麻豆社国产riders came through in the Crankworx Summer Series over the past three weeks, with local residents claiming third-place overall finishes on the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 sides, respectively.
The series, held at SilverStar, Kicking Horse and Sun Peaks with downhill, Air DH, enduro and dual slalom races, ran from late July to Aug. 14.
Rhys Verner came away with the third-place showing on the men鈥檚 side, finishing behind winner Finn Iles of Whistler and runner-up Bas Van Steenbergen while outgunning veterans like Whistler鈥檚 Jesse Melamed and Kirk McDowall.
Verner enjoyed racing with friends like Iles, who generally race other disciplines, and also appreciated Psychosis race at Kicking Horse, beating the old course record (along with winner Henry Fitzgerald and Iles) en route to finishing second overall
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Though the third-overall finish doesn鈥檛 fatten Verner鈥檚 wallet, it鈥檚 still a confidence boost considering the competition.
鈥淚t was awesome. I鈥檝e always thought of myself as a pretty good all-around rider and can adapt to different stuff,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his just proved that point.鈥�
Verner acknowledged he was more comfortable with some events than others, but managed to shine anyway, highlighting his runner-up finish in the Sun Peaks AirDH to cap the series on Aug. 14. All told, Verner took five podium appearances 鈥� two seconds and three thirds 鈥� over the series.
Completing a 12-race-in-18-day gauntlet at three different locations was admittedly challenging for all riders involved.
鈥淚t was pretty full-on. It was a lot,鈥� Verner said. 鈥淭he actual physical side of it isn鈥檛 a whole lot more riding than I would normally do in that time period. It鈥檚 just... you had to make sure the mental side was intact. I find it a lot easier to keep the mental side intact when you鈥檙e doing well.鈥�
Verner will now head to Europe for an abbreviated five-race Enduro World Series (EWS) season beginning at Zermatt, Switzerland on Aug. 30. In prior years, he felt he鈥檇 entered seasons behind the pack, as he focused on his postsecondary studies until late April, but Verner feels stronger entering this campaign, especially after the Crankworx tune-up.
鈥淣ormally, once I finish school at the end of April, I just go right to racing and I feel like I鈥檓 always playing catch-up,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his year, I used that time to ride and train properly and I feel like it paid off.
鈥淚鈥檓 going in with some serious confidence and I鈥檓 feeling good.鈥�
Admittedly, though, Verner has some mixed emotions regarding holding an international season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淚鈥檓 super excited to race and I really want to. It kind of is my job and for a lot of people I race against, it is their job. People are allowed to travel for their job,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I鈥檓 definitely a little bit on the fence for a few things. To be honest, I didn鈥檛 think it was going to happen. You get a bunch of people from a bunch of different countries going to some small towns, it seems a bit sketchy, but I feel like there are people that have done more research on this than me that gave it an OK to go.鈥�
Verner stressed that in that context, there鈥檚 additional pressure to ensure that he represents the mountain bike community in the best possible way.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely trying to be as responsible as I can over there 鈥� wear a mask and make sure that we鈥檙e staying in the same bubble and not give anyone a reason to look bad on the mountain bike community because it is a crazy time right now,鈥� he said.
Enduro World Series racer Andr茅ane Lanthier Nadeau took third overall on the women鈥檚 side, edging Miranda Miller by just 10 points. She earned three victories, including the Psychosis win, and two runner-up results.
She also enjoyed racing downhill as a change of pace.
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Over the three-week marathon, Lanthier Nadeau was proud of how her endurance held up.
鈥淸I was surprised at] how many races I could do even if I was completely empty,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o still be racing and pushing ourselves, I think everyone found new limits.
鈥淚t changed my perspective on how much I can accomplish, so if I ever show up tired to a race, I know that if I really focus on the process, I can put something really nice together.鈥�
Lanthier Nadeau feels that the experience made her a better rider that will have plenty of new skills on the international level.
鈥淚t was a tall order but everyone came out with so many new skills and new learnings,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was once in a lifetime. I鈥檓 don鈥檛 know if we鈥檒l ever do it ever again exactly like that but I was thrilled to be part of it.鈥�
Lanthier Nadeau was grateful to Crankworx for putting together the series and preparing the athletes for the remainder of the year.
鈥淲e raced 12 races, but they put on 12 races,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll the athletes are so thankful for the team that put it together.鈥�
Miller, meanwhile, will join Verner in Europe after a fourth-place finish overall, just 10 points behind Lanthier Nadeau. Miller hit the podium nine times in all, with four second-place finishes and five thirds.
While entering the series with lots of unknowns, including a cramped schedule and potential negative reception during COVID, Miller said things went well.
鈥淐rankworx did a really good job. They were really strict 鈥� either you were wearing a helmet or a mask. Never did we get to hang out with anyone who isn鈥檛 in our group,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat made everyone feel a little bit safer and things flowed pretty well.鈥�
With the high volume of racing and practising, Miller said there were some highs and lows, as she could feel great one day and lousy the next.
鈥淵ou just had to be really mindful of how you used your energy. It was hard, but everyone was doing it,鈥� she said.
In terms of racing, Miller loved the Kicking Horse Enduro, where she and Lanthier Nadeau battled back and forth all day, with Miller taking second by just three-hundredths of a second.
鈥淭he whole time, we were paying attention to how we were doing and instead of messing with you, it made us ride better,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was good to practice some race techniques and just feel that pressure again.鈥�
Heading into the EWS schedule, she feels OK, as the racers land in a major centre and then head straight for the mountains, but still, Miller wonders if it鈥檚 the best thing to do.
鈥淸It鈥檚] a little weird, not even so much from a safety point of view,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 like, 鈥榃ell, what鈥檚 wrong with taking the year off?鈥� but the series is trying to keep going. It鈥檚 risky but it could also be kind of damaging to your career a bit if you don鈥檛 go and everyone else does.鈥�
Miller said lots of athletes, including several riding for contracts for 2021 and beyond, are committed, but she knows her sponsor, Kona, will support her if she is uncomfortable and needs to bow out.
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鈥淭hey鈥檒l support me if I come out, 鈥楾his is weird, I鈥檓 going home,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淲orst case, you can bail out.鈥�
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Meanwhile, Kasper Woolley finished sixth overall despite missing some time with injuries. All told, Woolley took three second-place results and three thirds.
The enduro specialist enjoyed the opportunity to hone his skills in several disciplines.
鈥淚t was super cool to do back-to-back weeks of the same [event],鈥� he said, with Psychosis serving as the lone exception. 鈥淵ou got to do a bunch of different disciplines, which is what Crankworx is all about, but then the next week, you got to do the same thing.鈥�
Woolley was admittedly not 100% heading in, as he sprained his ankles the day before the series started.
鈥淚 had quite a few challenges,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure how the first week was going to go. Enduro was a bit tough, but then it wasn鈥檛 too bad. I could manage it.鈥�
At Kicking Horse, Woolley crashed in Psychosis practice, landed on his leg and missed the rest of the week. He was still sore upon his return, but saw a silver lining.
鈥淚 raced all of Sun Peaks, but my leg was pretty bad, still really bruised,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes it takes your mind off the racing and sometimes you can even do better.鈥�
All told, Woolley鈥檚 highlight was the SilverStar Downhill, as he wasn鈥檛 racing a downhill bike but he still got second within a second of Iles.
Post-Crankworx, Woolley is off to the U.S. with his team and hopes to race the final two EWS contests.
