When the DH track at Skyline in Rotorua, New Zealand is dry and dusty, it's one of the great race venues. Track features range from wide open and grassy to steep and technical in the woods. The highlight of the course is the massively off-camber and bench-cut finish zone that has riders fighting the pull of gravity downward as they aim for the line. With a solid turnout of World Cup-caliber riders, the Crankworx Rotorua DH race could be considered a race that gives us some real insight into how racers have prepared for the season ahead. The race bikes are prepped and dialed and the fitness is sparking.
Brook MacDonald kept New Zealanders amped by taking a win in his home country. His run was deliberate, focused and filled with that touch of ragged-edge drama that we expect from the Bulldog. He rode his Mondraker Summum with 27.5-inch wheels to victory. Finn Iles has been riding a new Specialized *Demo* that uses 29-inch front wheel and 27.5-inch rear wheel. Others like Mick Hannah used the mis-matched wheel combo, but Finn was the rider to give the set up that reminds of a 2004 Big Hit some credibility. Finn placed 2nd by just .09 seconds and, if style matters, laid down one of the most epic foot-out, flat corner drifts in his run, with his body well over the front wheel, letting the rear wheel slide around in an explosion of dust and Sam-Hillness. He also had an audible, NFG-huck-to-flat at a road crossing. Music to our ears and our eyes between Brook's bruising and Finn's flying. It is great to see George Brannigan healthy and confident, back on track, with a 3rd place finish only .5 off of victory. Loic Bruni, current World Champ, had a front flat ending his run.
Tracey Hannah took the women's victory by almost five seconds with other World Cup riders like Tahnee Seagrave (3rd) and Emilie Siegenthaler (4th) present. Local knowledge seemed to have paid off as Katy Heatherly of NZ landed in 2nd place.
Watch the broadcast replay on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/325788270
Pro Men's DH Results
- Brook MacDONALD - 2:52.870
- Finn ILES - 2:52.960
- George BRANNIGAN - 2:53.240
- Bernard KERR - 2:54.960
- Laurie GREENLAND - 2:54.990
- Dean LUCAS - 2:55.000
- Connor FEARON - 2:55.740
- Alexandre FAYOLLE - 2:56.030
- Jackson FREW - 2:57.260
- Samuel BLENKINSOP - 2:57.580
- Eliot JACKSON - 2:57.800
- Harry BUSH - 2:57.920
- Mitch ROPELATO - 2:58.010
- Keegan WRIGHT - 3:00.250
- Angel SUAREZ - 3:00.750
- Remy MORTON - 3:01.120
- Francisco PARDAL - 3:01.180
- Austin WARREN - 3:01.350
- Mick HANNAH - 3:01.580
- Guy GIBBS - 3:03.110
- Charlie MAKEA - 3:03.440
- Boaz HEBBLETHWAITE - 3:03.680
- Max HARTENSTERN - 3:05.630
- Will HART - 3:06.010
- Kyle LOCKWOOD - 3:07.650
- Nils HEINIGER - 3:09.850
- Louis HAMILTON - 3:09.950
- Jonty VINK - 3:10.840
- Craig EVANS - 3:11.990
- Allan COOKE - 3:12.350
- Luca COMETTI - 3:12.500
- Bas VAN-STEENBERGEN - 3:13.160
- Leonard SONNTAG - 3:15.870
- Luca DRANSMANN - 3:17.200
- Sam DALE - 3:17.470
- Shaun BARCLAY - 3:20.360
- Ryan HOWARD - 3:21.380
- Hamish MCLEOD - 3:29.120
- Sam HARDMAN - 3:32.050
- William MACDERMID - 3:34.080
- Josh BIRKENHAKE - 3:34.730
- Michael WILLIAMS - 3:47.780
- Rhys ELLIS - 4:05.460
Pro Women's DH Results
- Tracey HANNAH - 3:21.320
- Kate WEATHERLY - 3:26.120
- Tahnee SEAGRAVE - 3:29.770
- Emilie SIEGENTHALER - 3:34.230
- Abigail HOGIE - 3:35.380
- Camille BALANCHE - 3:36.300
- Casey BROWN - 3:39.360
- Vaea VERBEECK - 3:39.660
- Georgia ASTLE - 3:45.850
- Shania RAWSON - 3:50.480
- Vinny ARMSTRONG - 3:52.790
- Danielle BEECROFT - 3:55.110
- Kathy MORRIS - 3:55.910
- Ellie SMITH - 4:02.200
- Samantha SORIANO - 4:04.150
- Anneke BEERTEN - 4:05.950
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