MTB
The world's best mountain bikers kicked off the 2025 Crankworx World Tour in New Zealand, where Patricia Druwen won big in the showcase slopestyle and Richie Rude impressed in multiple disciplines.
The Crankworx World Tour kicked off once again for 2025 in New Zealand at its traditional first stop in Rotorua. The mountain biking haven has cemented its place as the ideal place to start the international mountain bike season, drawing a lot of the world's best riders to its legendary dirt and world-class courses.
From high-speed downhill racing to massive slopestyle tricks, Crankworx Rotorua is where riders lay it all on the line to set the tone for the season ahead. The competition was fierce, the atmosphere electric, and you can replay all the action from the slopestyle, pump track, downhill and dual slalom below.
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Replay the Crankworx Rotorua action on Red Bull TV
Selected competitions from each stop of the Crankworx World Tour will be shown live on Red Bull TV in all countries. Schedule details for Rotorua are as follows:
- Pump Track: March 7, 2025 – Watch the replay
- Downhill: March 8, 2025 – Watch the replay
- Slopestyle: March 7, 2025 – Watch the replay
- Dual Slalom: March 9, 2025 – Watch the replay
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Who won what at Crankwworx Rotorua 2025?
At just 18-years-old, fast rising slopestyle talent Patricia Druwen stole the show as she dominated the women's field in the Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of MaGazza to take her first-ever Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship victory.
The German teenager threw down a huge run filled with perfectly-landed technical tricks, included an X-Up to Suicide No Hander, a Double Oppo Bar Spin and a Backflip Tuck No Hander to score 87.75 points and claim a clear win over Canada's Natasha Miller (80.50 points) and 2024 Red Bull Rampage women's winner Robin Goomes (75.25 points).
Druwen is now undoubtedly one of the riders to beat for the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship as the season moves forward to the next round in Cairns, Australia, on May 21–25.
In the men's field, France's Tim Bringer claimed his first-ever Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship victory, after previously scoring eight Slopestyle World Championship podiums. He dominated the field with a 93.25-point run, beating American Kaidan Ingersoll (90.87) and Canada's Ben Thompson (82.92) to the top of the podium.
After two years of racing in the Whakarewarewa Forest, this year the RockShox Kārearea Downhill challenged riders with a brand-new course at Skyline Rotorua, delivering a steep, tight and loose, course that really tested racers. It was double home victory, as local Kiwi talents Jenna Hastings and Lachie Stevens-McNab took big wins in front of their local fans.
Hastings in particular laid down a flawless and aggressive run, securing the victory with a commanding 6.259s advantage over Switzerland’s Camille Balanche, while Scotland's Louise Ferguson claimed third place.
The Elite Men's final was closer, but Rotorua local boy Stevens-McNabb rode to victory by a 0.603s margin over fellow Kiwi Tuhoto-Ariki Pene. The battle for third was fierce, with Brit Matt Walker just pipping American Richie Rude to the final podium position.
Rude was also on the pace in the fiercely competitive Specialized Dual Slalom, where riders tackled the repurposed Speed & Style course at Skyline Rotorua, which made for a bigger, burlier and more technical dual course than in previous years.
The multi-time Enduro World Series champion finished third in the men's field behind Yeti team-mate and winner Ryan Gilchrist, while veteran local hero Sam Blenkinsop took second. In the women's final, Australian Caroline Buchanan beat American Jordy Scott to gold, while Sabina Košárková of the Czech Republic took bronze.
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Who's leading the race to be King and Queen of Crankworx?
With the opening event of the Crankworx World Tour now in the books, the battle for the 2025 King and Queen of Crankworx is underway. Ryan Gilchrist's win in Dual Slalom propelled him to the top of the standings on 414 points with two former Kings of Crankworx, Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (339) and Sam Blenkinsop (265), following him. Courtsey of her big DH win, Jenna Hastings tops the Queen race on 300 points, followed by Jordy Scott (272) and Sabina Košárková (260).
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What happened at Crankworx Rotorua 2024?
Freeride mountain biking ushered in a new era as Robin Goomes emerged victorious in the first-ever Women’s Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship. Cheered on by a huge home crowd, the New Zealander’s first run score of 90.75 was enough to secure the landmark victory.
Australian Harriet Burbidge-Smith took second place thanks to a dazzling first run that scored 85.5 points, while compatriot Caroline Buchanan claimed the final spot on the podium thanks to a second run score of 80.25.
"There were so many little girls in the stands, there were so many spectators, so many people cheering," said Buchanan. "For me, growing up in BMX since the age of five, it’s really hard to be what you can’t see, so being seen I think is the most important thing right now for the future of women’s Slopestyle, and yeah, to be one of the older girls in the class at 33, still throwing down, this is probably one of my career highlights."
After withdrawing from the competition on Saturday, the male slopestyle riders were on hand to cheer on their female counterparts and honour the legacy of Kelly “McGazza” McGarry, one of New Zealand’s best slopestyle mountain bikers and track builders who died in 2016.
Earlier in the week, the action in Rotorua kicked off with the downhill event. There was a dominant showing from the home riders as New Zealand’s Lachlan Stevens-Mcnab won the men’s competition and compatriot Eliana Hulsebosch dominated the women’s race. There was also an impressive ride from another Kiwi as Jess Blewitt claimed second place.
Next up was Speed & Style, where Australian legend Buchanan delivered a dominant performance to claim top honours before American rider Garret Mechem secured victory in the men’s event. In the Dual Slalom there were wins for wins for Canada’s Jakob Jewett in the men’s race and Great Britain’s Martha Gill in the women’s.
Heavy rain showers then caused major delays but the weather eventually cleared and Canada’s Ryan Gilchrist triumphed in the men’s Pump Track event. American Kialani Hines secured victory in the women’s final as she edged out New Zealand’s Shania Rawson.
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Tell us more about where Crankworx Rotorua is taking place
Crankworx Rotorua takes place in and around Skyline Bike Park in Rotorua, New Zealand. A world-class riding destination, it is just a short journey from the renowned Redwood Trails in the Whakarewarewa Forest. The area is also known for its geothermal activity, which means you're bound to find some hot pools to rest those muscles should you visit the area and choose to ride.
To watch all the action from Crankworx Rotorua simply download the free Red Bull TV app.
