Cam McCaul, Tyler McCaul, Micayla Gatto, and Andrew Neethling Predict the 2018 King & Queen of Crankworx
New announcer lineup, who dis? Cam McCaul's at the helm...read on to see who else is coming along for the ride in 2018. Photo: Clint Trahan
Time for a team announcement of a different sort. As we prepare to launch into international competition season March 17-25 in Rotorua, we’re stoked to share the Crankworx World Tour announcer lineup for 2018. Here’s who’s going to be calling the tricks and times this season for the world’s biggest mountain biking festival across it’s four global stops in Rotorua, Innsbruck, Les Gets, and bringing it home for the 15th year in Whistler. With our announcer team locked and loaded, we're now one step closer to live MTB action kicking off for another year (18 days 'til Crankworx Rotorua, to be precise, and 24 to our first live webcast event, but who's counting?!).
Get the full live broadcast schedule for Crankworx Rotorua HERE.
Host - Cam McCaul
A steady diet of loam keeps Cam McCaul on his game.
 | My favourite Crankworx moment would have to be 2003, before Crankworx was called Crankworx and the whole thing was just a big exciting experiment. There was a buzz in the air that has now been echoed at every Crankworx World Tour event for the past 14 seasons. |
A pedal down Crankworx memory lane, with a few key moments:
Throwing back to 2012, Cam takes third at Joyride in Whistler.
2006 Slopestyle at Crankworx Whistler
1. Cam Zink
2. Cam McCaul
3. Kyle Strait
2007 Slopestyle at Crankworx Colorado
1. Cam McCaul
2. Jamie Goldman
3. Paul Pasagoitia
2011 Slopestyle at Crankworx Colorado
1. Cam McCaul
2. Brandon Semeuk
3. Sam Pilgrim
1. Cam Zink
2. Cam McCaul
3. Kyle Strait
2007 Slopestyle at Crankworx Colorado
1. Cam McCaul
2. Jamie Goldman
3. Paul Pasagoitia
2011 Slopestyle at Crankworx Colorado
1. Cam McCaul
2. Brandon Semeuk
3. Sam Pilgrim
2018 King/Queen Predictions
| One of the best parts about the whole Crankworx World Tour is how inclusive it is to so many different competitive disciplines. That's the beauty of mountain biking so why not showcase it all!? The prestige of being crowned King or Queen of Crankworx grows every year as more and more riders push themselves outside their comfort zones to pursue the title. Racers learning tricks, dirt jumpers practicing gate starts, it's a blast to watch. In 2018 I'm guessing we're going to see riders like Bas van Steenbergen and Casey Brown knocking on the doors of defending champs Adrien Loron and Jill Kintner. |
Specialist: Pump Track, Dual Speed & Style, Downhill - Andrew Neethling
Photos: Eric Palmer and Keno Derleyn
| I always loved the Canadian Open track. Felt it had a good mix and a great test for a rider. In 2011 I really felt I had a shot at the win as I had come off the win in A-Line. It was not to be as Stevie just out-classed me. Looking back this is a bittersweet and emotional podium and an honour to stand on a podium with Stevie!! Miss the guy. It will always be difficult to top the 2011 Air DH as my most fav moment though. It was unexpected and to take down Lopes in a race he had dominated made it even better. A-Line is just an iconic trail and at the time to hold the fastest time down this trail was special. |
Pinpointing a few Needles moments from days past:
2007 Garbanzo DH
1. Sam Hill
2. Justin Leov
3. Andrew Neethling
2011 Canadian Open DH
1. Stevie Smith
2. Andrew Neethling
3. Troy Brosnan
2011 Jeep Air Downhill
1. Andrew Neethling
2. Brian Lopes
3. Mick Hannah
1. Sam Hill
2. Justin Leov
3. Andrew Neethling
2011 Canadian Open DH
1. Stevie Smith
2. Andrew Neethling
3. Troy Brosnan
2011 Jeep Air Downhill
1. Andrew Neethling
2. Brian Lopes
3. Mick Hannah
Needles sends it at Crankworx L2A in 2012.
