Photo Epic: Pumptrack Challenge Finals - Crankworx Innsbruck 2018

Jun 14, 2018
by Nathan Hughes  




The high-power halogens of Crankworx Innsbruck once again drew the world's fastest pumpers like moths to a flame, and an impressive audience to boot. The Austrian course is a thing of beauty, and the masterful shaping held up surprisingly well despite having been exposed to some incredibly heavy rain over the last couple of days. The seeding heats went down earlier in the day, leaving us with just 16 top men and 8 top women to do battle as the floodlights took over from a golden sunset.

Plenty of big names such as Brook Macdonald and Sik Mik took their shot, but in the end we saw the more specialist pumptrack phenoms take charge, with Chaney Guennet and Adrien Loron clashing in an all French men's final. In the absence of Caroline Buchanan in the women's race we witnessed an all-American duel as Kialani Hines squared up to Jill Kintner. Austria's young talent Vali Holl wowed home crowds riding to the last medal position, and Crankworx crowd favourite Bubba Warren claimed the remaining metalwork.


Polish dirt jumper Marcin Rot against Rotorua champ of years past Keegan Wright.
Polish dirt jumper, Marcin Rot, against Rotorua champ of years past, Keegan Wright.

 Riders ready
"Riders ready, watch the gate..."

Pinkbike productions in the making... Ryszard Syryczynski and his ultra-tech Hollywood set-up.
Pinkbike productions in the making... Ryszard Syryczynski and his ultra-tech Hollywood set-up.

BMX boss Sylvain Andre was a force to be reckoned with tonight.
BMX boss Sylvain Andre was a force to be reckoned with tonight.

Sometimes you win sometimes you loose... Tomas Lemoine knows how winning pumptrack tastes but today wasn t his day to take the cake.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose... Tomas Lemoine knows how winning pumptrack tastes, but today wasn't his day to take the cake.

Problems with the right-hand persisted and saw Slavik go over the bars before getting a re-run.
Problems with the right-hand gate persisted and saw Slavik go over the bars before getting a re-run.

Norway s Brage Vestavik is a pumptrack specialist but was unlucky enough to draw Loron for his first match up.
Norway's Brage Vestavik is a pumptrack specialist, but was unlucky enough to draw Loron for his first match up.

Lil Trace on the attack on a hard tail for a change...
Lil' Trace on the attack on a hard tail for a change...

It wouldn t be a Crankworx pumptrack event without Jill Kinter ruling the roost.
JK rolling... It wouldn't be a Crankworx pumptrack event without Jill Kintner ruling the roost.

Casey Brown looked quick but it wasn t enough to stand up to Jill Kintner.
Casey Brown looked quick, but it wasn't enough to stand up to Jill Kintner.

Adrien Loron looks impossibly fast without fail but tonight grip wasn t on his side.
Adrien Loron looks impossibly fast without fail, but tonight wasn't on his side.

Ex-downhill world champion Morgane Chare made the cut for the final 8 of the women s race.
Ex-downhill world champion Morgane Chare made the cut for the final 8 of the women's race.

The big Swede Martin Soderstrom was eliminated by the champ Chaney Guennet.
The big Swede Martin Soderstrom was eliminated by the champ Chaney Guennet.

Germany s Benedikt Last after the third fail for his competitor Sylvain Andre s gate.
Germany's Benedikt Last after the third gate failure for his competitor, Sylvain Andre.

Vali Holl was up against the cream of the crop tonight but couldn t match Kinter s explosive power... not this time anyway.
Bronze for Austria's young female prodigy Vali Holl, up against the cream of the crop, but she couldn't match Kintner's explosive power... not this time anyway.

Waren taking down Andre for the last medal position.
Warren taking down Andre for the last medal position.

Be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn... then be a unicorn.
Be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn... then be a unicorn.

Kinter and Hines face off in the dark for the big final.
Kintner and Hines face off in the dark for the big final.

High expectations and still an immaculate performance from JK.
The highest of expectations on her shoulders and still an immaculate performance from JK.

The women were neck and neck but Hines got edged out.
The women were neck and neck, but Kialini Hines got edged out in the second heat.

After a podium from US rider Kialani Hines in Rotorua big things were expected and she delivered here in Austria.
After a podium from the US rider in Rotorua big things were expected and she delivered with silver here in Austria.

Still Queen... Jill Kinter takes the win just one more time.
Still Queen... Jill Kintner takes the win just one more time.

The final showdown Loron versus Guennet.
The final showdown Loron versus Guennet.

Chaney Guennet ripping out throats on his way to the top step.
Chaney Guennet ripping out throats on his way to the top step.

The end of Adrien Loron s campaign under the floodlights.
The end of Adrien Loron's campaign under the floodlights.

And victory was Guennet s but Loron says it s on for Les Gets.
Victory was Guennet's, but Loron says it's on for Les Gets.

 It s really cool said an elated Guennet. Adrien is a French rider too and so many people are behind him but I worked hard to take the win tonight.
"It's really cool," said an elated Guennet. "Adrien is a French rider too, and so many people are behind him, but I worked hard to take the win tonight."

Your 2018 Pumptrack Champions.
Your 2018 Austrian Pumptrack Champions.

The fastest pumpers of Innsbruck hose eachother down.
The fastest pumpers of Innsbruck hose each other down.


Posted In:
Stories Crankworx


Author Info:
nathanhughes avatar

Member since Jul 19, 2007
313 articles

10 Comments
  • 6 0
 The Queen still reigns.
  • 4 0
 Pump it up! Until you can feel it!
  • 3 0
 Too bad Caroline Buchanan was still recovering for these events. Hope she will be up for it next year.
  • 4 0
 Vali-freakin-Holl!!
  • 1 0
 Love Chaney..! Such a sick rider !
  • 1 0
 great photos and riding, thanks pb
  • 1 0
 That first pic tho
  • 1 0
 Mons royale.....
  • 1 2
 BMX is boring...... so is this. Andddddddd downvoted...
  • 1 4
 First pumper







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