Red Bull Cerro Abajo 2026: "Over stairs at 70 kilometres!" - Interview with Thomas Slavic
BIKE: Tomas, you were travelling in India.
TOMAS SLAVIK: First in India for an urban downhill, then almost a month in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
BIKE: Wow, even on a bike? No, I was invited to take part in the TV show Asia Express. The adventure show is about completing tasks without a computer, mobile phone or any other support. We had to walk 20 kilometres every day with heavy rucksacks - it was wonderful. I lost seven kilos of body weight.
That sounds like a Navy Seal boot camp.
(Laughs) Yes, sometimes it really felt like that. It was bloody exhausting.
You were at an urban downhill in India. Does that have anything to do with the Red Bull Cerro Abajo Series 2026?
The Indians have been endeavouring to be included in the Red Bull Cerro Abajo Series for three years now. Unfortunately, still in vain. For Red Bull it is a prerequisite that there is an active racing scene there, but so far there are only a few riders who race at a high level. Unfortunately. That's why inclusion has failed so far.
Why is it necessary to have Indian racers in the race? Why not organise a Cerro Abajo and hope that the race will generate enthusiasm and develop the bike community?
That would be my idea too, because the location and the descent are great. It couldn't be better. And the racing scene is already developing. But Red Bull has its own ideas. I believe that they might not want a race without Indian participation for political reasons.
Did you take part in the race?
No, I travelled here with Pedro Burns as my coach.
Have you discovered any talents?
Yes, a few. The race was also something of a qualifier. Because the winner in India received a wild card for the Cerro Abajo race in Valpariso, Chile, which takes place on 15 February. The winner comes from Kashmir and is called Nirav Shrestha (photo).
Does Nirav ride at your level?
Nirav Shrestha was damn fast. Only one or two seconds slower than Pedro and me in training runs. Our main task was to teach the participants the dos and don'ts of urban downhilling. How to set up your bike, what strategies to use and how to survive the madness of the stairs.
You were also in Jordan. What about that?
This was a unique film project, because the government of Jordan wanted to use the extreme sports film to show that Jordan is a great, modern and, above all, safe country. That's why we staged the film in the beautiful city of Amman.
Stuttgart won't be as crazy as the races in South America. But the location is great. You can expect a spectacular race. (Tomas Slavik)
And what about a real race there, the city is hard to beat in terms of exoticism.
I agree with you. Amman is great. But the races also depend on how strong Red Bull is in the respective country. Things don't look so good in Jordan. In contrast to that: India. Red Bull is incredibly strong there. The Indian team is hard to beat in terms of professionalism. In short: A race in India will happen. In Jordan, it might take another year or two.
India, Jordan... very exotic. But the most important race for us takes place in Germany: Stuttgart '26, with our city downhill ace: Johannes "Fischi" Fischbach.
Oh yes. Fischi is the man! The two of us are now the oldies in the field - but also the ones with the most experience. I'm always happy when Fischi is at the start. Fischi may be the main protagonist in Stuttgart, but there are other strong German riders. Erik Emmerich, for example.
What do you expect from the track in Stuttgart?
Stuttgart will be a cool venue. You can expect a technical, exciting course - but no Valpariso. Stuttgart is not South America with its hair-raising stunts. And Stuttgart is also not Genoa with its huge difference in altitude, top speeds of 70 km/h and the length of the track. With a difference in altitude of 130 metres and a track length of 1.2 kilometres, Stuttgart will be roughly half of the Genoa course.
>Genoa: the fastest race in the world <
Thanks to Red Bull, the Cerro Abajo races have developed from a freak event into a media spectacle that is mentioned in the same sentence as the UCI World Cup, the Red Bull Hardline or even the Rampage. Especially now that the races are also taking place in Europe. The race in Genoa has attracted a lot of attention ...
... oh yes, Genoa was the breakthrough in my eyes. The impact of the race was much greater than I had expected. The whole scene was on fire. I can't give too much away, but one thing is for sure: the Cerro Abajo series will be much bigger than it is now - with lots of exciting venues. Next week alone, we'll be looking at three new locations.
Now let's talk about you. You're the all-time favourite. Last year, you came within a whisker of winning the 2024/25 series. Are you fit enough to win in 2026 as well?
Ha ha, I ask myself that every year. And I've been doing it for five years now. One thing is clear, I have to push myself a lot harder and train harder now that I'm older. But I like to push myself. In short: physically, I've got what it takes. The question is rather: am I prepared to risk everything?
Haven't you always risked everything?
No. In the past, we all took fewer risks. But the more professional the races become and, above all, the more attention they get, the more risks the riders take. Media interest increases, which of course increases the interest of sponsors and the prestige of the scene - and the stakes are so high that the riders give their all. Much more than before.
Juanfer Velez was injured last year, will he be back this year and what do you expect from him?
Juanfer is the absolute star. I always say: there is Juanfer and there are other riders. That's not easy for me to say. But I also have good self-reflection and I have to accept that Juanfer is superior to me. If he finishes his run flawlessly - which is also difficult for him, because he's a hot shot who risks everything - then I don't stand a chance.
Last year, Velez competed in the World Cup under the name Munoz. I was confused. What was behind that?
His surname is Velez. But he has a total of five names. But the UCI with its rule book has special requirements and it said Munoz. Yes, the South Americans have too many names (laughs).
Talking about irritations. I was confused as to which stops the Cerro Abajo Series 2026 now has, because Genoa 2025 is part of the 2026 series. Isn't that strange, especially as there is also a race in Genoa in 2026?
I also don't have an answer as to why the 2026 season starts in 2025. In my opinion, it would be clearer if they all counted in one year, without overlaps. This year, the final will take place in Stuttgart and the race in Genoa will then count towards the next season. That's the way it is.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
