August 19/13 21:06 pm - Steve Smith Keeps his Crown as King of Crankworx

Posted by Editoress on 08/19/13
 

Whistler's tenth anniversary of Crankworx came to a close yesterday with Canada's own Steve Smith taking a third consecutive win in the Canadian Open DH. Smith, having won the Air DH just day's prior and the World Cup in Mont Saint Anne on the previous weekend entered the final race of the festival with serious momentum and confidence. Having won the title as King of Crankworx in 2012, Smith was favored to win the event and would carry the heaviest weight going into the race to close the week of events.

Photos by Sven Martin

With overnight showers and a dark gloomy sky the notoriously rough and technical Canadian Open DH course would become much more dangerous as the riders would push their limits racing from high atop the Whistler mountain on the hunt for the win. As the field of racers navigated down the treacherous course, Sam Blenkinsop (Lapierre Gravity Republic) would set the quickest time down late in the race as the fastest riders attacked the course. Being the defending champion, Steve Smith would be the last man on course attempting to better Blenkinsop's time. The crowd was charged and electric awaiting Smith's arrival at the bottom of the hill as he blasted into the Whistler mountain Boneyard approaching the finish. By the closest of margins Smith would inch past Blenkinsop by only 0.09 seconds to reclaim the Canadian Open DH and overall King of Crankworx titles.

In the Women's field, Emmeline Ragot (Lapierre Gravity Republic), also fresh off a World Cup win in Mont Saint Anne and a victory in the Garbanzo DH in Crankworx's opening day's, would take the win over Whistler local Claire Buchar.

Women
1 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Lapierre Gravity Republic
2 Claire Buchar (Can) Kovarik Racing
3 Floriane Pugin (Fra) GSTAAD-Scott

Men
1 Steve Smith (Can) Devinci Global Racing
2 Mick Hannah (Aus) Hutchinson UnitedRide
3 Sam Blenkinsop (NZl) Lapierre Gravity Republic