Two of New Zealand's leading mountain bikers will be facing off against some of the world's best when Crankworx 2022 is held in Rotorua in November.
Samuel Blenkinsop, a 34 year-old rider from Wanganui and Jenna Hastings, a 18-year-old from Rotorua, are both inside the top 10 in the King and Queen Crankworx rankings respectively, and will be hoping to improve their placings when the winners are crowned during the November 5-13 event.
Torpedo7 has been named as sponsor of the Rotorua Pump Track Challenge presented by Torpedo7 at the event, the final stop of the 2022 Crankworx World Tour. Crankworx is a global tour of mountain bike festivals that take place every year in New Zealand, Austria and Canada, with the addition of a new festival stop in Cairns, Australia this year. The event was first held in Rotorua in 2015.
Blenkinsop, who is sitting in fifth place in the King rankings, has been racing in mountain bike events for over 20 years. He turned professional in 2006 and in 2013 won the New Zealand MTB Cup. He also took the runner-up spot in the Garbanzo Downhill at Crankworx Whistler, a race he won two years previously.
Hastings, currently sitting in seventh place in the Queen rankings, recently competed at the 2022 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, where she took the world championship title in Junior Downhill.
Simon West, Torpedo7 CEO, says the company is passionate about mountain biking: "We have almost 40 years of expertise as an adventure brand with mountain biking core to what we do. Rotorua is home to some of the best tracks in the world, so it's great to be involved in a festival that puts New Zealand on the map."
While there were no spectators at the 2021 Rotorua event due to Covid-19, in 2020 there were more than 47,000 on-site visitations across the event and 721 athletes who participated in pro and amateur events.
"It provides an opportunity for Kiwi fans to get front row seats to see world-class athletes at a world-class event, which is pretty special," West says.
He says the appetite for adventure, and mountain biking in particular, is high. Torpedo7 research shows one in three Kiwi bikers have taken up the sport while even more are using it to socialise with friends (two in every three) and over half with their families.
"We live to provide Kiwis with everything they need for their adventures, so we are thrilled to be associated with this world-renowned event. It's not just the elite end of the sport we are backing. We also cater for beginners and the everyday riders, and we offer a wide range of quality bikes and bike gear including some of the world's best brands."
Crankworx Rotorua spokesperson Ariki Tibble says the event will be something special: "We have missed the fans and community and can't wait to deliver another spectacular World Tour final stop, and we are beyond thrilled to be able to host some of the world's top athletes."
As well as crowning the Crankworx King and Queen, the event is also the final round of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship season.
For more information go to: torpedo7.co.nz/content/crankworx-rotorua