Natural Selection line-up unveiled one month out

3 minutes read
Posted 15 January, 2025
Screenshot 2025 01 15 082946

The Elevate trail building team puts the final touches on the track for Natural Selection Bike. Photo: Callum Wood

More than 20 of the world’s best riders have been confirmed for the largest mountain bike event to ever be held in New Zealand.

Today, 15, January, marks one month to go until Natural Selection Bike, which will be contested on the iconic Mt Dewar in Queenstown, where work has just finished on a world class mountain bike course.

The rider line-up includes 22 athletes from nine countries, including the 13 prequalified riders announced in December. New Zealander Robin Goomes is the big addition to the roster for Kiwi fans. The Chatham Islands/Rotorua rider had a breakthrough year in 2024, winning Red Bull Rampage to cement her status as the best female rider on the planet.

“I’m so excited to be competing at Natural Selection Bike,” Goomes says.

“The track is looking amazing, and I can’t wait to get to ride in front of a home crowd. The athlete line-up is epic so it’s going to be an unreal competition.”

 

Robin Goomes. Photo: Paul Foley

 

The competition features a men’s and women’s division and will combine the three most dynamic disciplines in mountain biking: Big Mountain Freeride, Slopestyle and Downhill. The full athlete roster is:

The men's line-up is: Dylan Stark (USA), Bienvenido Aguado (SPA), Carson Storch (USA), Nicholi Rogatkin (USA), Thomas Genon (BEL), Reed Boggs (USA), Johny Salido (MEX), Kurtis Downs (USA), Adolf Silva (SPA), Kade Edwards (GBR), Paul Couderc (FRA), Szymon Godziek (POL), Talus Turk (USA), and Tom Isted (GBR).

The wommen's line-up is: Cami Nogueira (ARG), Casey Brown (CAN), Vinny Armstrong (NZL), Vaea Verbeeck (CAN), Barb Edwards (USA), Georgia Astle (CAN), Hannah Bergemann (USA), and Robin Goomes (NZL).

Event Director Sophie Luther says they’re thrilled to have such a strong athlete line-up for the inaugural event.

“Natural Selection Bike will be one of the most exciting and progressive mountain bike events globally in 2025,” Luther says.

“We are bringing together 26 of the very top professional freeriders from around the world, including an additional four Kiwi riders that will qualify through Dream Track on February 8. These riders, men and women, will soar through this all-new venue for a shot to be crowned the Natural Selection Tour champions.

“The Elevate Trail Building team has done an amazing job to maximize the natural mountain bike-ready features on stunning Mt. Dewar. Between the innovative course that blends all aspects of freeriding into one run and the level of riders competing here, this will be a thrilling experience for bikers and non-bikers alike. The event space is limited and will sell out, so we’re urging fans to get their tickets now.”

The brainchild of pro snowboarder Travis Rice, the Natural Selection Tour showcases the world’s top athletes competing in the planet’s most exciting environments.

The Tour debuted in 2021 with snowboarding and has now expanded to incorporate ski, surf and bike. Athletes are judged on creativity, risk, execution, difficulty, and overall impression.

The event will also include a ‘Dream Ticket’ qualifier at the world-famous Dream Track in central Queenstown on 7 February. The qualifier will give local talent the opportunity to compete for four extra spots at the main event, bringing the final competitor count up to 26 athletes on Saturday, 15 February.

Natural Selection Bike is a sustainable event, with the competition aiming to be New Zealand’s leading ultralow emission sporting initiative.

The event is being supported by the New Zealand Government through its Major Event Fund and will showcase New Zealand as a world class mountain bike destination through the global broadcast.

Watch the competition live, in person, with tickets on sale here through Flicket. www.naturalselectionbike.flicket.co.nz The competition will broadcast “as live” on YouTube and Red Bull TV starting on March 5, 2025.

NaturalSelectionTour.com
Follow on social through @naturalselectionbike


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