Mega Photo Gallery: 2016 Red Bull Rampage
A picture really is worth a 1000 words.
Red Bull Rampage is one of the biggest events on the mountain biking calendar. It generates huge amounts of media coverage from sources as diverse as viral news aggregators and globally syndicated television programs.
This year, event organizers collaborated with athletes to make drastic changes to improve safety. This included a new venue, a reduction in competitors, a shift away from mechanically built features, and better medical support. The end result was a program that was better for riders, yet still delivered an epic highlight reel. Don’t believe us? Then scroll through the photos below. All images are courtesy Red Bull Media.
Antoine Bizet was hesitant to drop in due to winds, but once he committed it was game on.
Last year, Antoine Bizet was on pace to win in Utah. The Frenchman’s line had everything, including a double backflip. Unfortunately, he didn’t stick the landing and ended up in the hospital with a broken arm. This year, he was out for redemption.
Once again, Bizet nailed a technical line, through in some monster tricks, and became the first competitor to land a double flip at Rampage. He was one of two riders to score in the 80s, but it wasn’t enough to outdo eventual winner Brandon Semenuk.
Untimely pedal slips cost Brett Rheeder his chance at the win.
Brett Rheeder too might have challenged Semenuk for the title, but pedal slips on both his runs took him out of contention.
This 360 drop is what cemented Carson Storch a place on the podium and the Best Trick award.
American Carson Storch took third with this colossal 360 drop. The massive exposure helped him edge out Bizet for Best Trick accolades.
Cam Zink retired from slopestyle competition earlier this year, but continues to contest freeride events.
Cam Zink holds the world record for the longest backflip on a bicycle and possibly the biggest 360 drop, too. This year, Zink was planning on spinning another breathtaking 360 but came in hot and over rotated, tumbling about 50 feet before popping up to his feet. Zink tweaked his thumb and was unable to throw down a second run.
Andreu Lacondeguy is always a fan favorite. His riding is characterized by big tricks thrown at breakneck speeds. This combination helped him claim top Rampage honors in the past, but the judges weren’t feeling his run this year. He finished a disappointing 8th.
Kyle Strait competed in the first Red Bull Rampage event back in 2001 when he was just 14 years old.
Coming into the event, Kyle Strait was one of only two riders to claim multiple Rampage wins. He’s always a threat here, but a crash on a second run ended his chances of becoming the first man to win three Rampage titles.
Pierre Edouard Ferry cleaned his first run with the aggressive racer style we’ve come to love, but crashed out trying to improve on his initial score.
For non-mountain bikers, one of the most spectacular aspects of Rampage is the crash reel. Luckily most riders escaped relatively unscathed.
Continue to page 2 for more photos from the 2016 Red Bull Rampage »
The post Mega Photo Gallery: 2016 Red Bull Rampage appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.