RedBull and Crankworx respond to the UCI

Red Bull will be in charge of broadcasting this year's Crankworx DH. In this way, the energy drink brand makes a move after Discovery took over the MTB World Cup. In addition, the organizer has announced significant cash prizes for the winners and the creation of the 1199 Award.

Crankworx and Red Bull team up to offer a bigger show that brings fans together

If a year ago the UCI announced that Red Bull would stop broadcasting the MTB World Cup races, the Austrians' response came just a few days ago. The brand of the red bull, which sponsors a multitude of sports and athletes around the world, has not stood by and will take over the broadcasts of the Crankworx DH 2023.

Through a press release, Crankworx has announced the details of the incorporation of a company as powerful as Red Bull, which has the money and experience necessary to try to make the championship more attractive.

The news package starts with the signing of Rob Warner, legendary commentator and for many the recognizable face of MTB. Alongside him, Eliot Jackson, a Red Bull regular, will share the stage.

The races will be broadcasted through Red Bull TV, the same platform on which until now the MTB World Cup races were broadcasted. They assure that they will have more cameras than the Crankworx DH had until now in order to make the coverage more spectacular.

Therefore, Crankworx CEO Darren Kinnaird said that they intend to "create the best mountain biking experience" and added that they have "reinvented" the competition for 2023.

In addition, Kinnaird explained that "we hope the fans have as much fun as the athletes who come to race at Crankworx. We are excited about what we have planned for DH in 2023."

The championship and the 1199 Award

If what we have just mentioned was intended to attract more people, the large prizes are intended to motivate the best riders.

The event is called the Crankworx World Tour Downhill Championship and consists of four races. In each of them money will be given to the winner, although the amounts are still unknown. On the other hand, the overall winner will pocket about 3,500 euros.

In addition, Crankworx has introduced the 1199 Award, a clear allusion to the number of points Stevie Smith earned when he won the World Championship in 2013. In this peculiar classification, overall points will be added up until any rider exceeds 1199 points. At 100 points per win, it will take a few seasons to reach that figure.

The prize for this championship, which is played in parallel, is also 3,500 euros. However, the interesting thing is that if at the end of the season no one has reached 1199 points, the prize will be increased by 3,500 euros in the following season. And so on until someone achieves it, so the final jackpot is sure to be much larger than the initial amount.

In total, Crankworx has €90,345 during the year to distribute among the participants, a number quite similar to that offered at the World Cup.

Crankworx DH 2023 Calendar

• March 18-26 - Rotorua (New Zealand)
• May 17-21 - Cairns (Australia)
• June 21-25 - Innsbruck (Austria)
• July 21-30 - Whistler (Canada)