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Crankworx Whistler EWS stage previews

Here's what the world's fastest will face this weekend

Are these the best trails in the world? The boys from SRAM have been taking a cheeky recce of the Crankworx Whistler EWS trails and they look prime for racing come Sunday.

At the moment not all the trails are uploaded but we’ll add them as they come:

Stage two

“‘Crazy Train’ was the second stage in the legendary 2014 edition of the SRAM Canadian Open Enduro. That year, Whistler local Jesse Melamed smoked the international field by nearly 5 seconds. Beyond his win, the stage is best remembered for the thick dust and the off-camber rock face near the end. Fast-forward to 2016 and the stage returns, bringing with it a cleaned up version of the rock and likely dusty and loose conditions if it’s dry. Remember, this stage features many line variations, with slow safe lines being presented in tandem with riskier, faster options. So bring your A-game — you’ll need it to keep your speed through the constant combination of roots, rocks and loam. If it rains, look out.”

Stage three

“‘Heavy Flow’ is your best friend’s secret line. A hip jump within the first few seconds sets the tone for the trail to come. Steep loamy corners, multiple line options and lots of natural jumps have you off the brakes and enjoying gravity. Make sure you save your energy, though — the first half of “Tunnel Vision” features sustained sprints on slightly uphill and downhill fire roads. Just as you run out of gas, you’ll get into the last section through open forest at a grade just steep enough to be able to coast, but you won’t be coasting…

Stage four

“Most locals might be reaching for their trail map when they hear the trails listed for Stage 4. Set south of Whistler village above Function Junction, “Pigs on a Wing” and “Short Bus” link together to create a super flowy stage broken up by multiple steep and technical pitches. Descending nearly 280 meters after a long liaison climb and traverse, racers will find themselves far from the comforts of the bike park, where tight trees, and short sightlines keep you on your toes. A word of warning: keep your riding tidy, because sloppiness will be rewarded with a flat tire courteous of one the many razor sharp rocks hiding in the loam. Oh, and watch out for the first steep chute… it’s a doozy.”

Stage five

“The longest, hardest Enduro World Series stage of the whole year could be broken up into two or three stages in any other race. But this is Whistler, and bigger is better. It is truly a behemoth stage.”

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