Red Bull Rampage: Semenuk Out, Atherton In!

This year’s Red Bull Rampage riders have been announced, with a couple of surprises. With Semenuk elsewhere, the field is well and truly open for a new winner. Will Gee Atherton have the bag of tricks necessary to duke it out with youngsters like Jaxson Riddle? Has Brage Vestavik been robbed by missing out on a spot? Who else would you have liked to have seen start?

Here’s the full details:

Eighteen athletes have been invited to the 2023 Red Bull Rampage, the premier big-mountain freeride competition, which returns on October 13th. In one month’s time, the world’s top mountain bike athletes will descend on Southwestern Utah, where they’ll compete to determine the best in the sport. 

“Red Bull Rampage is the ultimate test of your skill on a mountain bike,” said 2022 Rampage runner-up Szymon Godziek. “I’m excited to return to Utah for my seventh Rampage invitation, reconnect with the top riders in the freeride scene, and put together a run that showcases my style and technique.”

The top five riders from the 2022 competition were automatically pre-qualified for this year’s event, while the other 13 wildcards and 5 alternates were selected by a committee of former Rampage competitors, pro athletes, judges, and industry experts based on competition results and video submissions. Four former winners and three event rookies are among those set to compete, highlighting a blend of seasoned veterans and hungry newcomers ready to leave their mark at the event. 

This year marks the 17th edition in the event’s history, which returns to the site of the 2022 venue. Located just outside of Virgin, Utah, this venue has hosted the 2008-2013 and 2022 competition zone. Five events have been held at this location, where some of freeride’s most iconic moments have occurred, including:

• Gee Atherton’s eye-popping quarter pipe transfer in 2010
• Cam Zink’s huge 360 off the Oakley Icon Sender in 2010 and gigantic step-down backflip in 2013
• Kelly McGarry’s legendary backflip over the 72-foot road gap in 2013
• As well as 2022’s iconic runs featuring Brandon Semenuk’s caveman drop, Szymon Godziek’s backflip over the canyon gap, and Brett Rheeder’s gnarly line that crowned him Red Bull Rampage champion.

Only time will tell what this year’s riders will add to the freeride history books at Red Bull Rampage.

2023 Red Bull Rampage Invited Athletes 

Pre-Qualified Athletes: 

1. Szymon Godziek (POL) 
2. Reed Boggs (USA) 
3. Thomas Genon (BEL) 
4. Carson Storch (USA)

Wildcard Invites: 

5. Adolf Silva (SPA)
6. Alex Volokhov (CAN)
7. Bienvenido Aguado Alba (SPA)
8. Brendan Fairclough (GBR)
9. Cam Zink (USA)
10. Clemens Kaudela (AUT)
11. DJ Brandt (USA)
12. Emil Johansson (SWE)
13. Jaxson Riddle (USA)
14. Kurt Sorge (CAN)
15. Kyle Strait (USA)
16. Talus Turk (USA) 
17. Tom Van Steenbergen (USA)
18. Gee Atherton (UK)

Absent from the list this year is former four-time champion Brandon Semenuk, who cited scheduling conflicts. In his place, first alternate Gee Atherton will get the opportunity to come back to the venue he last rode in the 2012 Rampage.

ESPN+ returns to exclusively stream the event in the U.S., and the competition will be available live on Red Bull TV in all other countries. Following the live show, the complete event will be available on-demand on both ESPN+ and Red Bull TV. On October 22nd, viewers can also tune-in to a 90-minute highlight on ESPN. 

While you’re here…

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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