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Results: Fitzgerald and ALN fastest in marathon Mt.7 Psychosis DH

Crankworx Summer Series revives a classic course in Golden, B.C.

Henry Fitzgerald Mt.7 Psychosis Crankword Summer Series

A course hidden deep in the Rocky Mountains that was so notoriously difficult, it attracted World Cup racers, including Sam Hill and Canada’s own Steve Smith. Mt.7 Psychosis is the stuff of legends. Running for 10 years, until 2008, it was an iconic event in its time.

Crankworx Summer Series revived the legend this week, sending racers down the 7.3km race for the first time in over a decade.

Andréane Lanthier Nadeau ALN Mt.7 Psychosis Crankworks Summer Series
ALN dropping into Dead Dog. Photo: Chris Pilling

The invite-only list of racers were thrilled, and a little nervous at the opportunity to test themselves on the notoriously difficult track. From the start, rolling over the edge of Golden’s paraglide launch into Dead Dog, the course is fully committed.

RELATED: Course Preview: Mt. 7 Psychosis returns at Crankworx Summer Series

“Trying to go as slow as you can is still really fast. And that’s kind of what’s always been the crux. That’s always been the key to this event,” explained Trevor Gavura, Event Director for the Golden Cycling Club. “You have to give way to gravity on this course. Most courses today in the World Cups, you can kind of stop on course anywhere, but this actually has sections that are physically impossible to stop on.”

Mt. 7 Psychosis Crankworx Summer Series
Lucy Schick in the start gate. Photo: Chris Pilling.

Nerves and excitement

“When they’re fired up, I’m fired up,” added Gavura, who was the Race Director in previous iterations of the race. “And the more excited they get, the more excited I get. I could ride that course a hundred times, but I still don’t get as excited as watching some of the world’s best athletes drop in for the first time. For a little trail in Golden to be talked about all over the world was something. But now for the next generation of riders, kids that were 3, 4, 5-years-old the last time this race even ran, to still know about it and be fired up to race it, and that the course is still the same, 22 years later as when it first started, is pretty amazing.”

“I’m so glad that’s over, but I can’t wait to do it again.” Lucy Schick, the first rider to drop in to finals, singled out by the crew from the Golden Cycling Club as “the first person to drop into the race in 12 years.”

“I apologized to one of the marshalls and asked him ‘Is everyone this slow?’ He said ‘Yeah.’” said McKay Vezina, laughing, on running the hike-a-bike

Henry Fitzgerald Mt.7 Psychosis Crankworks Summer Series
Henry Fitzgerald. Photo: Clint Trahan

Henry Fitzgerald holds on for Men’s Psychosis win

“It was very hard going down. I was pretty much a shell,” said Henry Fitzgerald. The Norco Factory Racing rider held on to win the Elite Men’s race.  “I was getting so loose, but didn’t really have the energy to do anything about it. But, it worked out.”

Fitzgerald’s time not only put him in the hot seat, as fastest man on the mountain, but smashed Chris Kovarik’s 2008 course record. At 11:19.19, the 21-year-old put over a minute into Kovarik’s time of 12:35.14.

Fitzgerald’s time not only beat the 12-year-old record, but all other Crankworx athletes, making him the first Psychosis winner since 2008.

Mt. 7 Psychosis Crankworx Summer Series
Finn Iles drops in. Photo: Chris Pilling

“It was hard,” said Iles, who feels he’s in the best shape of his life. “That was one of the hardest races I think I’ve ever done in my life. That was insanely physical. Riding the steepest thing you’ve ever ridden, and then immediately just pumping and trying to carry speed, then immediately into a hike-a-bike…I’m tired. I’m really tired.”

Iles time – 11:28.81 – put him under nine seconds behind Fitzgerald’s winning time.

Finn Iles Mt.7 Psychosis Crankworks Summer Series
Finn Iles. Photo: Chris Pilling

“Nine seconds over 11 minutes is not a lot of time,” added Iles. “I think that’s like ¾ of a second every minute? So, you know, just those little moments where I thought I could rest, I could have put in a pedal stroke or something. But second’s good. Continuing the podium streak and putting in more points into the overall.”

Georgia Astle
Georgia Astle. Photo: Clint Trahan.

ALN sets new women’s record in tight race with Astle

While the course is a mix of adrenaline, endurance and survival, the winning margin in the women’s field was even tighter. Less than five seconds separated Andréane Lanthier Nadeau’s winning time from second place finisher Georgia Astle.

“We actually have a mechanic here at this event who’s taken part in Psychosis, Jeff Hunter, so I asked him what I should do,” explained ALN. “And he said ‘Go as slow as you can and then once you hit the last corner of Dead Dog, then start racing.’ I definitely did that and, yeah, it paid off.”

