Red Bull Road Race

[blt2ride]

Here is an article regarding Red Bull's downhill road race. They have announced the riders' list. Take a moment to look over the list--it's kind of interesting.


RED BULL ROAD RAGE INVITATIONS ANNOUNCED
Malibu, Calif - Aug 24, 2005 The Elite rider list has been decided and invitations have been sent out to see who will compete for the title of fastest descender at the inaugural Red Bull Road Rage, co-sponsored by Giant Bicycle.

On November 5th,
twenty-five of the nations’s most experienced bike handlers will take on death defying speeds, 120 degree turns, and cliff hanging berms. This 2.5 mile course with its 2,000 elevation drop through historic Tuna Canyon in Malibu, CA, will be more than enough to separate the men from the boys.

QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Who is the fastest road descender?

- Will disc brakes dramatically increase speed?

- Will disc brakes increase safety?

- Are you better than him?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

Following is the list of riders invited. Please note, we will only select 25 RSVP’s for this year’s race. Detailed biographies are accessible via the new Red Bull Road Rage website.

George Hincapie -
Brian Lopes -
Paolo Savoldelli -
John Tomac -
Sean Yates -
Dave Cullinan -
David Clinger -
Steve Peat -
Gord Fraser -
Joe Lawwill -
Robbie McEwen -
Eric Carter -
Freddie Rodriguez -
Greg Minnaar -
David Zabriskie -
Mark Wier -
Jans Koerts -
Colin Bailey -
Kirt Vories -
Wade Bootes -
Myles Rockwell -
Ned Overend -
Geoff Kabush -
Thomas Allier -
Thurlow Rogers -
Jamie Paolinetti -
Ivan Dominguez -
Sean Watkins -
Mariano Friedrick -
Harm Jansen -
Max Sciandri -
Butch Stinton -
Mark McCormack -
Shaums March -
Kyle Straight -
Marla Streb -
Aaron Chase -
Adam Craig -
Carl Decker -
Tyler Hamilton -
Marty Nothstein -
Chris Horner -
Robbie Bourdon -
Nathan Rennie -
Sam Hill -
David McCook -
Axel Merckx -
Bobby Julich -
Robbie Hunter -
Floyd Landis -
Michael Barry -
Tony Cruz -
Aaron Olson -
Chris Wherry -
Jason Bausch -
Roland Green -
Todd Tanner -
Erik Saunders -
Rolf Sorenson -
Mike King



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHAT TO EXPECT?

Full face helmets, disc brakes, and padding are not something that is typically seen in a road race, but unless riders want to take the chance of wearing permanent concrete makeup, they will need to gear up. Besides those additions, traditional road bikes with 700c wheels and drop bars will be used. With more corners than L’Alpe d’Huez, speed and fitness will go hand in hand.

We will also be hosting a media reception on Friday, Nov. 4th and an after party following the event on Nov. 5th.


Red Bull Road Rage will consist of two race formats: Time Trials, where individuals race against the clock; and Pack Race, a boardercross-style race format, where the top 16 riders from the Time Trial will be placed into 4 man heats and throw it on the line.

The top two riders in each heat will advance through the bracket and after three times down the hill, the fastest one in the pack will be crowned the fastest road descender and receive a major piece of the $5000 prize purse.

RIDER COMMUNICATION: Contact Jon
Mesko at jonmesko@giantbicycle.com and 310.420.0085
or Steve Boehmke at chunkyflyrite@aol.com and
714.633.9955

[lotec]

thatll be something to see, steve peat, full body armour, fullface, on aroad bike flying down the street :p

[rhyno]

So all those MTBers in there will have to ride a road bike?! Wonder how it will affect the places, and how do they get the disks to fit? Custom bikes?

[Bodin]

...how do they get the disks to fit? Custom bikes?

Avid already make brakes for cyclocross bikes, which are based around road frames, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Just the thought of this whole concept scares me. I'm a big fan of the TDF and over the years that I've watched it, there's been at least one death on a downhill road section, so it will be interesting to see if all the protective gear really does save lives like it's supposed to.

[SDA]

Strange...

I can't wait to see the results of that one!!! :D

Got to give it to the guys at Redbull... always think up something new!

[ebuk]

lycra style outfits and full face helmets.....

http://www.redbullroadrage.com/action.php

[entombed]

Is that what they call townhilling? :rolleyes:

[at the drive in]

That looks awesome but i hope thye dont select robbie bourdan or tyler hamilton. I wonder how many road riders will decide or be allowed to enter the event seen as they could do some serious damage to thier body if they crashed. If Paolo Savoldelli he would be a good chance to win.

