Brook Macdonald to Return to Racing at Crankworx Innsbruck

Beginning subsequent week, the Crankworx World Tour is on observe to gentle up your screens with the return of stay mountain bike racing on Purple Bull TV. For most of the world’s high mountain bike athletes, Crankworx Innsbruck can even mark their return to the sector of play.

For one athlete specifically, this return to racing represents much more.

His objective for his first race again, a race that he gained final 12 months?

Alongside Brook, right here’s a roundup of what’s coming and who to look at for, with a full stay broadcast schedule on Purple Bull TV to come back.

Try the preliminary begin lists right here and prepare to tune in to #CrankworxFromHome: crankworx.com/results/start-lists/

Downhill. Is. BACK.

As Downhill racing returns to Purple Bull TV for the primary time since Crankworx Rotorua in March, Macdonald and his teammates, together with Laurie Greenland, will probably be raring to go. Look ahead to veteran elite racer Mick Hannah (additionally racing Twin Slalom and Pump Monitor), and younger gun Lucas Cruz who confirmed he’s primed for motion with a strong displaying within the CLIF Crankworx Summer season Sequence in August. And somebody who’s proved he’s no slouch in DH, Enduro powerhouse Martin Maes is bound to be in combating form following back-to-back weekends of EWS racing.

On the ladies’s facet, the racer who stood atop the rostrum alongside Macdonald final 12 months. Tracey Hannah will probably be again and trying to defend. Certain to be gunning for a DH win on dwelling soil, Vali Höll will probably be representing Austria within the DH. Maes’ teammate Noga Korem and Pivot’s Morgane Charre, presently ranked second on the planet within the EWS, can even be channeling their Enduro expertise and hoping to tug collectively a successful race run.

Slopestyle riders able to flex

If latest protection from the Audi Nines acquired you stoked to see extra huge model, Crankworx Innsbruck may have lots to fulfill. 14 of the extra trendy riders on the planet are on the brink of tackle the Crankworx Innsbruck Slopestyle, a gold occasion on the FMB World Tour. The rider checklist consists of Emil Johansson, who’s gained each Crankworx occasions that’ve run since Crankworx Innsbruck 2019 (his return to competitors, by which he got here in second). Others to look at for will probably be Germany’s Erik Fedko, who positioned third in Rotorua, and Dawid Godziek who made his Crankworx Slopestyle debut in Innsbruck final 12 months and took third. Paul Couderc can also be driving a wave of momentum after touchdown a mind-blowing Footplant Flip at Audi Nines earlier in September.

Girls’s Velocity & Type to make Austrian debut

Throw some pace and a hearty dose of technique into the model combine, and you’ve got the CLIF Velocity & Type Innsbruck introduced by GoPro. For the primary time in Innsbruck, an invitational girls’s area will present the world what they’ve acquired on this famed observe. Germany’s Kathi Kuypers will definitely be one to look at, together with native rider Paula Zibasa and France’s Mathilde Bernard, who’s tasted victory in Crankworx Pump Monitor earlier than, however will probably be taking over this self-discipline for the primary time in Innsbruck.

On the boys’s facet, 2019’s European Whip-Off Champion Kaos Seagrave is prone to be a high contender (he’s additionally tackling each occasion in Innsbruck this 12 months, besides Slopestyle). He’ll be competing in opposition to Sam Reynolds, who narrowly missed out on the occasion podium final 12 months, ending fourth, and Slopestyle all-stars like Tomas Lemoine, who’s earned a good few items of Velocity & Type {hardware} over time.

Twin Slalom: the nice equalizer

The place will you discover the most important cross-section of racers representing totally different disciplines of MTB? The Twin Slalom observe is the mountain bike melting pot of Crankworx and persistently the positioning of a few of the tightest and most fun battles.

Ed Masters will probably be combating for the highest in opposition to his group supervisor Bernard Kerr as soon as once more. The 2 have confronted one another in head-to-head Crankworx Slalom racing earlier than, ending 1 (Kerr) and a couple of (Masters) in Les Will get in 2018. Again to defend will probably be younger racer Matthew Sterling, who stormed the occasion and took the W in 2019. One other to look at for will probably be newcomer to the Crankworx scene, Brady Stone. The Kiwi is presently second general within the EWS Males U21 class and is about to tackle each Twin Slalom and DH in Innsbruck.

On the ladies’s facet, like Stone, EWS racers Ella Connolly and Martha Gill will probably be battling the likes of Vali Höll, who along with DH and Twin Slalom, can even be charging for the highest on the Pump Monitor.

Energy and precision on the Pump Monitor

Enjoying out on a brief, quick and technical observe, Crankworx Pump Monitor motion is all about precision and, with out the power to pedal, a complete lot of energy.

With essentially the most participation of all the ladies’s occasions over the 5 days of the pageant, the RockShox Innsbruck Pump Monitor Problem will deliver on some thrilling sundown battles.

Norway’s Mille Johnset, in her first 12 months of elite racing, is about to tackle the Pump Monitor (along with racing Twin Slalom and DH). Alongside her, Germany’s Laura Brethauer, a veteran of the occasion, and the Gehrig twins, who’re shifting their focus from Enduro to Pump Monitor and DH for Crankworx Innsbruck.

The lads’s roster is a who’s who of MTB expertise – the place else are you able to see the likes of EWS shredder Adrien Dailly (coming off a win in Pietra Ligure) on the identical begin checklist as downhiller Mick Hannah, YouTube star Fabio Wibmer, style-masters like Antoine Bizet and Szymon Godziek, and heavy-hitters of the self-discipline like Chaney Guennet and Adrien Loron?! That’s Crankworx for you, child.

Full schedule and particulars for all stay occasions to come back throughout Crankworx Innsbruck 2020: crankworx.com