Exciting mountain bike event that happened in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Red Bull Fox Hunt featured a connection between local tradition and extreme sports, in which the participants took role of prey and tried to outrun the fox, unlike in the real fox huntung. This time the fox is called Gee Atherton, a professional Red Bull mountain bike rider. The weather and surrounding area full of mud gave us a hard time while trying to make some interesting photos.
Red Bull Foxhunt is back for 2012 and Gee Atherton tried to go for gold this time.
A play on the traditional foxhunt, the concept is turned on its head as the Fox, Gee Atherton, chases down the hunt, 300 mountain bikers from the surrounding area. Last year Gee managed to chase down the other riders to sixth place.
This year’s event took place in the picturesque surrounds of Belfast’s iconic Cave Hill Country Park. The challenging course, designed in conjunction with Belfast’s Plush Mountain Bike club, began at the park’s highest point, Napoleon’s Nose, before descending through moorland and forest to a sprint finish in the grounds of Belfast Castle.
WHO IS GEE ATHERTHON?
If you’re in control, you aren’t going fast enough.
Known across the world of mountain biking as Gee, the middle Atherton sibling, has been a sensation in the sport since the age of 15. His technicolour talents put the full array of accolades within his grasp and his fearless determination makes them a reality.
In 2004, at the age of 19, Gee won his first Downhill World Cup on the technically challenging track in the Austrian resort of Schladming. A win at this level may have seemed inevitable after his results in the junior categories, including two World Championship medals, but to gain it at such a young age was outstanding. That year he also won the National Championships at his first attempt and has gone on to top podiums the world over, finishing in the top five of the World Cup series every year since, most notably taking gold at the 2008 World Championship alongside sister Rachel, and securing the 2010 Mountain Bike World Cup crown.
With second at the inaugural Red Bull Rampage, the toughest of events to be judged on creativity rather than speed, he demonstrated his all-round talent.
Having made a sterling start to the UCI MTB World Cup season with fourth in Pietermaritzburg, poor Gee broke his tibia in training, putting him temporarily out of action.