The Red Bull Road Rage is an extreme downhill road cycling race promoted by Red Bull GmbH. The competition was first held in 2005 as a pro-invite only event, but since 2008 is open to amateur and professional racers. Red Bull Road Rage has seen editions held once in each Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Latvia, Israel, Poland and Bosnia & Herzegovina and twice in Switzerland and the United States.
The event is similar to Four-cross mountain biking. An initial individual time trial ITT qualifying and seeding run[1] is held, followed by the top 32[2] competitors racing four at a time in knock-out heats, with the two fastest progressing to the next round.
History
The roots of Red Bull Road Rage can be traced back to Jon Mesko of Giant Bicycles, who came up with the idea in 2001. He contacted the Red Bull (North America) Communications Manager, Paul Melina, in 2004 to pitch the idea and in January 2005, Red Bull gave the green light to commence organising the event.[3]
2005
Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, USA
The original Red Bull Road Rage was held down Tuna Canyon, Malibu in California, USA on 5 and 6 November 2005. The event was held on a 4.5 km course and included 49 bends with 390m elevation drop, giving an average gradient of 9.75% with a maximum of 18%.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run only timed for first rider across the line. **No average speed can be calculated for these riders due to run only being timed for first placed rider.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run only timed for first rider across the line. **No average speed can be calculated for these riders due to run only being timed for first placed rider.
2006
Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, USA
In 2006 the event was set to return to Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, scheduled for 11 November. 25 of the world's top professional racers from road and mountain biking were on the official start list.[4] On 31 October following evaluation of the then fire danger conditions, the decision was made to cancel the event due to fire safety concerns from the Malibu City fire chief.[5]
2007
No Red Bull Road Rage was held in 2007.
2008
Gurnigelpass, Switzerland
In 2008 Red Bull Road Rage was held again, this time for the first time in Europe. It was also the first time the event was opened up to amateur and professional riders. The event was held on a 3.8 km course with 340m elevation drop, descending the Gurnigelpass in Switzerland. Average gradient was 8.95% with a maximum of 18%.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run not timed. **No average speed can be calculated due to run not being timed.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run not timed. **No average speed can be calculated due to run not being timed.
2009
For the first time, 2009 saw multiple events held across Europe, with a total of four races. Three new venues were added including Italy, France and Germany and the season finale saw a return to racing in Switzerland.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
The 2009 Red Bull Road Rage season opener was held for the first time in Italy, on 21 and 22 June 2009. The event was held on a 5 km course with 360m elevation drop, descending into Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Average gradient was 7.4% with a maximum of 12%.[6]
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run not timed. **No average speed can be calculated due to run not being timed.
Qualifying results
Final results
2010
La Redoute, Aywaille, Belgium
The 2010 Red Bull Road Rage season opener was held for the first time in Belgium, 22 May 2010. The event was held on a 950m course with 95m elevation drop, descending La Redoute into Aywaille. Average gradient was 10% with a maximum of 22%.
Qualifying results
Final results
Qualifying results
Final results
Sigulda, Latvia
The second 2010 Red Bull Road Rage event was held for the first time in Latvia, on 30 May 2010. The event was held on a 700m course with 80m elevation drop, descending along the National Bobsleigh Track access road in Sigulda, Latvia. Average gradient was 11.4% with a maximum of 15%.
2011
Międzybrodzie Żywiecki, Poland
The only 2011 Red Bull Road Rage event was held for the first time in Poland, 1 October 2011. The event was held on a 4 km course with 260m elevation drop, descending Góra Żar to Międzybrodzie Żywiecki. Average gradient was 6.5% with a maximum of 14%.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run not timed. **No average speed can be calculated due to run not being timed.
Qualifying results
Final results
*Run not timed. **No average speed can be calculated due to run not being timed.
2012
No Red Bull Road Rage was held in 2012.
2013
Mont Ventoux, France
Mont Ventoux was set to stage a return to racing in France on 8 June 2013. The race was to be over a 6 km course with 445m elevation drop, both the longest and the most vertical drop to date, descending from the summit of Mont Ventoux (Mont Chauve) to Chalet Reynard on the eastern slope. Average gradient was at 7.1% with a maximum of 15%.[9] On Thursday 30 May, the event was cancelled due to non-permission from the competent administrative authorities, due to adverse weather conditions forecast.[10]
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The second scheduled Red Bull Road Rage race of 2013 became the season opener by default, on 6 July, after the event on Mont Ventoux was cancelled. The 3.5 km course with a total elevation drop of 280m was situated outside Sarajevo. Average gradient was at 8% with a maximum gradient of 12%.
Qualifying results
2014 - Present
No Red Bull Road Rage events have been held from 2014 onwards.
Statistics
Courses
Race course distances and total elevation drop have varied from event to event. The original Red Bull Road Rage descending Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, USA, was held on a 4.5 km course, with 390m elevation drop. The shortest course was in Sigulda, Latvia, measuring just 700m and including only 80m elevation drop. The longest course was in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with a total distance of 5 km and 360m elevation drop.
* The planned course for the later cancelled event on Mont Ventoux, France, would have been the longest distance with 6 km and the biggest elevation drop with 445m.
- Longest course: 5 km (Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy)*
- Shortest course: 700m (Sigulda, Latvia)
- Highest elevation start point: 3020m (Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado, USA)
- Lowest elevation start point: 100m (Sigulda, Latvia)
- Highest elevation finishing point: 2850m (Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado, USA)
- Lowest elevation finishing point: -85m (Hamat Gader, Israel)
- Most elevation drop: 390m (Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, USA)*
- Least elevation drop: 80m (Sigulda, Latvia)
World rankings
Although there is no recognised points system in place, as each race has been run as a stand-alone event, based on full season of race results, the following riders finished as the #1 World Ranked Red Bull Road Rage athletes.
*Full season comprising one single event only.
- 2005 - 🇺🇸 Myles Rockwell (USA)*
- 2008 - 🇫🇷 Guillaume Gualandi (FRA)*
- 2009 - 🇫🇷 Guillaume Gualandi (FRA)
- 2010 - 🇮🇪 Janos Köhler (IRL)
- 2011 - 🇵🇱 Piotr Szafraniec (POL)*
- 2013 - 🇮🇪 Janos Köhler (IRL)
External links
- Red Bull Road Rage - official website
- Red Bull Official Website - contains links to other similar competitions run by Red Bull
References
- Qualifying runs were held in a Four-cross format at the Red Bull Road Rage events in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (2009), at La Redoute, Aywaille, Belgium (2010) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado (2013)^
- Only the top 16 riders rode the knock-out stages in Tuna Canyon, Malibu, California, USA (2005) and Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Colorado, USA (2013), whereas all 62 competitors raced the knock-out heats in Saint-Lary-Soulan, France (2009) and the top 64 riders contested the elimination rounds in Sigulda, Latvia (2010)^
- www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling autobus.cyclingnews.com, retrieved 2025-02-18^