Irish rider edges out Kerr on world’s most challenging downhill MTB course.
June 2, 2024
Ireland’s Rónán Dunne made it a 2024 Red Bull Hardline double as he produced a magnificent ride on the world’s most challenging downhill MTB course in Wales to follow up on his victory at the inaugural Australian event in February.
– Hard by name, hard by nature, Red Bull Hardline is not an event for the fainthearted. The intense Dan Atherton course always combines tricky technical downhill features with huge freeride-style jumps.
– Irishman Dunne put down a brilliant run at the first ever Red Bull Hardline Tasmania race earlier this year to win the event from Bernard Kerr (GBR) and George Brannigan (NZL) at Maydena Bike Park.
– This time around back at the race’s spiritual home of the Dify Valley in North Wales, Dunne posted green splits at every time check and dipped under the finish arch to the roar of the crowd.
– His blistering time of 2:23.045 knocked an incredible four seconds off his qualifying time and saw him fend off all 26 additional riders on track including Kerr in second and Colombia’s Juanfer Vélez in third.
– The 22-year-old Dunne said: “I’m buzzing to be the double champ – I can’t believe it. That round was really sick. You can hear the crowd the whole way down, it was pretty wild.”
– Three-time Red Bull Hardline winner Kerr was a worthy adversary, pushing the track to its absolute limit and coming in just behind Dunne with a time of 2:24.327 as Vélez raced down too at maximum speed.
– Rounding out the top four was Briton Charlie Hatton with the reigning men’s world downhill champion doing the jersey stripes proud after finishing just outside of the podium places in 2:26.256.
– Frenchman Matteo Iniguez improved markedly on his qualifying position to put in a clean run and take fifth place on the day with a time of 2:27.502 as 2017 winner Craig Evans finished in 19th.
