Latest news with #GeeAtherton
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
American Vermette victorious at Hardline Wales finals day
American Asa Vermette has won the 2025 Red Bull Hardline Wales event in Machynlleth. Vermette, who came second at Hardline Tasmania earlier this year, was competing in the Welsh event for the first time. The 18-year-old becomes the youngest rider to win the Welsh competition. The Junior World Champion clocked a time of 2:24.477, improving on his qualifying time by 4.586 seconds. "It's insane, I did exactly what I wanted to do all week," said Vermette. Shrewsbury's Charlie Hatton finished second following a stellar World Cup season, just 1.681 seconds behind the winner. Hatton said: "I'm absolutely over the moon to be honest. "The emotions here are so high. I don't think I've ever had such an adrenaline spike after finishing a ride. "A podium at Hardline is always a good Sunday." Last year's champion Ronan Dunne finished in third place despite sustaining a puncture in the top section of the seeding run. "After winning Hardline last year, I definitely wanted to do it again, but it was nice to come away with a podium," said Dunne. "Hats off to Charlie and Asa, they both ripped it." Course co-creator and Hardline pioneer Gee Atherton finished in the top 10, taking ninth place over Chilean Felipe Agurto. The 40-year-old becomes the oldest competitor in the competition's history. And mountain bike internet sensation Matt Jones had difficultly in his run, but managed to make it down the mountain and finish the course. Jones was one of the only riders in attendance who does not race World Cups regularly. He told BBC Sport Wales: "I just about completed it, I ended up crashing twice in one run, which honestly just shows how gnarly it was. "I'm particularly unfit compared to these guys who are halfway through a World Cup season, but I made it happen." Ferguson makes Hardline Wales history Scottish rider Louise Ferguson made history on Saturday by becoming the first female rider to qualify for Sunday's final of Hardline Wales. In the event's 11 years, a female rider has never completed the course in full - mainly due to the scale of the jumps and challenging terrain. On Sunday she then became the first woman to do a full finals run and complete the course. The 29-year-old won Rider of the Week, which is given to athletes who have been the most supportive and helpful on the course throughout the week of practice. "I'm just so buzzing, I love downhill but Hardline is next level," Ferguson told BBC Sport Wales. "I feel really proud, just to put a run together." Welsh-based rider Kaos Seagrave completed his run, making it to the bottom despite a crash off the final jump. Although Seagrave crossed the finishing line, he was disqualified after riding outside the course parameters during the top section of his run. "I pulled a bit off the jump," said Seagrave. "As soon as I pulled I knew it was going to go wrong. "I got disqualified at the top, but still completed the run so I'm stoked."
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
American Vermette victorious at Hardline Wales finals day
American Asa Vermette has won the 2025 Red Bull Hardline Wales event in who came second at Hardline Tasmania earlier this year, was competing in the Welsh event for the first 18-year-old becomes the youngest rider to win the Welsh competition. The Junior World Champion clocked a time of 2:24.477, improving on his qualifying time by 4.586 seconds."It's insane, I did exactly what I wanted to do all week," said Vermette. Shrewsbury's Charlie Hatton finished second following a stellar World Cup season, just 1.681 seconds behind the said: "I'm absolutely over the moon to be honest."The emotions here are so high. I don't think I've ever had such an adrenaline spike after finishing a ride."A podium at Hardline is always a good Sunday."Last year's champion Ronan Dunne finished in third place despite sustaining a puncture in the top section of the seeding run. "After winning Hardline last year, I definitely wanted to do it again, but it was nice to come away with a podium," said Dunne."Hats off to Charlie and Asa, they both ripped it."Course co-creator and Hardline pioneer Gee Atherton finished in the top 10, taking ninth place over Chilean Felipe Agurto. The 40-year-old becomes the oldest competitor in the competition's mountain bike internet sensation Matt Jones had difficultly in his run, but managed to make it down the mountain and finish the course. Jones was one of the only riders in attendance who does not race World Cups told BBC Sport Wales: "I just about completed it, I ended up crashing twice in one run, which honestly just shows how gnarly it was."I'm particularly unfit compared to these guys who are halfway through a World Cup season, but I made it happen." Ferguson makes Hardline Wales history Scottish rider Louise Ferguson made history on Saturday by becoming the first female rider to qualify for Sunday's final of Hardline the event's 11 years, a female rider has never completed the course in full - mainly due to the scale of the jumps and challenging Sunday she then became the first woman to do a full finals run and complete the course. The 29-year-old won Rider of the Week, which is given to athletes who have been the most supportive and helpful on the course throughout the week of practice."I'm just so buzzing, I love downhill but Hardline is next level," Ferguson told BBC Sport Wales."I feel really proud, just to put a run together."Welsh-based rider Kaos Seagrave completed his run, making it to the bottom despite a crash off the final jump. Although Seagrave crossed the finishing line, he was disqualified after riding outside the course parameters during the top section of his run."I pulled a bit off the jump," said Seagrave. "As soon as I pulled I knew it was going to go wrong."I got disqualified at the top, but still completed the run so I'm stoked."
