriet would eventually get ahead by a big enough margin to secure gold.
The Tomas Slavik and Eddie Masters Match up couldn't have been any tighter. Upon crossing the line, both had gone straight to the screen for photo finish replay.
Your Women's Podium: 1st Harriet Burbidge-Smith, 2nd Casey Brown, 3rd Vali Holl
Your Men's Podium: 1st Tomas Slavik, 2nd Eddie Masters, 3rd Noel Niederberger
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