Red Bull Genova Cerro Abajo: Urban Downhill in Genoa: trembling, trepidation, heart racing. All results.

Cerro Abajo means "downhill". This is the name of the urban downhill race series from South America. World Cup downhiller Wyn Masters, enduro world champion Alex Rudeau, Hardline series winner Bernard Kerr, power biker Tomáš Slavík and, of course, the city DH elite from South America were among those at the start.

All the big, important urban downhills take place in Chile, Colombia and Mexico - but that doesn't mean that urban downhill is an import from overseas. The first urban downhill races took place in Europe. For example, Red Bull organised the legendary Lisbon Downtown in 1999, which was dominated for many years by downhill world champion (2009) Steve Peat. Even back then, city downhills were considered dangerous and radical. But if you look at the downhill races from back then today (a film clip is available below), the events seem almost cute compared to the crazy, criminally steep races in South America.

Only German: Johannes "Fischi" Fischbach

Our only German urban downhiller of international standing is Johannes Fischbach. At the race in Valparaíso (Chile), "Fischi" had a brutal crash in the final. The cause was a tiny riding error (you can read his full report in FREERIDE 2/24). And Fischi started again this time. This time not with a "motorless" GasGas Enduro, but with an Enduro from Liteville, which he made more stable with weights. The course in Genoa was quickly mapped out with long straights through treacherously smooth brick-paved lanes. Fischi's calculations worked out this time - the man from the Upper Palatinate made his run so exciting, drifting and skidding, that our hearts almost stopped as we watched. On the one hand: Because we were worried about Fischi. On the other: Because we had engaged Fischi as a roving reporter and sent him to the Italian Riviera with his favourite photographer Lars Scharl.
Fischi's inside report can be found in BIKE 1/24.

Long in the hotseat: Can Fischi make it?

For a long time, our Fischi was the fastest in the hotseat, leaving even Hardline series winner Bernard Kerr behind him and the Brazilian champion and leader of the Cerro Abajo series Lucas Borba, who had a slide-out in the lower part of the course and lost time as a result. But when the other stars from South America started their assault, Fischi was passed to the back. Incredible: the performance of powerhouse Tomáš Slavík. The Czech was unlucky in the Cerro Abajo Valparaíso. The chain on his Ghost enduro bike broke at the start (which you can't blame the chain for with Tomáš Slavík's 1000 hp start). This meant that Slavík lost his chance of winning the overall series. Once again, Tomáš Slavík flexed his muscles and sprinted almost the entire course with a lead of up to 3 seconds over the current leader. In the end, nobody was able to match Tomáš Slavík's fabulous time.

We recommend: Be sure to watch the replay!

Red Bull Cerro Abajo Genova - The results (Final)

1. Tomáš Slavík (CZE) 2m 42.505s
2. Juanfer Velez (COL) 2m 42.982s
3. Sebastian Holguín (COL) 2m 45.888s
4. Felipe Agurto (CHI) 2m 46.022s
5. Johannes Fischbach (GER) 2m 46.607s
6. Jeronimo Paez (ARG) 2m 46.665s
7. Bernard Kerr (GBR) 2m 46.817s
8. Adrien Loron (FRA) 2m 48.008s
9. Lucas Borba (BRA) 2m 48.480s
10. Douglas Vieira (BRA) 2m 49.453s