Georgia Astle. Photo: Chris Pilling

ALN sets a new course record, beating Claire Buchar’s 2007 time of 16:53.65.

“I was shaking at the start line,” said second place finisher Georgia Astle. Her experience includes winning Whistler’s infamously long Garbanzo DH, but still said Psychosis is a whole nother level.

“…every corner counts, but also it’s just consistency,” said Astle. “But man, the hike-a-bike in the middle does not compare to Garbo. This was insane. It hurt more than I ever thought it could hurt.”

Mt. 7 Psychosis Crankworx Summer Series
Casey Brown. Photo: Chris Pilling

Brown and Verner third, and thrilled

Rhys Verner and Casey Brown claimed the final Psychosis podium spots. Both were thrilled just to get to race the course, never mind thrive on it.

“It’s pretty remarkable,” said Brown. “I would have never thought that I would have been able to race Psychosis, because they stopped racing it in 2008. So, yeah, coming here and knowing how much history it has is really incredible. And being able to look back at old videos of Stevie Smith and Sam Hill racing this track, and even Tyler Morland and all those legends…it’s really cool to bring it back.”

Rhys Verner Mt.7 Psychosis Crankworks Summer Series
Rhys Verner. Photo: Chris Pilling

“I’ve watched Seasons about a thousand times,” said Verner, who also said he “felt like death” after the race, adding that it was “tons of fun.”  

“I knew all about this race even before this and, yeah, I was pretty excited to race it. It’s definitely in the history books as one of the coolest races ever.”

As the athletes collected themselves at the finish line, and the Psychosis adrenaline subsided, they all stopped to thank Gavura for the opportunity to race the course.

“As long as you guys had a sh*t load of fun, that’s all we care about,” he answered back with a smile.

Mt. 7 Psychosis Crankworx Summer Series
Miranda Miller. Photo: Chris Pilling.

Results: Mt.7 Psychosis DH – Crankworx Summer Series

WOMEN | Elite

1.  LANTHIER NADEAU Andréane CAN Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro Team, 14:32.69
2. ASTLE Georgia CAN Unior Devinci Factory Racing, Fox, RaceFace, 14:37.38 +4.68
3. BROWN Casey
CAN Trek, Bell Helmets, SRAM, Dakine, Title compo 14:52.34 +19.64
4. VERBEECK Vaea CAN Rocky Mountain, TLD, Maxxis, Industry Nine, 15:18.50 F +45.81
5. MILLER Miranda CAN Kona Factory Gravity Team, 100%, SRAM15:38.41 +1:05.72
6. PICTON Leonie AUS Liv Cycling, 100%, DVO Suspension 15:49.39 +1:16.70
7. SCHICK Lucy CAN Blueprint, Norco, Shimano, OneUp, NS Billet, 17:38.89 P +3:06.19

Mt. 7 Psychosis Crankworx Summer Series
Brett Rheeder. Photo: Chris Pilling

MEN | Elite

1. FITZGERALD Henry CAN Norco Factory Team, SRAM, RocksShox, 11:19.19
2. ILES Finn CAN Specialized Gravity, Red Bull 11:28.81 +9.62
3. VERNER Rhys CAN Kona Factory Team, SRAM, Giro 11:32.28 +13.09
4. MCDOWALL Kirk CAN Devinci, Dunbar, Fox, Race Face 11:42.81 +23.62
5. MELAMED Jesse CAN Rocky Mountain RaceFace Enduro Team11:46.23 +27.04
6. CRUZ Lucas CAN Norco Factory Team, SRAM, RocksShox, 11:46.48 DT S +27.29
7. JAMIESON Elliot CAN Norco Factory Team, SRAM, RocksShox, 11:47.32 DT S +28.13
8. WALLACE Mark CAN Canyon Collective 11:53.94 +34.75
9. VEZINA Mckay CAN Giant Factory Off-Road Team, Fox, Maxxis, 12:02.88 Sh +43.69
10. GAUVIN Remi CAN Rocky Mountain Race Face Enduro Team 12:03.93 (Sh +44.74
11. VAN STEENBERGEN Bas CAN Hyper Bikes, Fox, Maxxis, Shimano, Race 12:14.10 Fac +54.91
12. COUSINIÉ Fabien FRA Polygon UR Team 12:33.37 +1:14.18
13. RHEEDER Brett CAN Trek Bikes, Clif Bar, Fox Racing, Ride Fox, 12:48.80 Sh +1:29.61
14. SHERLOCK Seth CAN Intense Factory Racing DNF