MTB News: In less than three weeks, the Oetelshofen quarry near Wuppertal will be the setting for a completely new mountain bike racing format. Similar to other popular event series such as the Tough Mudder, participants in the Red Bull Radical can look forward to plenty of creative challenges. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will also leave its mark on this event. Instead of a mass start, the race will be divided into heats to ensure the health and safety of the participants. Visitors are not even allowed.
The new mountain bike racing format definitely demands a lot from the riders. Endurance, technique and a healthy dose of strong nerves are required. On the 25-kilometer course with a total of 600 meters in altitude, there are 22 obstacles to overcome, including rope climbs, truck tire pyramids and gravel pits. In order to ensure the health and safety of the participants in relation to COVID-19, the race will be divided into heats and thus apart from the planned mass start. In addition, the cut-off time will be extended to two and a half hours – two hours were originally planned here. In principle, the absolute observance of the AHA rule applies during the event on the site. During the race, however, participants are allowed to remove their masks. Spectators are not allowed at the Red Bull Radical.
In addition to the cross country junior world champion Laura Stigger and the enduro legend René Wildhaber, the German cross country vice champion in the senior class Sebastian Mordmüller will also be at the start. The Wuppertaler is committed to the MTB youngsters in his hometown and is therefore pleased about the organization of such a top-class event in his region: “Having such a promising event like Red Bull Radical in our region is a great thing for all local mountain bikers. It's going to be quite spectacular and very different from a normal cross country race. It shows the many facets of our sport and the best thing is: everyone can participate.". If you want to take a look at the route in advance, you can find all the information about the course at redbull.com/radical