Riders have been announced for the 2021 iteration of Red Bull Hardline, one of the hardest and most unique downhill races.
The event was dreamed up by Dan Atherton and blends elements of both freeride and downhill mountain biking. The course, located on the slopes above the Dyfi Valley in Wales, features huge drops, jumps, road gaps, and technical sections.
The course is so tough that only a select number of athletes are invited to compete each year. The roster this year is one of the most varied Hardline has ever had, with a stacked field of downhillers, freeriders and enduro riders all lining up to go head to head on a truly unique course.
Coming back this year are former winners Craig Evans and Bernard Kerr. Also included are versatile riders like Brendan Fairclough, who is just as at home at events like Red Bull Rampage as he is on World Cup downhill courses.
While there won't be any spectators lining the course, those tuning in to watch the event on Red Bull TV will no doubt be looking forward to seeing what the crop of new-school riders like Brage Vestavik, Kade Edwards and Kaos Seagrave are able to do on a course that caters to their broad range of skills.
The biggest omission from the start list is Dan Atherton's brother and 2017 winner Gee Atherton who is still sidelined after a serious crash while filming the third installment of his big mountain edits. Joe Breeden is another rider who will be missing Hardline this year, he had a spot to race but crashed during the British Downhill Championships and broke his collarbone.
Red Bull Hardline 2021 course
The course will include many of the iconic features from previous years, including the huge 55ft road gap, the Cannon Jump into the massive step up which Jono Jones famously tried to backflip as well as the technical bowl jump section. While Dan Atherton has made updates to the course, exactly what these consist of will become clear come race weekend and while undoubtedly push riders to the very limit.
While the whole of the UK is currently in a heatwave it looks set to end at the weekend with forecasts predicting a high chance of showers, although at this stage it's hard to tell if this will affect the racing conditions. If the race does turn wet, it will likely suit the downhill contingent as riders will need to contend with greasy rocks and roots.
See below for the full list of riders who will be attending the event, which is set to go off at 2pm (BST) on July 24 and 25. Both the qualifying and final runs will be broadcast live on Red Bull TV.
Red Bull Hardline 2021 riders
- Adam Brayton
- Craig Evans
- Matt Hockenhull
- Brendan Fairclough
- Charlie Hatton
- Kade Edwards
- Kaos Seagrave
- Lewis Buchanan
- Bernard Kerr
- Elliot Heap
- Harry Molloy
- Joe Smith
- Jono Jones
- Laurie Greenland
- Oscar Harnstrom
- Brage Vestavik
- Gaetan Vige
- Jerome Caroli
- Johny Salido
- Matteo Iniguez
- Thibault Laly
- Thomas Genon
- Sam Gale
- Vincent Tupin
- Johannes Fischbach
- Jim Monro
- Josh Lowe
- Theo Erlangsen
