Crankworx feature forces riders to think on the fly

PACE AND PANACHE: The Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style is one of the feature events of Crankworx Rotorua. PHOTO/BLAKE JORGENSON

TRICKS and speed are not the only weapons a rider needs in his arsenal to win the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style event - they also need a good head.

The Dual Speed and Style event is being held during the second day of Crankworx Rotorua on Thursday, March 26, at the Skyline Gravity Park.

Twenty-four of the best mountain bike riders in the world will compete.

While the aim of the event is to defeat your opponent in a head-to-head race, the winner is not necessarily the rider who reaches the finish line first.

Riders pick up points for getting to the finish line quickly, but are also scored on how good their tricks are over two main jumps on the track.

Crankworx Rotorua event manager Ariki Tibble said the racing made for a great spectacle.

"What it does is it takes the guys that are amazing at tricks and pits them against the guys that are amazing at speed and the judging is done in such a way that it kind of evens out the playing field."

To add to the drama, the event is held on two identical tracks which are right next to each other.

Tibble said some of the riders attending were specialist Dual Speed and Style riders, but top downhill and slopestyle riders were also entered.

Rotorua track builders Empire of Dirt are currently completing the dual speed and style course on Mount Ngongotaha.

United States rider Kyle Strait, who won the Dual Speed and Style 2014 Whistler title, said it was a tactical event.

"Doing a trick takes a lot more time than staying low over a jump. It's a bit of cat and mouse out there," he said. "You're trying to figure out what the other guy's doing."

The format of the competition will see the top-eight ranked riders go straight through to the top-16 finals stage. The remaining 16 riders will battle it out in head-to-head races, for a spot in the top 16.

The Dual Speed and Style event and feature Slopestyle champs are the only two events that do not include a women's competition at Crankworx Rotorua.

The six competitive events at the Crankworx extravaganza include the Australasian Whip Off champs on March 25, Dual Speed and Style on March 26, Rotorua Pump Track Challenge on March 26, Crankworx Rotorua Downhill on March 27, Giant Toa Rotorua Enduro on March 28 and Crankworx Slopestyle Champs on March 29.

Read more here.

- The Rotorua Daily Post is profiling the six major events at Crankworx Rotorua every Saturday in the lead-up to the festival. The Crankworx festival will attract the world's top mountain bike riders and is being held from March 25-29. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.