The Giant Factory Off-Road Team has opened the Crankworx Whistler mountain bike festival with strong results at the Canadian Open DH.  Just one week after finishing 3rd in the Windham World Cup DH, Andrew Neethling snagged his second consecutive podium result.

Neethling rode his Giant Glory 0 to a finishing time of 3:01:52, enough to capture 2nd place just a fraction behind Vancouver Island's Steve Smith. Teammate Danny Hart finished the race in 5th place.

Rain has plagued the Whistler area for the last few days, making the DH course extremely challenging for the riders.  "The Whistler DH course is tough even in dry conditions," said Neethling. "With all the rain we've had, this course became as slick and greasy as anything I've raced on the World Cup circut- I'm happy to have finished in one piece!"

Huge crowds endured the wet weather to watch the team compete. "The fans were amazing! I couldn't believe how many people there were watching and cheering up on the course!" stated Neethling.

The Crankworx Whistler Mountain Bike Festival runs until July 24, 2011, with the Giant Factory Off-Road Team competing in 3 more events.

Click here for a complete webcast schedule of events for the Giant Team and to watch the team live!.