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mountain bikers bid to conquer 'deepest, darkest Wales'
Gee Atherton attributes Wales' landscape as the most "impressive and intimidating" for building the Worlds hardest downhill racing track. A former World mountain bike downhill champion, Atherton is co-founder of Hardline – widely regarded as the hardest mountain bike race in the world. Advertisement Redbull Hardline returns to the Dyfi Valley in mid Wales for its eleventh year on 26 July The event see's the top female and male riders from around the world battle it out over two days to become the Hardline winner. Last year Irish World Cup racer Ronan Dunne took the win and will be looking to defend his victory again this year. Along with his brother Dan, Gee Atherton designs and builds the track each year and also participates in the race, which he won in 2018 after a few unlucky years of mechanical faults on the track, had prevented him from finishing the race. "Every year I would be there and I would be close and either mechanicals or crashes or injuries," Gee Atherton said. Advertisement "I realised I was almost pushing too hard and I wanted this win too much and I almost had to kind of step back and calm myself down and think about it slightly differently. "I managed to get my head around it and managed to take a win but it's not an easy event to win by any means, there's very few people that have won it multiple times." The event is often regarded as the hardest course in the World with only the top athletes invited to take part each year. The event has one competition in Dinas Mawddwy, in Wales and one in Tasmania, with the Welsh clash known to be more challenging than its counterpart race. Advertisement "I mean, we've been all around the world riding and training and racing and looking for venues for these kind of events," Atherton added. "And, you know, we've never found anywhere as impressive as intimidating as where it is here in Wales. "I think it's that unique kind of feel you can only get from when you're in, you know, deepest, darkest Wales. "Everything from the climate, the venue, the mountain, you know, everything is terrifying. So it's the best spot in the world for it." Gee Atherton in action during the 2022 Hardline in the Dyfi Valley [Getty Images] A competition so extreme, it must be difficult to test its safety? Mountain biking at this scale, built to test the very top of the worlds talent can only be tested by the riders themselves, as the only people with the skillset to complete the course. Advertisement It may be the only sport in the world that the guinea pigs are its own professionals right in the heart of a World Cup season. Professional World Cup brothers, Dan and Gee will build and test the course before inviting other riders to test before the competition gets underway. "It's difficult really, Dan and I, we've got this kind of agreement between us and we know how each other works and I'll suggest something and he'll say no that's too far, or that's a great idea," Atherton said. "Often he will build something and I will have to test it so there's a lot of trust there between the two of us. Advertisement " I think we work well together, sometimes I'll have to test something that he's built and I'll have to trust that it's going to work 75% of the time it does and occasionally it doesn't. "You're building the hardest track in the world, you're guinea pigging some of the biggest features anyone's ever hit on a bike, so it's very difficult to then decide yes this is okay or no we've gone too far you know we have to push the sport. "We have to challenge the riders we have to be at that kind of that pinnacle that's forefront of what you can do on a mountain bike so each year the riders turn up and there's a new feature that's bigger and more difficult than the previous years. "If you go too far with that, you know, if you push them too far, then the riders can risk getting injured, which, you know, does happen sometimes in testing. Dan, Rachel and Gee Atherton pictured in 2008 [Getty Images] But at the same time, you know, you have to be ambitious. You have to push the sport along. And that's where that balance comes in. And you have to walk that very fine line." Advertisement The three Atherton siblings are arguably mountain biking's most impressive family, From their own bike brand to a bike park as well as Gee, Dan and sister Rachel's vast World Cup winning records. The three have been in Wales since 2004, with Dyfi Bike Park established in 2010, creating a destination for mountain bikers from all of the world to test their skills. "The talent that's developing, that's coming out of this area is incredible, riders onto the World Cup scene with quite impressive results," Gee Atherton said. "We've been here a long time, we've developed a Bike Park here in Machynlleth which has helped put the area on the map. Advertisement "It's turning into one of the UK's biggest bike parks and getting busier and busier and it's just this huge mountain of the most unique, intimidating daunting, but incredible fun to ride trails. "There's very few places you can find this kind of landscape and this kind of terrain that suits mountain biking so well."
