Roving reporter Ewen Mearns was out at Crankworx Cairns for the first international downhill race at the Aussie venue since 2017.
Ewen Mearns was our eyes and ears on the ground at the Crankworx Cairns downhill, which had international pro riders doing battle on for the first time in five years.
Photos and captions by Ewen Mearns.The first big downhill race in Cairns since the World Champs in 2017, the anticipation was as high as the humidity coming into race week.Heat, dust, and harsh lighting made for difficult conditions on track here in Cairns. All part of the fun in tropical Queensland.Dust, roots, and more dust, a typical example of conditions on track. Just as long as the rain stayed away…A tough week at the races for Sam Hill. It was looking like a triumphant return to downhill for the multiple World Champ until a nasty crash during Thursday’s practice session took him out of the running and into the hospital. Gowaan! Crankworx veteran Martha Gill rounded out a busy week with a spot of downhill racing. Aussie pinner Cooper Downey clears the lower rock garden.Scotland’s own Louise Ferguson continued to make her presence known in the women’s field, pushing hard and looking strong despite racing on her enduro bike. Definitely one to watch next season…Not to be outdone by the internationals, Aussie ripper Troy Weinert brought the sends and the stoke for the home crowd in Australia’s first international outing since the 2017 World Champs.Straight from the commentary booth and onto the track, Tracey Hannah was on top form this week.Nipping at Tracey Hannah’s heels all weekend, a solid performance from Sian A’Hern saw her straight to the hot seat with only one rider to go.Fast and stylish, few riders can attack the trail like Sam Blenkinsop. An unfortunate mistake early in his race run left him hanging off the back and battling for time.Mick Hannah, Cairns native and local legend, was under a lot of pressure to perform this week. Storming to a well deserved third place finish, he put on one hell of a show for the home crowd (ear-plugs recommended).The man with the Vegemite themed kit, Connor Fearon brough the pace and the Aussie style to Crankworx ‘down under’. Looking to best his seeding time and take the win, Fearon charged onto the hot seat with one rider remaining.Last woman down the hill, Hannah managed to clinch a narrow victory over the insurgent A’Hern.Ever conistent, Troy Brosnan was up to pace from the first run and looking like the man to beat.Brosnan was on another level this week, taking the win by 2.5 second over Fearon.Ferguson backed up a remarkable breakout World Cup season with a third place finish in Cairns, her second back-to-back podium in the Crankworx World Series.5 out of 6 ain’t bad… Very nearly a clean sweep of the podium for Australia here at Crankworx Cairns. Louise Ferguson spoiling the Aussie party.And that’s a wrap! Time for a shower…
Full results can be found on the Crankworx website here.
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