Red Bull announces the full rider line-up for its inaugural Red Bull Tyne Ride event, along with further details of the epic course.
Taking place on Newcastle Quayside on Saturday 3 August, Red Bull Tyne Ride is the result of a collaboration between Red Bull and four-time FIM SuperEnduro World Champion and Red Bull athlete, Billy Bolt. The Geordie rider is the mastermind behind the course, designed with help from his fellow Red Bull athletes, Dougie Lampkin and Jonny Walker.
THE RIDERS
The rider line-up for the world’s toughest urban head-to-head motorcycle race includes world class talent in the form of German rider, Manuel Lettenbichler – a two-time FIM Hard Enduro World Champion (2022 & 2023), who recently won his third consecutive Red Bull Erzbergrodeo. Lettenbichler will be joined by Polish legend, Taddy Blazusiak, a 6-time FIM SuperEnduro World Champion and five-time winner of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.
With 14 graded and 8 wildcard riders competing to win over three runs each round, before a final head-to-head decider, there will also be a host of homegrown racing talent testing their skills. British riders include Red Bull athlete, Jonny Walker; 2023 Super & Hard Enduro Junior World Champion, Mitch Brightmore; his brother, 2024 Super Enduro Junior World Champion, Ashton Brightmore; and former British Trials Champion, Jack Price.
THE COURSE
“This track is definitely the opposite of tame,” says Bolt. A fan of action sports, he took inspiration from a variety of disciplines to design something unique, creative, and challenging for the very best of riders.
Elements of the course include a BMX-inspired dirt spine, a more typical motocross dirt rhythm section, and a twist-shaped track that will see riders turn at the Bosch Wall Ride before heading back down the course. “You’ve got such a good mix,” says Bolt. “The technical sections from the log matrix and the rock sections – and then over the finish line jump you’re literally going to watch a bike fly 40 feet through the air.”
Bringing head-to-head competition to the heart of Newcastle, the course will be a test of skill, speed, endurance, and nerve.
“The toughness comes from the fact you’ve got to attack the track. I think all the riders are going to be able to make it from one end to the other – but the difficulty comes from how fast you want to push, how much you want to beat the guy who’s lining up next to you. The obstacles themselves are not particularly difficult, but to be going as fast as possible through something like this, that’s something new to everybody.”
Looking ahead to August when his vision will come to life, Bolt said: “I’m most looking forward to seeing two bikes go off the start ramp and off the shipping container together for the first time. When all the crowd is there, when the whole track is built, I think in the setting it’s in, that’s going to be pretty mad. That and the U-turn at the bottom of the track. I think if we’ve got a close battle and two riders hit that at the same time, that’s also going to be pretty cool.”
Red Bull Tyne Ride rider line-up:
For more information visit: https://www.redbull.co.uk/tyneride
Images courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool
