Video: Hardline Track Walk with Gee Atherton and Rob Warner

Sep 13, 2019 at 1:14
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesRed Bull Hardline isn’t an event for the fainthearted. Hailed as one of the toughest downhill mountain bike races in the world, the event returns to the hills of Dyfi Valley in the north of Wales for its sixth edition.

The 2018 edition saw home favourite Gee Atherton taking home the trophy for the first time after a nail-biting final in front of 3,000 spectators. Bernard Kerr came in second with Charlie Hatton in third.

Red Bull Hardline 2019 is bigger than ever before. With the worlds best DH riders coming from all corners of the world, expect to see some wild riding in the valleys of Dyfi this weekend.
Red Bull


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Member since Mar 16, 2017
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41 Comments
  • 41 0
 Rob's moustache is a brave choice. He looks like Pablo Escobar's gardener.
  • 7 0
 It has a kind of Brokeback Mountain feel to me.
  • 2 0
 Looks like he could have been a member of General Montgomery's field staff.
  • 4 0
 For me, it's the dye job that kills it.
  • 2 0
 The first thing i thought was Mario!
  • 18 0
 "You're in the air for quite a long time, you can clip back in then...."
Riiiiiiiiight..... In the mean time I'd fall over riding off a curb with a foot un-clipped.
  • 1 10
flag DavidGuerra (Sep 13, 2019 at 4:36) (Below Threshold)
 I didn't get that one. It's not possible to clip in mid-air. If you push against the pedals you're just throwing the bike away from you.
  • 20 0
 @DavidGuerra: pretty sure if Gee said it, it’s possible.
  • 2 0
 @DavidGuerra: it’s definitely possible. It’s just scary as all heck when you have to. Can’t imagine doing that on such s monster feature.

The way I’ve seen it done is compressing super hard on the takeoff so the bike gets more upward force but then push back against it with your unclipped foot while in the air. It comes out looking like an awkward scrub but it’s faster than not riding the feature at all.
  • 5 0
 @DavidGuerra: if u have 1 foot clipped in, u can get the other in the air..2 feet, pull with the one that's clipped in, push with the one that's unclipped. I'm at a loss for how you'd get both clipped back in if you were completely unclipped tho. I reckon Gee can do it tho XD
  • 2 0
 @DavidGuerra: I've clipped back in whilst in the air. Depends how much tension you have the spring set at on your pedals..
  • 1 0
 @rfcrane: That makes sense, though it may still take a hell of a pull.
  • 10 1
 Everyone knows that cameras make things look flat/smaller, but I’ve been and watched even compared to Champéry in its first running this place is bonkers, the features are just plain ridiculous, but the riding in between is sooooo steep and tech in places. I’m not a huge fan of the step-ups, they lose to much of the speed. But holy sh1t I can’t wait to see them throwing shapes over that hip/wall section. Come on KaosSeagrave !!!! And for all the people that day there needs to be a woman’s class, just go look at the place first, I bet there is a large quantity of the men’s current World Cup scene who’d be scared to hit some of it. Sorry if that seems sexist.
  • 7 5
 Funny, I was watching the 2018 Hardline yesterday and thought to myself 'I wonder if we'll ever see a chick doing this'. I think it's highly unlikely. Thing is, if you create a female class, you will probably have to make the course easier. Then it stops being Hardline.

If/when a woman can tackle this course, she will be there. And she'll have earned the right, just like the guys have.

Now. Anyone got a can opener for these worms?...
  • 4 0
 Greg Minnar decided against last year I think
  • 2 6
flag HurricaneCycles (Sep 13, 2019 at 7:23) (Below Threshold)
 @priest55: 100% Casey Brown or Vero Sandler would destroy this course.
  • 7 6
 @HurricaneCycles: perhaps

meanwhile, Casey Brown can destroy me anytime she likes
  • 5 0
 Big fan of Vero's style & bike control, but there's a gaping chasm between the size of the hits in her film vs the fest sized stuff on Hardline. And honestly, I was a lil scared for Casey at the Rampage qualifier. Glad she came out of her crash in one piece. There's still no contest in the really rough chunk in the men's vs women's, on world cup tracks. Different level, entirely. I'm all for progression on the women's side, and it's awesome to see, but there's a danger in public pressure pushing riders beyond their capabilities and comfort level. They'll be there when they're ready.
  • 8 0
 Hardline is next level stuff and i aint missing it on tele that's for sure.
  • 7 0
 I wouldnt walk half of that
  • 5 1
 Get Ben Cathro there to do some more track analysis! Just the little bit they did in this vid gave a better impression of how steep it is and how big some of the “small” moves are then the race footage does.
  • 4 0
 this. scares. me. so. much.
  • 5 1
 Rockin the sh*t out of that paedo tash there Rob
  • 6 1
 Priests in glass houses etc etc
  • 2 0
 @petebreen: oooh shit, got me there mate hahahaha
  • 4 2
 "the worlds best DH riders coming from all corners of the world"... not very accurate, now, is it?
  • 11 0
 Depends, if your a flat-earther...
  • 7 0
 I'm a cubed-earther so I don't see the problem.
  • 2 0
 bring it on I cant wait ..best event of the year
  • 1 0
 Worlds best DH riders? More like the UKs..
The worlds best are on the wooorrrld cup circuit..
  • 1 0
 The camera coverage is Redbull's best.
  • 2 0
 Psyched there's quali and race day coverage too!
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