P10 for Theo Erlangsen at the World’s Toughest DH | Red Bull Hardline Recap
The world’s toughest downhill mountain biking event returned to Tasmania this weekend and SA’s Theo Erlangsen placed an incredible 10th. Here’s your recap and replay of the action.
Canada’s Jackson Goldstone edged out Asa Vermette to win the Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2025 title on his return from injury to add to his Red Bull Hardline 2022 win in Wales as compatriot Gracey Hemstreet won the first ever women’s title. Here’s a recap of what went down…
The track is 2.9km long with a 600m vertical drop. The largest gap jump is 24m, the largest vertical drop is 10m and the top speeds achieved were close on 80km/h. Built by British star Dan Atherton, Red Bull Hardline is known as the toughest and most progressive downhill mountain bike race in the world that started out in the hills of Dyfi Valley in Wales with 2024 seeing the inaugural Tasmania race where Irishman Rónán Dunne powered to victory. This time around, Saturday’s final saw over 20 male and female riders face the rough and dusty Tasmanian terrain in their bid to take home one of mountain biking’s most coveted titles.
The track’s signature features such as steep descents, technical sections and massive jumps, pushed riders to new limits, providing a thrilling experience for riders and thousands of spectators onsite. Goldstone held his nerve superbly to clock the fastest time of 3:17.096 and win by 0.233 seconds from American Asa Vermette with Australian Troy Brosnan cheered on by his home fans in third place.
It marks 20-year-old Goldstone’s second win, after he became the only rider to win on debut in 2022 aged just 18 before he broke through on the Mountain Bike World Cup downhill circuit with second spot overall in the 2023 season on the back of wins in Val di Sole and Mont-Sainte-Anne. After not finishing in 2024, his 2025 triumph marks Goldstone’s first race back after a 12-month recovery. He revealed: “This is my first big race back and to come back and win it is probably one of the biggest moments of my life. I don’t even know what to say, that was amazing.”
Vermette is now the youngest to ever step on to the Red Bull Hardline podium having turned 18 just two weeks ago while Bernard Kerr (UK) won Mophie Fastest Charger – the fastest rider through the Creek Gap jump – and Australian Dan Booker was voted as BF Goodrich Rider of the Week. South Africa’s Theo Erlangsen placed a credible 10th.
After becoming the first woman to do a top-to-bottom Red Bull Hardline run last year, Hemstreet made history as the first to win the women’s category in a time of 4:06.465. The 20-year-old from British Columbia said: “It was just what I wanted to do; be smooth and just have fun.”
RESULTS
1) Jackson Goldstone CAN 3:17.096
2) Așa Vermette USA 3:17.329
3) Troy Brosnan AUS 3:19.479
10) Theo Erlangsen 3:27.307