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Gravity enthused riders and spectators from across Southern Africa descended on the mountain kingdom of Lesotho to take part in the 2019 CrankChaos Maluti Mountain Bike Festival held at the Afriski Mountain Resort.
CrankChaos, one of the most unique biking events on the continent, is quickly establishing itself as the ultimate test for enduro and gravity riding featuring some of the biggest and most experienced names. From Day 1, CrankChaos brought together riders young and old, legendary and fresh on the scene. Friends were remembered, and friends were made, all on the resort’s network of epic trails.
One of the event’s biggest attractions is that it features the only bike uplift in Africa. With more T-Bars added to the uplift, there was less queuing, which equaled more riding! Riders took full advantage, and there was not one moment where the hills weren’t riddled with riders from top to bottom.
Dual Slalom
Afriski’s main slope was transformed into a MTB raceway complete with custom-built start gate, tightly packed berms, rollers, jumps and a final launch to the finish. The 2019 edition sported a longer, and more exciting Dual Slalom course with an extra 100m of bigger berms, tighter turns and a fresh new redesign.
Men’s:
1st Tim Bentley
2nd Theo Erlangsen
3rd Johann “Pottie” Potgieter
Ladies:
1st Steffanie Grossmann
2nd Beani Thies
3rd Frankie du Toit
FOX Racing Enduro
This year’s Fox Racing Enduro had not just three or four, but a total of five action-packed stages to push riders to the very limit. That’s five stages of MTB euphoria, 9km’s of majestic Maluti mountain trail with one massive RedRock Beer riverside party to finish it all off. The additional stages took their toll on even the strongest of riders, but it was Tim Bentley across the line, scoring his second win for the weekend followed by Theo Erlangsen in 2nd.
Juniors:
1st Williamm Luxford (18:24)
2nd Ike Klaasen (18:51)
3rd Keagan Brand (19:38)
Men’s:
1st Tim Bentley (16:29)
2nd Theo Erlangsen (16:33)
3rd Nico Velasco (16:48)
Ladies:
1st Steffanie Grossman (19:25)
2nd Frankie Du Toit (20:25)
3rd Beanie Thies (21:02)
Hill Climb
After a brutal five stages of Enduro, riders geared up for the CrankChaos Hill Climb. The rules are simple, riders need to bring as much power and endurance to the slopes as to race directly uphill in the fastest possible time. Should a rider’s feet (or body) touch soil they are disqualified. Beating Conrad Stoltz himself, Struan McMaster came out on the very top, beating Stoltz’s 2018 CrankChaos record.
Talon Tools Downhill Eliminator
The Talon Tools Downhill Eliminator is all about skill and the luck of the draw. After picking a downhill trail at random four riders would ride a different track, racing to be the first through the Red Bull arch and onto the podium. The drops, berms, jumps and bridges were revamped for 2019, with a lot of new surprises and challenges to keep things fresh. In the end it came down to a closely matched and exciting final between Greg Minnaar, Johann Potgieter, Tim Bentley and Andrew Neethling. Tim Bentley went on to take the win and the Triple Crown of the event.
Juniors:
1st Ike Klaasen
2nd William Luxford
3rd Keagan Brand
Mens:
1st Tim Bentley
2nd Greg Minnaar
3rd Andrew Neethling
Ladies:
1st Frankie Du Toit
2nd Beani Thies
3rd Steffanie Grossman
Whip Off
Despite cold weather and extremely windy conditions, the vibe surrounding the Whip-Off kept things toasty. The Whip Off competition featured a variety of mini-events and titles to be won. The riders busted it out were…
Tim Bentley – Best Trick
Jack Schlieman – Most Consistent
Cornelius Swanepoel – Biggest Send
Duran van Eeden– Best Whip
We can’t wait for #CrankChaos 2020.
Photos by Dom Barnhardt Photography.
Videos by Ewald Sadie.
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