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Red Bull Rampage 2024: Finals Day and Men’s Results

Watching Red Bull Rampage is less of an adrenaline event and more of an endurance one. As is traditional, practice was delayed by wind. The organisers tried to get the athletes to head to the start gate, but apparently many decided they wanted a practice run before the real thing.

And no wonder. Tom Isted had made his canyon gap, but hadn’t managed to stay on his planned line after landing. A couple of diggers were buildingi a kicker. I asked if they were making last minute adjustments and they said no – they’re were finishing the line. They’d spent 2.5 days building the massive wall of a lander I’d seen earlier in the week. It’s for Reed Boggs, and is the only huge feature like it that isn’t shared with anyone else. Reed was going to be riding it for the first time in the competition.

Eventually, after the organisers threatened to DQ anyone who didn’t head to the start, the competition got underway.

Brandon Semenuk was down first, but got a bit squirrely on a landing and then wiped out a couple later in a cloud of dust.

Next down was Adolf Silva, with a great clean run.

Tommy G was next, but didn’t make it to the bottom, although his bike very nearly did. Beware buying one lightly used GT… and thank goodness Tommy didn’t follow his bike (and the photographers below got out the way, just).

Making it to the bottom Kurt Sorge and Reed Boggs hit their lines – that giant lander working out just fine.

Rampage first timers Luke Whitlock and Tom Isted also made it down, although Tom had an offline moment on the way and had to stop to re-combobulate.

Ethan Nell put down a solid run for his return to Rampage – without a bike sponsor.

Tyler McCaul went into first place with his run, which seemed to take him hopping all over the hillside.

Szymon Godziek then performed an incredible array of tricks and knocked T-Mac into second.

Bienvenido Aguagdo Alba didn’t make it down as far as his canyon gap before tumbling off for the end of his run. On the other side of the competition site, Kyle Strait threw in a tail whip – a new trick for the old dog. Talus Turk had a decent run, though wasn’t bothering the leaderboard.

Brendan Fairclough was, as is tradition, robbed again. His low score drew a sucking of teeth from the crowd, after a raising a cheer for flipping the canyon gap.

Carson Storch completed his run despite nearly losing it on a 360, Tom Van Steenbergen did a huge front flip drop on a run that was a bit loose, and then Cam Zink didn’t make it to the bottom and was taken away to hospital in a helicopter while a course hold was put in place. He’s said to be in a stable condition.

After the course hold, the wind picked up. The Rampage spectators and course marshals baked in the heat, while the wind whipped the windsocks in every direction. Eventually, later than we think with any other Rampage, the second runs were scheduled. Six riders headed to the top, but in the end only Tommy G and Bandon Semenuk hit the second run, the others deciding it was too windy to be safe. Tommy G laid down a score – we don’t know if it was on the same bike that went off the cliff. And Semenuk landed the flip whip that took him out on the previous run, winning him Red Bull Rampage 2024.

Brandon Fairclough released a video saying why he wasn’t doing a second run.

Controversy around the scoring is as traditional as the wind, with some thinking that the wait for second runs was too long. Others thought tricks were being given too much recognition over raw mountain bike riding skills. And others were too tired, hot and dusty to argue. After the podiums, everyone piled into shuttles, or traipsed out through the desert, leaving the hillside to the elements – and perhaps a few future Red Bull Rampage hopefuls, who will try out the lines when the cameras aren’t looking.

Results:

1st. Brandon Semenuk: 92.73
2nd. Szymon Godziek: 91.66
3rd. Tyler McCaul: 90.66
4th. Tom Van Steenbergen: 89.33
5th. Kurt Sorge: 87.16
6th. Thomas Genon: 85.83
7th. Carson Storch: 85
8th. Adolf Silva: 83.50
9th. Ethan Nell: 82.33
10th. Kyle Strait: 78.66
11th. Brendan Fairclough: 76
12th. Reed Boggs: 74.66
13th. Talus Turk: 72
14th. Luke Whitlock: 70.66
15th. Tom Isted: 50.53

GoPro Moment: Kyle Strait
Best Trick: Tom Van Steenbergen’s front flip drop
Decked Digger Award: Brandon Semenuk’s team of Evan Young and Justin Wyper
People’s Choice: Brendan Fairclough
BFGoodrich Toughness Award: Bienvenido Aguado Alba
Samsung Trailblazer Award: Brendan Fairclough
McGazza Spirit Award: Ethan Nell