[miko]

I've always contemplated a tarmac downhill race, although I was thinking more along the lines of loading up the full susser with hookworms or similar, and having man made jumps and drops in the road.

Either way, I like the idea, it's going to be a sick race!

[thecat]

Puts me in mind of the Brothers Begg hooning down Mt Vic in oneof the drift DVDs.

Dead Horse Gap to Tom Groggin any one?

[scblack]

In the 80s, the BMX guys of the time were racing in California down the winding hillside roads, on modified bmx's.

Some had professional farings made up, no cranks, some put dumbells on for weight, and stuff.

At the time there was something of a fad (didn't get far at all), of making what the manufacturers called Formula1 bikes, that were 20inch, high gearing, HIGH seat sections, and mostly raced on flat, tight cornered road circuits (not velodromes).

I have got magazines at home (BMX Action mag), if I can scan some pics, I'll put them in here.

[sedicpa]

Ivan Dominguez -
Sean Watkins -
Mariano Friedrick -
Harm Jansen -
Max Sciandri -
Butch Stinton -
Mark McCormack -
Shaums March -

Kyle Straight - i thought he was gay...(jajaja)

Marla Streb -
Aaron Chase -
Adam Craig -
Carl Decker -
Tyler Hamilton -
Marty Nothstein -
Chris Horner -

[bradh]

sounds fucken cool.

[johnny_boy]

i don't know if i read the list too well, but when i heard the words 'fitness' and 'downhill race' the name gravey stains comes to mind. Why no invite for the Norba champ?

[Rik]

You'd be a fucking idiot to wear anything less than full moto leathers and guards. Think about it for a minute, what speeds will they be averaging, on what surface? :rolleyes:

[fallboy]

I would prefer to be on 26" slicks myself...............Nice and Fat....

[RaID]

damn Tomac is entering

now it wouldnt suprise me if he takes it out
to add another title to his All-round status

[mike&nat]

You'd be a fucking idiot to wear anything less than full moto leathers and guards.

yer i know in the picture in that link they are wearing like less protection than normal dh races they should wear what rik said or even more it does say 120 degree turns with cliffs over the edge sooo...

also when will they get all the best rodies and put them on a dh course like the opposite of this that would be funny

[sedicpa]

yer i know in the picture in that link they are wearing like less protection than normal dh races they should wear what rik said or even more it does say 120 degree turns with cliffs over the edge sooo...

also when will they get all the best rodies and put them on a dh course like the opposite of this that would be funny

they could use cyclocross bikes too

[mattvincent]

this all sounds awsome, crazy and dangerous at the same time. i wonder what the riders thought when the recived that invite. there is a posibility for very bad road rash. Just imagine if the roads are to be wet, i wouldnt want to hit one of those metal thingos on the out side of corners at 80kays

[rhyno]

I was riding down Arthurs Seat (Victoria, tight windy) on my XC bike the otherday and i felt like i was flying, after checking my GPS i found i only hit 51.7 km/h Spewin. tomorrow i will try for 60. I can't imagine doing it on a skinny tyred roadbike.

[alister]

Should be using mountain bikes with hookworms, that would be much more exciting.. they corner far better than road bikes, and can be drifted :)

[tombi]

dainese full assualt suit. Wouldnt do it without a very protective suit and a MX type helmet that is DOT approved. These guys r really goin to be farkin flying down that hill.

[luckyphil]

they corner far better than road bikes,

wrong

......................

[Cletus]

thats pretty crappy about HAVING to ride a road bike, you should be able to ride whatever you like. it would be pretty hard to get off a dh bike and then straight onto a road bike and then be expected to perform as well as the on road guys that ride these bikes 24/7. i think for sure i would do an on road dh run on my dh bike with slicks faster than i could ride an on road bike.
agree/disagree????

[Rik]

I'll disagree on all points.
There'd be no doubt top DH guys are proficient road riders, if they do any fitness training then they'd be riding a roadie more than every now and then.
And whilst DH bikes inspire confidence when it comes to high speed riding, a road bike will still be faster, albeit a little scarier.

[blt2ride]

Since the race is only 30 minutes from my house, I'll be there for sure. To be honest, I have been on this road, and it needs to be cleaned up a lot before people can race road bikes down it. It has a nice layer or small pebbles all over the top. I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures...

[Jordy]

Dead Horse Gap to Tom Groggin any one?
That was fun as ! highlight of the training course for sure except for the big fucker up hill in the middle.

100 metre skids smoking rubber...fun times