No other bike race in the world is approached by a long hike through the desert, scrambling over rocks and cliffs, following a treacherously narrow path along slick, dusty trails, climbing higher and higher into the desert mountains for a glimpse of the action. But Red Bull Rampage is no ordinary bike race.
“It’s the Olympics, it’s the Super Bowl, it’s whatever you want to call it of mountain biking,” says American rider Luke Whitlock. “This is the ultimate proving ground. To even get to the bottom at Rampage is an incredible feat.”
Since 2001 the world’s best male freeriders – freestyle mountain bikers – have descended on this corner of southern Utah for one of the world’s most dangerous races. From last year the world’s best women have joined them, with both sets of competitors not only designing their route down the red rock face, but carving their lines into the mountain itself by hand alongside a team of diggers. No power tools are allowed: this is a labour of love…