It’s the biggest mountain-biking week of the year in Whistler, building to the prime Slopestyle competition in the bike universe, and August being August, we have to keep our fingers crossed on the weather. They keep moving the dates of Crankworx around, sometimes early in the summer, sometimes late. I’ve never liked August as a must-be-nice choice, it’s too unpredictable.
Meanwhile Seattle’s Jill Kintner continued what must rank as one of any sport’s miracle comeback seasons by smoking the field at Kokanee Crankworx in the dual slalom competition.
A post from Jill on her blog notes: “I set the fastest time in the ladies, followed by fionn then buhly. That was close to the order we finished up too, except ol gatto snuck in for a third in the final over buhly. The gate felt like it was dropping slower and slower as the night went on, and it messed up a few people’s timing.” Like Jill I’m surprised at Melissa Buhl’s 4th, but this Crankworx may not have been Buhly’s cup of tea. She doesn’t show up in the Garbanzo Downhill results at all, not sure if she even competed. Garbanzo is the hammeringest downhill around.
On the men’s side, someone actually beat Brian Lopes on the dual slalom. And to make it an even bigger surprise, it was a Slopestyle artist, Kyle Strait, who did it. On the Garbanzo, three lads from Down Under swept: Justin Leov, Chris Kovarik and Sam Hill. Something’s going on down there; see this year’s best racing DVD, “The Tipping Point,” for clues as to why.
PinkBike has the full rundown. Also BikeRadar. Both sites have video posted as well.
BikeIntelligencer will be in Whistler most of this week, so posting will probably be light. Once in a while even the most dedicated bike blogger must GIT OUT ‘N RIDE!