Medieval madness: Castle Ride BCVS blends urban DH and slopestyle in world-first event
A Swiss castle, cobblestone staircases and two-wheeled chaos open the world championships
Jan Cadosch / Red Bull Content Pool
For the first time in mountain bike history, slopestyle riders and urban downhillers teamed up in a mixed-discipline event that turned Sion, Switzerland’s medieval core into a high-speed playground. The inaugural Castle Ride BCVS launched from the gates of Tourbillon Castle and tore through ancient alleys and staircases then finished in the old town’s centre.
The 1.1 kilometre track dropped 160 vertical metres and was co-designed by urban DH powerhouse Tomas Slavik and slopestyle legend Thomas Genon. Together they cooked up a course that was part spectacle, part death-defying race run. Riders had to impress the judges, each other and the crowd without losing their tires on the greasy old stone of downtown Sion.
Team format
Each run started with the slopestyle rider laying down tricks for a score. Then their downhill partner dropped in straight from the castle to deliver the fastest time possible. It wasn’t just about speed, it was about syncing flow, performance and timing.
Max Fredriksson and Brook MacDonald lit up qualifying with the fastest run, but in finals it was Lucas Huppert and Johannes Fischbach who came out on top. Huppert’s slopestyle run fired up the local crowd and Fischbach delivered a razor-sharp downhill blitz that sealed the win.
Handmade bells
For their efforts, the top three teams were awarded handmade victory bells, crafted by local Valais artisans. Huppert and Fischbach topped the podium with a combined time of 3:41.26. Close behind were Jakub Vencl and Gabriel Giovannini in second (3:43.47), followed by Fredriksson and MacDonald (3:43.73).
The event kicked off the 2025 UCI mountain bike world championships.
Top 10 Teams – Castle Ride BCVS
Huppert/Fischbach – 3:41.26
Vencl/Giovannini – 3:43.47
Fredriksson/MacDonald – 3:43.73
Alanko/Agurto – 3:43.73
Testa/Alber – 3:44.91
Heini/Borba – 3:48.80
Atkinson/Jones – 3:49.00
Reboul/Loron – 3:50.18
Terrier/Troillet – 3:51.68
Arias/Ferreira – 3:54.73
Relive the full event on Red Bull TV.
Individual highlights
Top slopestyle riders
Lucas Huppert
Max Fredriksson
Reto Heini
Alex Alanko
Jakub Vencl
Top downhill riders
Gabriel Giovannini
Johannes Fischbach
Hannes Alber
Brook MacDonald
Felipe Agurto