2018 King/Queen Predictions
| It's just tough to count out Jill Kintner. She's so all-round and I know focuses all her energy on Crankworx now. This, and her motivation, is a tough combination to beat! In the men it's a lot more open… The guy that can get some podiums and wins, like Adrien, and limit his damage in events he's not so strong in will be hard to beat. I do like Slavik and Bernard Kerr's chances as well though. Some other guys, like Jack Moir, don't do enough events to have a chance at the title, even though they're very strong in a discipline like downhill. |
Specialist: Slopestyle - Tyler McCaul
Photos: Sean St. Denis and Brendan Lutes
| That 2015 win was big for me.The year before this I had to get my lower leg/ankle completely rebuilt the week before Crankworx, and watching this event from crutches on the sidelines killed me. Being able to come back the next year and end up where I did was pretty satisfying. I also think standing on this podium with two of my best friends was and probably will be one of my favorite Crankworx moments. I've been riding with both these guys for longer than I can remember, and being able to stand on a podium with the two of them made it that much better.. |
A sampling of T.Mac moments:
Tyler, always managing to go about as sideways as it gets, at the Official Oceania Whip-Off Championships presented by Spank at Crankworx Rotorua in 2015. Photo: Clint Trahan
2007 Jim Beam Air DH (Junior Men)
1. Ed Masters
2. Nathan Vials
3. Tyler McCaul
2012 Unofficial Whip Off World Championships
1. Tyler McCaul
2. Thomas Vanderham
3. Cam Zink + Brendan Fairclough
2015 CLIF Dual Speed & Style
1. Tyler McCaul
2. Kyle Strait
3. Ryan Howard
1. Ed Masters
2. Nathan Vials
3. Tyler McCaul
2012 Unofficial Whip Off World Championships
1. Tyler McCaul
2. Thomas Vanderham
3. Cam Zink + Brendan Fairclough
2015 CLIF Dual Speed & Style
1. Tyler McCaul
2. Kyle Strait
3. Ryan Howard
2018 King/Queen Predictions
| Well, Jill is obviously an easy pick. She's been in Aptos a little bit over winter and we've been riding together from time-to-time. It seems like she takes her off-seasons very seriously and I think she's gonna come in hot this year like she always does. I think Casey Brown could definitely shake things up a bit too, and her whips are pretty darn unbeatable and always fun to watch. On the men's side, I'm gonna go with Austin Warren. Bit of a wildcard since Loron, Slavik and Kerr always seem to be at the top of the King's overall, but I know that Austin's planning on hitting up all the stops this year and as long as he stays healthy I think he could do some damage. |
Reporter/Field Expert/Overall Haver of Fun and Dropper of Knowledge - Micayla Gatto
Doing it Ferda Girls since the beginning of Crankworx, including a win in the 2010 Dual Slalom. Photo: Ian Hylands
| One of my favourite CWX moments in my career would have to be winning the Dual Slalom in 2010. To be standing up on the podium with riding legends Melissa Buhl and Jill Kintner was something I’d only ever dreamed of. Though every time I've stepped onto the Crankworx Podium has been special. The crowds are amazing and the energy and pride you feel standing up there is definitely one of the best feelings in the world. Fast-forward to 2017 and I’d have to say winning Dirt Diaries at Crankworx Whistler for my “Ferda Girls” video was huge for me. With my focus shifting from racing to media, winning Dirt Diaries was confirmation that I’m headed in the right direction. |
Getting after it with Gatto - a brief (and incomplete) history:
2004 Garbanzo Enduro Downhill (Junior Women)
1. Micayla Gatto
2007 Jim Beam Air DH
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Fionn Griffiths
2011 Dual Slalom
2. Jill Kintner
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Manon Carpenter
1. Micayla Gatto
2007 Jim Beam Air DH
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Fionn Griffiths
2011 Dual Slalom
2. Jill Kintner
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Manon Carpenter
Micayla in the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge presented by RockShox at Crankworx Whistler in 2015. Photo: Sean St. Denis
2018 King/Queen Predictions
| I'd love to see some fresh blood and wildcards really push for the title of King and Queen this year. With Caroline Buchanan out of the running in Rotorua due to injury, I’d love to see a strong rider like Casey Brown step up to the challenge. She’s got the bike-handling skills and fitness to give Jill some pressure and competition. That being said, all the girls have really stepped it up a notch this off-season, so I think it could be anyone’s crown this year. For the men, I have similar views. I’d love to see a strong all-rounder like Keegan Wright or Bas van Steenbergen come away with the win. Both are multi-talented riders with rad style and racing backgrounds. It would be cool to see someone without a bmx or 4x specific background break the mold this year. |
If last year's any indication, here's a taste of what's to come:
The Crankworx World Tour launches into 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand, March 17-25. Mark your calendars and get ready to follow along with all the action LIVE right here on Pinkbike and on crankworx.com.
Full schedule HERE.
Author Info:
Member since Jul 14, 2011
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Glad to see he's on the mend!! Keep it up bud