Redbull Hardline – 2024

It’s almost like they did it for the clicks and there was never any intention to have it in the event…

This thought crossed my mind too.

Not complaining, it was the most exciting thing to happen in MTB for ages.

Were they serious about an Irish Hardline race being in the pipeline too?

His speed and control is absofeckinlutely mind boggling

On the edge all the way down. That’s the audible close call bit.

I’m not sure it would have been possible for him to get down without the berms being as big as they were.  Some of those turns just didn’t look possible.  Incredible run.

Part of the enjoyment for me has been watching the build up and the practice runs.  At normal human speed you get a much better idea of how big these features are, and I don’t mean just the jumps.   Seeing it being smoked in a couple of minutes doesn’t do justice to what they had to ride down really

Were they serious about an Irish Hardline race being in the pipeline too?

Ronan Dunne suggested it in his Sleeper interview.

“Where can we set up a new Hardline that won’t be subject to changeable weather conditions?”

In a pipeline, apparently

Watching the top runs is incredible, not just for the sheer ridiculous skill of it but the variation in approaches. I can take or leave the big jumps but those janky-as-**** technical sections are just amazing.

“Where can we set up a new Hardline that won’t be subject to changeable weather conditions?”

Actual LOL

I’d have thought France might be next on the list.

They are famously relaxed about health and safety, and have a few mountains to choose from.

Or somewhere like Madeira.

but those janky-as-**** technical sections are just amazing.

Being honest: How far down the HardLine course do you think you’d get from the start gate? Without being too silly, at 24 seconds (on Ronan’s run)  there’s a jump that I’d need a good time eyeing up, and given the run in would probably refuse anyway, so there for sure. But in all honestly the wee little ridge drop before it would need most of my ability so perhaps even earlier up the course? even if I managed those two (teeny things in the grand scheme), there’s no way I’d be able to get much further.

They are doing an entirely different thing to the most of us.

I’m just jealous that they all got to fly the Mach Loop in that beautiful old plane!  What an unforgettable experience that would be (even for the few that were yacking in the bags)

but those janky-as-**** technical sections are just amazing.

That’s by far the best aspect for me. The rest is a bit too jump orientated for my own liking, but I fully get why that’s an integral part of it.

I’d have thought France might be next on the list. They are famously relaxed about health and safety

Perhaps for personal responsibility, but they must definitely are not when it comes down to event organisation. And I don’t need to go into the bureaucracy gymnastics required, they’re better known for that in my experience.

Didn’t someone mention Norway?

Being honest: How far down the HardLine course do you think you’d get from the start gate?

I could get down, but in an ambulance after I fake a heart attack in the start gate

Didn’t someone mention Norway?

Josh Bryceland did in a vid I watched the other day. He was talking about the possibilty of a series or adding one each year and he said he’d heard that Norway was a possibilty for next year. Vid below should start at the time he starts talking about it.

In that case Brage better pull his finger out (or heal up?) and take part again.

Will turn the subtitles on for the Bryceland video.

Sierra Nevada in southern Spain would make a good choice of venue too. Pretty much scorchio all the time, and the riding and landscape already looks amazing.

I think this years races have shown that, although obviously difficult, World Cup riders can make it down these tracks (faster and more effectively than most) so I hope we see more of the top riders in the future hardline races.

” there’s a jump that I’d need a good time eyeing up, and given the run in would probably refuse anyway, so there for sure. But in all honestly the wee little ridge drop before it would need most of my ability so”

The gap you’re talking about is 20 ft with a sloping rock slab transition, so hats off if you’d even consider that. And the “wee little ridge drop” is around 8-10 ft but with the ugliest non descript take off and and a tiny landing, it’s shown up close on Bk’s track walk.

I’d personally be a quivering mess about 10 seconds in.

The point of the event is the ‘big feature thing’, it’s literally in the name. Hence the Cannon, the Road Gap, the Canyon Gap, the 90 footers…

This was one of my criticisms going to watch it live at the weekend. You could spectate at the features, but absolutely no where else. Kinda took the fun out of DH spectating – spotting different lines etc.

As for the canyon, they apparently have planning for five years so it’ll stay for a while, if it becomes part of the course it remains to be seen.

None of the women rode in the final broadcast, unlike Taz. Anybody know whether this was due to none of them putting a full run together (like Tahnee, who I believe had ticked off all the features but not gone top to botttom) or a seeding/qualifying thing?

I don’t that any did a Top-Bottom, two women did the road gap I think, but every year theres more likely hood of women competing as they get used to the course etc.

Anybody know whether this was due to none of them putting a full run together (like Tahnee, who I believe had ticked off all the features but not gone top to botttom) or a seeding/qualifying thing?

Qualifying seems to be just to prove you can put it all together and do it on your own without a tow-in – I guess this lessens the chance of someone spannering themselves on live TV.

There’s no cut off time or limited number of entrants.

Brayton didn’t actually qualify but they let him in anyway – I guess because he’s done it before?

two women did the road gap I think

Four of them did it. AFAIK they didn’t do the 90 footers although some did the on/off feature before them.

It’s quite cool how they approach it with the same rule for anyone* and just filter the women in if they do manage a complete run, rather than putting a load of hype and pressure on them by having a “Women’s Hardline”.

*Brayton is a worthy exception IMO

Does anyone know why Gee didn’t race?

I must have missed it in the blizzard of Hardline media that we’re living in.

I heard that he wasn’t ‘allowed’ to. Whether that was insurance or doctor mandated I don’t know.

Listened to the Just Ride podcast with Gee this morning, he didn’t talk about riding hardline, but some quite gruesome stuff on his ridge line and rampage injuries (“I popped off the lip and thought oh I’m dead”) It’s amazing that he can get back on the bike, let alone doing Hardline laps just for fun

Just watched Adam Brayton’s YT vid – just before his run Matt Jones says “You’re gonna need a bottle of water for the hot seat, you’ll be on it a long time”! Good call 🙂

Also Bernard’s bike didn’t snap – watching his practice and race runs, we can be sure that the one that did was an anomaly (thankfully).

I thought it was a bit of a shame seeing Matt Jones not complete his run, but just watched this and felt absolutely gutted for him hearing the frustration.

Finished watching last night. Amazing stuff.

I think part of what makes Hardline good is exactly that not all the riders are there to race for the win. It’s such a tricky track that it’s a huge achievement just getting all the way down on race day. Feel for those that had it ruined by punctures.

One thing that’s maybe slightly lacking in recent years is some of the fun, more people in race mode where it used to be that some of the freeride types would throw tricks here and there or style it up a bit. Who am I to complain though 😂

On that note, kudos to whoever it was (can’t remember, one of the early riders) who did that long stoppie at the end. Nicely done.

I thought the pair of them were great, over excited Rob with someone to bring him down slightly works well. No idea how much commentary Tahnee has done before but think she did a great job.

+1 to this. And some of Rob’s more outrageous comments are made even more funny by hearing Tahnee chuckling away in the background.

Rob Warner’s mangling of foreign names and places still hasn’t improved.

Part of what makes Rob Rob!

Whenever I see there’s an unusual name coming up I always think “ooh, what’s Rob going to do to this one?” 😂

He makes my French accent sound good, and that’s saying something.

Does anyone know why Gee didn’t race?

I’d be interested to know more about this one too. The comment “Gee was not allowed to race” in commentary is an unusual one given he did full runs