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Welsh event cements its reputation as the world’s toughest downhill race
RED BULL HARDLINE is a downhill race unlike any other. The course, created by Dan Atherton and his build crew, mixes technical DH lines with flat-out speed sections and huge freeride features to create one of the hardest races in the world. This invitation-only event
challenges even the best riders, not only in terms of their technical ability on the bike, but also whether they can summon up the bottle to commit to these massive jumps.
For 2018, Dan wanted to show off the riders’ skills and speed, not just on the track’s ‘Hollywood’ features, but down the whole course. “In previous years, all the focus was on the road gap and the step-up,” he explained. “We wanted to change things up, to build excitement all the way down. The final field is an amazing natural ampitheatre so it made sense to use that more. We tried to keep the high-speed feel of the old finish but built three massive jumps, all in a line, to give spectators a real feel of how fast the riders were going.”
Hardline newbie and newlycrowned Junior world champ (see page 52) Kade Edwards had this to say about his first time tackling the course. “I was scared, sure, but that’s why you do it – there’s no point if you’re not! I love that feeling of being so close to a crash, but you’re not crashing, you’re shredding!”
It’s not just the massive jumps that make this track so challenging. The sections that link them together are as technical and demanding as you’ll find on any race course worldwide. “The track is sick, you’ve got all the best features,” Kade told us. “It’s like all the best bits of the whole World Cup are put in one place. It’s intense!”
This year’s race was won by Gee Atherton. After years of trying, he finally managed to put down the run he’d always promised, under the huge pressure of being the fastest qualifier and last rider on track (not to mention, the course builder’s brother). “Hardline is tough,” he said. “The guys all pushed really hard. I’ve had my heart set on this for so long, I’m so happy!”
Second place went to Bernard Kerr, who won the event in 2016. “It was good,” he said. “I tried really hard and was gutted not to win, but so stoked for Gee to finally take it.” Rounding out the podium in third was Charlie Hatton.