Czech Republic's Tomas Slavik won the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style event yesterday. Photo / Andrew Warner
Czech Republic's Tomas Slavik won the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style event yesterday. Photo / Andrew Warner
Czech Republic's Tomas Slavik will tell you part of the reason he decided to come to Crankworx Rotorua was to do a bit of fishing.
But the 28-year-old has a lot more to show for his long journey to New Zealand than just a trophy fish.
The Czech rider was a surprise champion in the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style event yesterday, staged during the second day of the Crankworx Rotorua festival on Mt Ngongotaha.
Slavik, a Red Bull-sponsored rider, said he just tried to ride as quickly as possible during the event, rather than worry about doing any big tricks.
"It is so unreal to me, you know I wasn't expecting that I could win the race just with speed.
"Everyone was talking about what tricks they were going to do and stuff, and I didn't have any option. I'm a racer at heart and that's what I do and my best trick was just a right and left turn. That's it."
The Dual Speed and Style event is a head-to-head battle on a specially designed course, with riders judged on their speed and their tricks.
Slavik progressed through the heats, quarter-finals, semifinals and then defeated Kyle Strait (US) in the final.
Before this week, Slavik had not competed at any Crankworx events for five years and explained he was primarily a four-cross rider.
Four-cross is a mountain bike discipline not featured at any Crankworx events around the world.
"My last Crankworx was back in 2011, so I had like five years break and it is good to come back," he said.
"I had a few projects with Red Bull here, with photo shoots, and I'm also fly fishing a lot so we had some fly fishing projects here."
He said he hoped to get out for a fish today.
"Hopefully on Friday evening I will go to Hamurana and put some flies in the water."
Meanwhile, Jill Kintner (US) defeated a small women's field to win her first title in the event. It was the first time anywhere in the world a women's competition was held as part of the Dual Speed and Style event.
Women's winner Jill Kintner (US) in action.
"I'm glad me and Casey [Brown] could represent the women out here," she said.
"It is a pretty fun event."
The flowing course used for the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style event was built by Rotorua's Empire of Dirt.
