World's best on course built for excitement

DOWNHILL: New Zealand downhill champion George Brannigan in action on the same downhill course which will be used for Crankworx Rotorua later this month. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

Many of the world's best downhill riders can expect a wild ride when they take on Mt Ngongotaha at Crankworx Rotorua.

The Crankworx Rotorua Downhill presented by iXS event will draw a big crowd to the Skyline Gravity Park on Friday, March 27, as one of the feature events at Crankworx Rotorua.

The course built by Empire of Dirt and Descend Rotorua was tested during the national champs last month, and proved to be both fast and challenging.

The track builders have since been tweaking it in time for Crankworx which will feature many of the best riders in the world.

About half of the 180 riders entered for the event are professional or semi-professional, and should set the track on fire in two weeks time.

Crankworx Rotorua event director Tak Mutu said downhill mountain biking was well recognised in New Zealand and the event should draw a good crowd.

"It is the one that Kiwis recognise, that's for sure," he said. "Especially since the 2006 world champs in Rotorua, which really lifted the profile of downhill in New Zealand."

Among the top athletes competing later this month are the current world champion Gee Atherton (Great Britain) and women's world no.2 Rachel Atherton (Great Britain).

Mutu said he did not want to put extra pressure on the home riders, but the Kiwis had a good chance at picking up a title at the downhill event.

Both Brook MacDonald and Sam Blenkinsop finished inside the top 10 at the downhill world champs in Norway last year, and fellow Kiwi George Brannigan is the current New Zealand champion. All three are entered for the event.

The downhill track includes plenty of gnarly features such as a rock garden, 12m gap jump and 14m table-top jump at the finish. The downhill event is part of the Crankworx World Tour which includes other stops in France and Canada.

There is age group classes racing in Rotorua as well as the elite men's and elite women's divisions in the downhill event. There is $23,250 prize money up for grabs in the elite downhill races with the men's and women's winners both pocketing $5000.

Mutu said they were expecting to have between 10,000 and 15,000 people on the hillside during the major events at Crankworx.

He said about 12,000 turned out for the world champs in 2006, and they were hoping to get around that number again for Crankworx Rotorua.

The six competitive events include the Australasian Whip Off Champs on March 25, Dual Speed and Style on March 26, Rotorua Pump Track Challenge on March 26, Crankworx Rotorua Downhill on March 27, Giant Toa Rotorua Enduro on March 28 and Crankworx Slopestyle Champs on March 29.

-The Rotorua Daily Post is profiling each of the six competitive events at Crankworx Rotorua every Saturday in the lead-up to the event. There will also be a profile on the Giant Toa Rotorua Enduro event on Monday. The Crankworx festival, from March 25-29, will attract the world's top mountain bike riders. Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster.