Latest news with #downhill
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Monster Army Mountain Bike Team Sweep the Cat 1 Junior Men 17-18 Podium, and Claim Multiple Podium Spots at Round 3 of the 2025 Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series at Solitude Mountain
Pro Men Division: Monster Army Rider Dante Silva from San Diego Finishes in 2nd Place Pro Women Division: Monster Army's Kallie Stewart from Arizona Takes 3rd Place Cat 1 Junior Men 17-18: Monster Army Riders Sweep Podium with Alex Mallen in 1st Place, Ryder Lawrence in 2nd Place, and Kai Burleson in 3rd Place Cat 1 Junior Women 17-18: Monster Army's Samantha Porras in 2nd Place and Sara Ligman in 3rd Place Cat 1 Junior Men 15-16: Connor Knipscheer from Yucaipa, California, Takes 2nd Place Cat 1 Junior Women 15-16: Monster Army's Ainsley Wolf Claims 3rd Place SOLITUDE MOUNTAIN RESORT, Utah, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Great results in Round 3 of the 2025 Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series Presented by Continental Tires! Monster Energy congratulates its team of Monster Army mountain bike athletes on claiming a victory and several podium spots in key races at the MTB Downhill competition at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah this weekend. From July 24 to 27, the third round of the Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series brought the world's best downhill mountain bike racers to Solitude Mountain Resort, one hour outside of Salt Lake City. Known for its fast and technical downhill runs, the track is a favorite for the riders on the tour. Now in its second year, the official U.S. Downhill Mountain Bike Championship features five rounds of pro and amateur racing. The series will conclude with the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking at Killington Resort from September 25 to 28. In Saturday's Pro Men Division Downhill Race, 22-year-old Monster Army rider Dante Silva from San Diego, California, dropped in as a podium contender after most recently taking third place at the previous tour stop. Rising to the occasion at Solitude Mountain, Silva put down a flawless run with the day's fastest times on Split 1 and Split 2. When the dust settled, Silva finished with a total time of 2:04.208 for second place in a close race. The Pro Women Division race ended with 16-year-old mountain bike phenomenon and Monster Army rider Kallie Stewart in third place. In an intense final, the 2025 Downhill Southeast Pro Champ from Maricopa, Arizona, completed the track in 2:28.378 for her podium spot. The team scored a major win in the Cat 1 Jr Men 17-18 Division race with a podium sweep. In a dominant performance, 17-year-old Monster Army rider Alex Mallen from Park City, Utah, took the victory with a finish time of 2:05.766, more than three seconds ahead of the next competitor. Mallen was joined on the podium by 17-year-old Ryder Lawrence from Menifee, California, in second place with a finish time of 2:09.176. Monster Army's Kai Burleson from Murrieta, California, landed in third place with a finish time of 2:10.781. The podium finishes continued in the Cat 1 Jr Women 17-18 Division with 17-year-old Monster Army team rider Samantha Porras from Los Angeles, California, taking second place with a finish time of 2:30.152. Also rising to the top three, 17-year-old Monster Army athlete Sara Ligman took third place with a time of 2:32.804. Wrapping up an action-packed weekend, Sunday's race in the Cat 1 Jr Men 15-16 Division concluded with a Monster Army rider in the top three: 16-year-old Connor Knipscheer from Yucaipa, California, rose into second place with a finish time of 2:11.282. Also on Sunday, the Cat 1 Jr Women 15-16 Division concluded with 16-year-old Ainsley Wolf from Colorado taking third place with a finish time of 2:41.477. Congrats to the team on eight podium finishes, including one victory, at this major event! Next on the calendar, stay tuned for round four of the 2025 Monster Energy Pro Downhill Series from July 31 to August 3 at Big Bear Lake, California, including the USAC National Championship. For more on Dante Silva, Alex Mallen, Ryder Lawrence, Kai Burleson, Samantha Porras, Connor Knipscheer, Kallie Stewart, Sara Ligman, Ainsley Wolf, and our team of mountain bike athletes, visit Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. About Monster EnergyBased in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ferguson reaches Hardline Wales finals to make history
Scottish mountain biker Louise Ferguson has made history by reaching Sunday's finals of Red Bull Hardline Wales. The 29-year-old from Fort William, who is based in New Zealand, became the first female rider to qualify in the history of the event, which is held in the Dyfi Valley. 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. Elite women's rider Tahnee Seagrave invites riders to compete at Hardline Wales and posted on social media that she was "so proud" to see the women giving it their all at the event and to see Ferguson complete the qualifying stage. A "super happy" Ferguson described her accomplishment as a "relief" and hopes to see more women competing with her next year, and says they are getting closer to a standalone women's race at the event. "I wasn't sure if we'd ever get to do all of the features, I really feel like we're making progress," she said "Tahnee Seagrave has put in so much effort to get us here. We've had so much support and this is finally achieving some of the goals we set." Seagrave encouraging more women to race the 'hardest downhill track' Mountain bikers bid to conquer 'deepest, darkest Wales' Seagrave targets elusive world title
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Seagrave encouraging more women to race the 'hardest downhill track'
Elite women's rider Tahnée Seagrave acknowledges that recruiting for the world's hardest downhill racing track is hard work in has been tasked by the race organisers of Red Bull Hardline to source and invite top female athletes to compete in the world's hardest downhill Wales is a downhill race which will be staged in Machynlleth on 26-27 July."It does feel like an honour to be invited there and it's obviously the hardest track you can find," Seagrave told BBC Sport Wales."I think people really want to push themselves and prove themselves and be crowned winner of Hardline."Red Bull tell me the amount of places there are and I go and seek riders. "Sometimes it's hard to even get people that are willing to do it just because it's obviously so hard."The risk is really high especially for World Cup racers that have a full season of racing it's sometimes not worth the risk."But the 30-year-old acknowledges that Hardline Wales is "always a hard one" to recruit for given the demands of the race. Last year, during the 10th anniversary of the event, female competitors made history, by ticking off some of the races most challenging features such as the infamous road gap."I remember standing on the road gap and when I saw Cami [Cami Nogueira] who hit the road gap first and did it first I was just I was nearly in tears just because it was this feature that I've looked at ever since Hardline began," Seagrave added."I remember when I saw the first Hardline I thought there's no way in a million years I would ever hit something that big."To see the first girl do it and then inspired me to then go and do it, it was personally a huge achievement but also it just meant so much more than that for women's mountain biking."I think for me it is seeing other women do stuff makes me realize that things are possible." The first woman to ride the Hardline course in Wales was 23-year-old New Zealander Jess Blewitt in 2023, but she was not able to complete a full top-to-bottom race run. "We have only seen two women do a full top to bottom [at Hardline] and that was Gracey Hemstreet and Louise Ferguson in Tasmania," said Seagrave, who is based in Llanfyllin in mid Wales."We haven't seen one in Wales yet but I think, I like to think that we will do very soon."I'm hoping that the more people see her [Gracey] and the other girls, the more youngsters will come up and want to attend and want to be invited and we'll just see it grow and grow." Seagrave races with a younger competitor Phoebe Gale for Orbea FMD and says having other women in the sport to support one another is a big reassurance."I know that me and Phoebe really enjoy racing together and we've even said to each other oh at least we've got each other when we're scared or when like it rains or when the features are scary we know that we're both there doing it together and that's a comforting feeling," Seagrave, a former Junior World style of relationship is rare for racers Seagrave explains as opposed to World Cup racing, Hardline is different as racers spend time together supporting each other to overcome the challenges on the also mentions that Hardline is the only event that brings together athletes in multiple areas of the biking world "Hardline is a great event because it brings the best from each discipline so you do see free riders, you do see some of the biggest names from each discipline. it's not like other events," Seagrave said."For me approaching Hardline is so much different to a World Cup race because I haven't done a top to bottom at Hardline."I've ticked off 90 % of the features in both events but it's just, so for me to think of, to form a race run in my head I'm not quite there yet." Seagrave will not be competing at this year's Hardline due to World Cup commitments,But she will be in Dinas Mawddwy cheering on brother Kaos Seagrave and hopes to see other female riders take on the "hardest track."
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Riding Hardline 'like playing Mario Kart with mates'
One of the toughest mountain bike races of all takes place in Wales next Wales is a part-downhill, part-freeride race which will be staged in Machynlleth on 26-27 to the organisers, Hardline riders "push their limits to conquer a brutal course with massive jumps, drops and technical challenges".Kaos Seagrave, a London-born professional rider who is based in Wales, has many years of biking experience under his belt but says Hardline Wales "is actually the hardest race I've ever done".Seagrave devotes his time to freeride mountain biking having left racing on the World Cup scene after finding races "too serious".Hardline is the only race the 26-year-old still competes in, and also tests for, as he feels it is the only race that gives the racers the chance to have fun while racing."The good thing about Hardline is you get to race and be competitive. It's like playing Mario Kart with your mates," Seagrave he was born in the UK, Seagrave, along with his professional racing sister Tahnee, grew up near Morzine in France - the gateway to the Portes du Soleil area that mountain bikers flock to in summer, and skiers in the siblings were younger, the family often had athletes staying with them."I was at the races all my life," said Seagrave. "Before I was a racer, my family would always be at the races because my mum would cook for some of the teams."The Seagraves eventually left France for Wales, where they have lived and raced for 10 says he "fell in love with the place" after visiting his sister, who had moved over Morzine there was no opportunity for biking in winter, meaning that – unusually perhaps - the Welsh weather was appealing."We wanted to always just ride bikes and you can't with winter out there [in France]," Seagrave said."Here you can ride 12 months of the year. It's just so beautiful."The Seagraves are not alone, with Wales' landscape attracting many elite racing families in recent times."The riding is insane, the amount of hills and wherever you go there's kind of a track there," Seagrave added. 'No spiders or snakes - but I don't like crashing in Wales' The Hardline competitions have only two races, one in Wales and one in to the rough landscape in the Dyfi Valley, the Welsh Hardline is widely regarded as the hardest track in the world."It's just the actual steepness of the hill and the Dyfi Valley," Seagrave explained."And then there is the weather as it's normally wet, so it's normally going to be a wet race, and roots and rocks in the wet are quite sketchy."I think for Hardline, it's got to be the hardest line that there is."If you crash in Tasmania, I know there are animals like spiders and snakes, but normally if you crash on the side, you're not too bad."If you crash in Wales it's just kind of rocky, slatey and it's such hard-packed dirt. I don't really like crashing in Wales."Nevertheless, Seagrave enjoys testing the track in Wales, willing to be the guinea pig - the first to ride the track before a race starts and before any other athlete. With each course getting new jumps and features every year, they need to be tested for safety but also to make sure the obstacles are actually rideable."It's a cool experience but it's always quite scary because obviously you're doing a jump for the first time," he describes testing as a "different gamble" due to the risk involved when trying out the most difficult course on the planet."You're there to do a job but if I don't think I can do something I won't," Seagrave said."I've had a few crashes so sometimes it's better to say change it before it's ridden. But you do want to at least try." However, there has been no testing for Hardline this year as the course has no new Seagrave says there are nerves involved when he is preparing to try a new trick."I'm absolutely in my head just like, 'Oh my God, what if I just go off the side?'" he said."As I get to the top and get on my bike, that's when I'm like, yeah, I'm okay. When I'm going to drop in, those thoughts just go to the side and only thoughts of me landing and doing it are in my head."Seagrave grew up with admiration for Hardline creators Dan and Gee Atherton, themselves professional racers."We always try to get Dan to come back out on the Hardline course but he's always like, 'Oh I'm old now I can't ride it'," Seagrave said."I went to the bike park with him on Sunday, he was dropping us and riding so well. He'd beat most of us - but he says it's up to us to ride it now."After all the crashes Gee has had, seeing him ride is just amazing. They are unique athletes."Seagrave missed out on competing in both editions of Hardline last year after a shoulder injury, but is raring to go again this says the primary target is to "go out there and have fun" as he prepares for a year of freeriding events such as Crankworx and Swatch Nines and also handing in an application for a wildcard spot for Red Bull Rampage.
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."
