July 21, 2005 – On November 5th, twenty-five of the nation’s best cycling descenders, including Brian Lopes, John Tomac, Eric Carter and David Clinger, will compete to be crowned the Big Kahuna or fastest descender at the inaugural Red Bull Road Rage, co-sponsored by Giant Bicycle. Riders will take on a 2 mile course with a 2,000 foot elevation drop, cliff-hanging berms and 120 degree turns around rock faces at speeds up to 60 mph through the historic Tuna Canyon in Malibu, Calif.

“Ever since the first time I waited for another rider at the bottom of a
technical road canyon I’ve wondered, who really is the fastest road
descender? Who has the best lines in the corners? Who can handle the speed with ice-cold blood in their veins? This fall, we’re finally going to find out,” says Jon Mesko, Giant Bicycles.

Full face helmets are not something that is typically seen in a road race, but unless riders want to take the chance of wearing permanent concrete makeup, they will need to gear up. Besides the helmets, riders will be donning full downhill-type body protection, goggles, and will likely use disc brakes instead of caliper brakes on their bikes to avoid a melt down the mountain. Besides those additions, traditional road bikes with 700c wheels and drop bars will be used. With more corners than L’Alpe d’Huez, speed and fitness will go hand in hand.

Red Bull Road Rage will consist of two race formats: Time Trials, where individuals race against the clock; and Pack Race, a boardercross-style race format, where the top 16 riders from the Time Trial will be placed into 4 man heats and throw it on the line. The top two riders in each heat will advance through the bracket and after three times down the hill, the fastest one in the pack will be crowned.

So who will be the fastest? Is it Clinger? Lopes? Lance Armstrong?
Freddie Rodriguez? It’s been debated forever in rider circles. On November 5th and upon completion of the Red Bull Road Rage, one brave soul will be able to lay claim to that title when they are crowned The Big Kahuna and receive a piece of the $5000 prize purse.