Dream Ticket confirms final riders for Natural Selection Bike
The line-up for Natural Selection Bike has been confirmed following a huge Friday afternoon of competition at the Dream Ticket event qualifier in Queenstown.
Some 24 athletes took to town’s famous Dream Track, to compete for two male and two female spots at next weekend's Natural Selection Bike.
The event consisted of a two-hour jam format which saw the athletes given multiple runs to put down their best tricks as they worked to impress the judges.
In the women’s division the USA’s Janelle Soukup and Canada’s Kirsten van Horne were the standouts, impressing the judges to secure their Natural Selection spots.
“I can’t believe it, I’m in shock,” Soukup says.
“I’m really stoked, my parents can’t believe it, my brother can’t believe it, I can’t believe it, but here we are and I can’t wait for the main event next weekend.”
France’s Louis Reboul and Finley Kirschenmann from the USA were the pick of the bunch for the men, booking their spots for next weekend’s event.
“I’m so hyped to make it in,” Kirschenmann says.
“Everyone killed it out there. I’m super excited for the opportunity and I’ll see everyone out there next weekend.”
Angie Marino (USA) was picked as the Alternate rider but will also get a start at the Natural Selection Bike event with Casey Brown pulling out due to injury.
The top ranked female and male Privateers also received an amazing prize of a full bike sponsorship from two-time Red Bull Rampage winner Cam Zink. The brand new Zink Bike freeride frames went to Kirsten Van Horne and Saul Saunders.
The winners will now begin their preparations for Natural Selection Bike on 15 February. The event will feature 26 of the world’s top mountain bike athletes competing on the all-new venue on Mt Dewar in Queenstown.
The competition is made up of a men’s and women’s division and will combine the three most dynamic disciplines in mountain biking: Big Mountain Freeride, Slopestyle, and Downhill in one line.
Tickets for Natural Selection Bike are selling fast with just a week until the event, find them at naturalselectionbike.flicket.co.nz. Then watch the competition on Red Bull TV and YouTube starting 6 March.
The New Zealand Government is supporting Natural Selection Bike Aotearoa through its Major Event Fund and will showcase New Zealand as a world-class mountain bike destination through the global broadcast.
