Belgian athlete finishes second in the world's most extreme freeride MTB competition
In the United States, Belgian Thomas Genon stood on the podium at the Rampage, the holy grail of freeride MTB.
Red Bull Rampage is held in Utah, USA, and is the most extreme freeride MTB competition on the planet, bringing together the world's elite in the discipline.
The competition, which has been run since 2001, is based on a simple concept. The riders and their teams are tasked with creating their own lines down the American peaks, including digging and shaping all their own jumps and routes down the mountain. They only have a few days to work on this aspect, followed by several days of training before the competition. Riders often agree to work together, sharing certain sections of a line. On the day of the competition, each athlete gets two runs to ride their lines down, combining speed and style. A panel of judges awards points, and the rider with the highest score wins the event.
Liège native Thomas "Tommy G" Genon had already taken part in the last 11 consecutive events without ever making it onto the podium. But, on his twelfth attempt, it was finally meant to be!
After a small mistake in his first run, the 32-year-old Belgian delivered an exceptional second run, earning him second place on the rocky summits in the middle of the American desert. He put in the best performance of his career at the Rampage, with a score of 94.35 points, topped only by Canadian Hayden Zablotny on 96 points.
The Belgian rider achieved a fantastic performance, thanks to his talent, courage and determination!