After three straight years of coming in 4th place, Spanish athlete Andreu Lacondeguy broke his curse in a big way, coming out on top with an emotional victory after fighting back nerves and a stacked field of competitors. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Southern Utah landscape, 20 riders thrilled fans tuning in live across the globe to watch an event considered the pinnacle of freeride mountain biking.
The sun came out in Virgin after a weekend that saw severe weather and flash floods in the area, and many of the biggest stars in the sport were shining with runs that combined speed, style and big tricks. Lacondeguy topped the field with one of the steepest and most difficult runs possible, capping with a huge flatspin backflip off the Polaris RZR booter. Previous Rampage champion Cam Zink earned the Best Trick, presented by Utah Sports Commission, for a massive 360 drop at least 60 feet off a cliff. His run also earned him the second place spot on the podium. Canadian rider Brandon Semenuk earned 3rd place and the People’s Choice with a line stacked with tricks, including an opposite 360 and backflip one footed can-can. He also secured the overall FMB Diamond Series Championship with his points from the event.
While top qualifier Graham Agassiz had to drop out of competition due to an injury sustained in practice, several qualifier athletes and Red Bull Rampage rookies made their mark, including Jeff Herbertson and Szymon Godziek who both back flipped a 73’ canyon gap. The new course for 2014 started as an open canvas for athletes, who alongside a team of builders shaped their lines 10 days previously, working their way down 1,000 vertical feet of cliffs. Athletes are judged not just on tricks but the difficulty of the route they choose, as well as their speed and style on how they get from top to bottom.
As Andreu Lacondeguy prepared for his run, his nerves were running high, but so was his desire to finally be on the podium. His first run proved to be all that he needed to finally accomplish his dream. “I knew I needed that extra little bit to be on the top and this year I just picked the steepest line. As soon as I heard the countdown I just got out of the cage and pinned it to the bottom.” As he went to the top to prepare for a second run, he watched the rest of the riders try to beat his score without success. As soon as his fiercest competitor Brandon Semenuk finished his run and he saw the score would not top his, he put down his bike and wiped away tears, as his dream was finally realized.
TV Coverage
To see all the action and how it went down, fans can tune in to NBC on December 27th at 4pm EST to broadcast of Red Bull Rampage presented by GoPro, and supported by Dodge Dart, Polaris RZR, Army National Guard and Utah Sports Commission. The show airs as part of the Red Bull Signature Series, the most progressive action sports property in the world, featuring some of Red Bull’s top events including Crashed Ice, Ultra Natural, Wake Open, Dreamline and Joyride. For more information, please visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.
RED BULL RAMPAGE 2014 FINAL RESULTS
1. Andreu Lacondeguy ESP 95.25
2. Cameron Zink USA 89.50
3. Brandon Semenuk CAN 89.25
4. Kyle Strait USA 89.00
5. Brett Rheeder CAN 88.50
6. Kyle Norbraten CAN 82.75
7. Jeff Herbertson USA 82.50
8. Brendan Fairclough GBR 77.25
9. Paul Basagoitia USA 76.50
10. Mitch Chubey CAN 76.25
11. Szymon Godziek POL 76.00
12. Kelly McGarry NZL 73.25
13. Thomas Genon BEL 71.50
14. Louis Reboul FRA 70.75
15. Carson Storch USA 69.25
16. Pierre Edouard Ferry FRA 67.50
17. Geoff Gulevich CAN 66.00
18. Ramon Hunziker SUI 37.75
19. Tom Van Steenbergen CAN 35.00
20. Mike Montgomery USA 24.00
Red Bull Rampage Best Trick presented by Utah Sports Commission:
Cam Zink, 360 Drop (60+ feet)
Red Bull Rampage People’s Choice Award presented by Army National Guard:
Brandon Semenuk
For more information, please visit redbull.com/rampage.
Photo Credit: Christinan Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
