The pumptrack race is one of the great community events at Crankworx – crowds and riders gather round the track and enjoy head-to-head racing at a relaxed level. Of course, it’s laid back but also a teeny bit serious at the same time, with cash up for grabs for the winner and the glory of what most consider the test of core bike skills and steezy riding.

Things dragged on a tad, with some riders practicing from four o’clock and racing not finishing until after 10 it was a long old process but things hotted up by the close of play and there were some great battles. With two adjacent courses, the right being a tad faster than left, each heat took in two laps of each, with times combined. The super-tight turn midway didn’t best amuse the riders but it brought racing together and added a little drama for those who couldn’t quite get the hang of it, so it made for good spectating.

The main talk after racing finished was of Anneke Beerten and Anne Caroline Chausson finishing with essentially the exact same times – AC eventually declared winner with a .002 advantage. Cécile Ravanel was DQ’d after ‘pedalling’ (a kick of the cranks) on course – a big no no in pumptrack racing – and in the men’s there was a fair amount of action with one or two wipeouts and the odd accidental course exit.

Results

Men

1: Adrien Loron
2: Joost Wichman
3: Thomas Lemoine

Women

1: Anne Caroline Chausson
2: Anneke Beerten
3: Emilie Siegenthaler