No rest for the weary! As soon as I wrapped up Leadville, I caught a ride to Denver and jetted to Whistler. It’s time for me to trade in my lycra for some baggies, throw on the full-face helmet and join some amazing DH and Freeride Pro’s at Crankworx 2012! Katie Holden, Lindsey Voreis, Anka Martin and Lorraine Blancher are on-hand to help me with SRAM Gold Rusch Tour Stop #5. We are hosting daily ride clinics and lounge parties all week…here is the official press release. Go to the Gold Rusch Tour website to check out the schedule.
SRAM Gold Rusch Tour Heads to Crankworx
Top women downhillers to lead rides, clinics and, of course, parties
WHISTLER, B.C. – August 13, 2012 – The SRAM Gold Rusch Tour is making its way to the world’s largest freeride mountain bike festival in the world. A cadre of top female mountain bikers will join Rebecca Rusch as they tackle Whistler’s famous trails and build excitement for women’s mountain biking.
Pro mountain bikers Lindsey Voreis, Lorraine Blancher, Katie Holden and Anka Martin will join Rusch in Whistler. The women will lead free “Ladies Rides” each day on August 15, 16 and 17. Women of any level can join these top mountain bikers at 9am each morning at the SRAM booth at Crankworx. Ride options include the Jeep Canadian Open DH coursewalk and ride, as well as more enduro-oriented XC rides.
Rusch, who just won her 4th Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in Colorado, is hoping to learn a thing or two from her partners in crime at Whistler.
“It’s not often you get to have top downhill and freeride women take you on a personal tour of Whistler trails,” says Rusch. “I’m hoping other women will join us to do some awesome riding and learn a thing or two while we’re out there.”
Of course, no Crankworx event would be complete without some great race watching and a party, so the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour will include the Ladies Lounge A-Line Party from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15. Rusch and the other Gold Rusch Tour riders will be watching the downhill races from a rooftop deck after meeting at the SRAM booth. All women and their guests are invited to meet the pros, win some incredible raffle gear and watch the races from the best viewing platform on site.
Riders are encouraged to track ride locations and event coordinates on Twitter, where the hashtag #goldruschtour will be updating from @thequeenofpain, Rusch’s Twitter handle.
The ninth annual Crankworx Whistler is presented by Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Crankworx Whistler is the biggest annual event held in Whistler and is also the largest freeride mountain bike festival in the world. Crankworx Les 2 Alpes took place for the first time July 9-15, 2012 and was the first Crankworx event to take place outside of North America. This new event will build on Crankworx’s legendary legacy in the arena of freeride mountain biking.
In August of 2011, Rusch won her third straight Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race. In addition to three 24-hour solo mountain bike World Champion rainbow jerseys, Rusch is the 2010 World Champion for Master’s XC mountain biking, the 2011 National XC single-speed champion, and a three-time national champion in 24-hour team mountain biking. She has won Idaho’s Short Track state championship (twice), and a Cyclocross state title. An accomplished Nordic skier, she’s won the Masters Cross Country Skiing World Championship, in addition to taking the top prize at Raid Gauloises Adventure Racing World Championships. Rebecca also organizes a series of female ride initiatives called the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour, an event that combines race & training clinics at major bike events, female media camps and an all girls MTB camp in her hometown of Ketchum, Idaho. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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