Psychosis returns: Casey Brown and Joe Breeden dominate on Mt7

Mt7’s Psychosis is an iconic part of Canadian mountain bike history. For the second year running, Crankworx revived the infamously long and steep course, connecting the current generation with a mountain once raced by the sports heroes.

Casey Brown and Joe Breeden may have emerged as winners but, after over 10 minutes careening down 1,200 metres of vertical elevation loss, every rider emerged from the woods with shaking legs, burning lungs and a story, or two, to tell.

The world returns to Golden

In 2020, Crankworx brought Canada’s best athletes to run Psychosis for the first time in a decade. In 2021, Crankworx B.C. brought athletes from around the world to the notorious course, including recently retired World Cup icon Mick Hannah.

“This is definitely very unique,” said Hannah. “The trail is amazing. And there are a few different types of terrain in there which is super fun. It starts off steep and shaley, then there are some fast, flowy, rooty, loamy stuff, then a few more rocks down the bottom. Then the added element, for a downhill bike at least, is the hike in the middle. So that’s interesting because you’re in a race run, walking, just trying to keep at the correct threshold of heart rate. I’ve just done two runs…so that’s a lot to learn. It’s hard to know how much to pace it all. And you can’t very well push yourself hard in the morning otherwise your race run’s going to be toast. It was a really fun challenge today. I enjoyed it. It’s awesome to come here. Obviously I’ve known about it for a long time. It’s quite a famous race, certainly within the industry. It’s a classic event.”

Hannah was one of several international riders, including race winner Joe Breeden, joining a strong Canadian contingent for the 12th running of Mt7 Psychosis. All in, 25 riders lined up at the paraglide launch. Some for the first time, others looking for redemption from the intimidating mountain and epic 7.3km course.

Casey Brown mentors, then fights to stay ahead of next generation

In July, Casey Brown won Canadian downhill national championships at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. A few months later, the Revelstoke, B.C. rider was back in Golden and back on the podiums top step. This time, across the valley from KMHR on Mt7. In 2020, Brown was third at Psychosis, behind race winner Andréane Lanthier Nadeau. This year, Brown pulled off the win.

“It’s a pretty honourable spot,” said Brown. “I really gave it a go today. It was pretty risky, but I thought I may as well put it all on the line otherwise it’ll be a whole other year until we get to come back. Just coming here and the whole history behind the whole trail, you just think how nostalgic it is, and it’s very cool.”

The Canadian national champion takes the Psychosis win in 15:01.55.

“I had fun today,” she added, despite the physical effort the track extols on racers, adding “My mouth is like an air pipe right now. “I really enjoyed practicing with all the other girls and showing the girls that haven’t ridden it before where to go. Trying to help as many chicks as I can that are having their first experience with it because it was quite scary the first time, I know that for sure.”

Emmy Lan, who won the junior women’s title at KMHR nationals, nearly caught Brown. Racing in her first Psychosis, the 17-year-old Commencal Canada rider didn’t seem at all intimidated by the mountain. Lan, recently returned from racing World Cup downhill and Enduro World Series events in Europe, finished just 3.2 seconds behind Brown.

“It feels kind of amazing and unreal to be racing with all the girls I’ve looked up to over the years,” said Lan. “It’s kind of mind-blowing. I honestly think that might have been the hardest race I’ve ever done. It’s insanely technical and difficult. And you have a hike-a-bike in the middle, then you have a couple sprints, so it’s kind of got it all. But its so much fun. I was a little bit anxious but in my mind I just told myself ‘I’m just riding my bike right now.’ It wasn’t a race at the top. I was just trying to make it down alive.”

Knowing what comes next over 15 minutes of racing is a distinct advantage on a course as varied, and hazardous as Psychosis. Lauren Dudar, racing for the local Golden Cycling Club, used that advantage to take the third spot on the podium. The 22-year-old finished in 15:14.18, third but just 10 seconds behind Lan.

Pacing pulls Breeden onto Psychosis podium

Sometimes a smart race plan can pay off as much as experience. Joe Breeden, who saw the track for just the third time during his race run, took a tactical approach to claim the win.

“I’m absolutely stoked,” said Joe Breeden. “It’s really demanding, mentally and physically that run, so to dig deep, go through the pain and have a reward for it is really nice. It’s super challenging because I came here this morning, and I’d never been here before, so an 11 minute 30 second track, I think I did it in, two runs this morning to learn it all, so it’s a lot to take in in one day. And then to try and race run it in your third run, at a pace to do well, is pretty gnarly. So I’m really happy.”

“I kind of rode it all at 70 per cent, so it was all within my control, but it was very consistent top to bottom, and the pace I could ride the bottom was the same as the top” said Breeden of what he thought made the difference. “So I think today that was the winning tactics. It’s not like a downhill race where you’re 100 per cent for three minutes, start to finish. You have to have some tactics, and I think I played it well today.”

One step behind Breeden, Squamish’s Seth Sherlock found some redemption in second. After looking fast during practice in 2020, Sherlock crashed out of his race run. This year, he Intense Factory Racing rider wasn’t letting that happen again.

“It feels so good!” said an elated Sherlock. “Amazing. I got some redemption from last year. Last year I had to race this on my trail bike and I didn’t get any practice on it, so I came in and just sort of blew up before the first sprint. It wasn’t very good. I kind of hurt my knee. So it feels really good to get back on that and get back on the podium here. I had no idea what to expect. Not a clue. I wanted to podium at some point in the event, like in the whole Crankworx, and I figured this was probably my best chance left after I didn’t in the downhill, so it feels good.”

“Aw man, it’s got that kind of prestige to it,” Sherlock added. “It feels so good. It’s such an honour to just be racing it, do podiuming here is amazing. So good.”

 

Sherlock’s silver was very nearly a bronze. After 11:44.70 seconds, Bas van Steenbergen (Hyper) was only in third by 0.5 seconds. Staggering, over such an arduous course.

“That’s insane,” said van Steenbergen, who surprised himself with his successful run. “I did not think I had, even close to, a top five in me today. To get on the podium is awesome. I definitely think it helped a lot having raced this last year. There was a little bit more strategy involved this year than there was last year. So yeah, stoked.”

Van Steenbergen’s result means more that a Psychosis podium. It also boosts the Canadian into the overall points lead in the King of Crankworx competition. Van Steenbergen and Vaea Verbeeck, fourth on Mt7, now lead the race for the crowns as Crankworx World Tour gets ready to wrap up in New Zealand later this year.

Before flying south, Crankworx B.C. heads to SilverStar.