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Mountain bikers bid to conquer 'deepest, darkest Wales'
Gee Atherton attributes Wales' landscape as the most "impressive and intimidating" for building the Worlds hardest downhill racing track.A former World mountain bike downhill champion, Atherton is co-founder of Hardline – widely regarded as the hardest mountain bike race in the Hardline returns to the Dyfi Valley in mid Wales for its eleventh year on 26 JulyThe event see's the top female and male riders from around the world battle it out over two days to become the Hardline year Irish World Cup racer Ronan Dunne took the win and will be looking to defend his victory again this with his brother Dan, Gee Atherton designs and builds the track each year and also participates in the race, which he won in 2018 after a few unlucky years of mechanical faults on the track, had prevented him from finishing the race. "Every year I would be there and I would be close and either mechanicals or crashes or injuries," Gee Atherton said."I realised I was almost pushing too hard and I wanted this win too much and I almost had to kind of step back and calm myself down and think about it slightly differently."I managed to get my head around it and managed to take a win but it's not an easy event to win by any means, there's very few people that have won it multiple times."The event is often regarded as the hardest course in the World with only the top athletes invited to take part each event has one competition in Dinas Mawddwy, in Wales and one in Tasmania, with the Welsh clash known to be more challenging than its counterpart race."I mean, we've been all around the world riding and training and racing and looking for venues for these kind of events," Atherton added."And, you know, we've never found anywhere as impressive as intimidating as where it is here in Wales."I think it's that unique kind of feel you can only get from when you're in, you know, deepest, darkest Wales."Everything from the climate, the venue, the mountain, you know, everything is terrifying. So it's the best spot in the world for it." A competition so extreme, it must be difficult to test its safety?Mountain biking at this scale, built to test the very top of the worlds talent can only be tested by the riders themselves, as the only people with the skillset to complete the may be the only sport in the world that the guinea pigs are its own professionals right in the heart of a World Cup World Cup brothers, Dan and Gee will build and test the course before inviting other riders to test before the competition gets underway."It's difficult really, Dan and I, we've got this kind of agreement between us and we know how each other works and I'll suggest something and he'll say no that's too far, or that's a great idea," Atherton said."Often he will build something and I will have to test it so there's a lot of trust there between the two of us." I think we work well together, sometimes I'll have to test something that he's built and I'll have to trust that it's going to work 75% of the time it does and occasionally it doesn't."You're building the hardest track in the world, you're guinea pigging some of the biggest features anyone's ever hit on a bike, so it's very difficult to then decide yes this is okay or no we've gone too far you know we have to push the sport."We have to challenge the riders we have to be at that kind of that pinnacle that's forefront of what you can do on a mountain bike so each year the riders turn up and there's a new feature that's bigger and more difficult than the previous years."If you go too far with that, you know, if you push them too far, then the riders can risk getting injured, which, you know, does happen sometimes in testing. But at the same time, you know, you have to be ambitious. You have to push the sport along. And that's where that balance comes in. And you have to walk that very fine line."The three Atherton siblings are arguably mountain biking's most impressive family,From their own bike brand to a bike park as well as Gee, Dan and sister Rachel's vast World Cup winning records. The three have been in Wales since 2004, with Dyfi Bike Park established in 2010, creating a destination for mountain bikers from all of the world to test their skills."The talent that's developing, that's coming out of this area is incredible, riders onto the World Cup scene with quite impressive results," Gee Atherton said."We've been here a long time, we've developed a Bike Park here in Machynlleth which has helped put the area on the map."It's turning into one of the UK's biggest bike parks and getting busier and busier and it's just this huge mountain of the most unique, intimidating daunting, but incredible fun to ride trails."There's very few places you can find this kind of landscape and this kind of terrain that suits mountain biking so well."
