Red Bulletin UK 5/21

Formation
mountain biking; they had created the
foundations for women’s freeride to fly.
“It gave me confidence to start from
a blank slate on the mountain and make
it into something rideable that pushed my
limits,” says Bergemann. “There hasn’t
been a lot of space for women to pursue
freeride – I feel like this is the start.”
Formation’s roots go back to 2017,
when Rebecca Rusch travelled to
Rampage as a guest. A decorated
endurance mountain biker, Rusch had
never seen the iconic event in person.
She stood in awe of the riding skills on
display, but couldn’t help wondering
why no women were competing. She
began to ask questions. “I was the pot
stirrer,” she says.
Rusch learned that Rampage had
never specifically excluded women, but
This was the riders’
first chance
to collaborate to
push the boundaries
of their sport
none had ever qualified. “I felt like I had
to be the one to push. I was not a freeride
athlete, so it wasn’t like I was out for
myself,” she says. “I had no skin in the
game; it was just the right thing to do.”
With that push, the conversation about
where women fit into the Rampage
picture began in earnest. “There were
some hard conversations,” Rusch recalls.
The next year, a crew of Red Bull athletes,
female gravity riders and Rampage
veterans gathered around a table to
discuss the idea of a women’s event in
Virgin. Should women be added to
Rampage? Should there be a separate
event? No one knew exactly what equality
and inclusion for women looked like in
the context of Rampage.
“I think people just could not picture
what it would look like for a woman to
ride [Rampage],” recalls Katie Holden,
a now-retired American downhill pro
who was at the table that night. “It’s just
this dude environment. It’s hardcore
and it’s gnarly.”
Holden had her own history with
Rampage. Like many female riders,
Holden had started her career as a racer,
but it had never felt like the right fit.
When the offer to partner with women’s
cycling brand Liv came along in 2013, she
jumped at the chance to do something
new. She became a brand ambassador
and built a portfolio of travel, filming,
clinic events, and freeriding. Holden’s
new role also opened the way to chase
her dream of qualifying for Rampage.
“There wasn’t a path to Rampage for
women, because it had never been done
before,” she says. “I just tried to spend
a lot of time out there and be a sponge
and learn as much as I possibly could.”
After spending several years digging
at Rampage and riding the terrain in
Virgin, Holden put all her chips on the
table. Together with a videographer
and photographer, Holden went to the
desert to make a movie she hoped would
score her an invite to Rampage. “I put
everything into it,” she says. Her attempt
ended quickly, though, when she crashed
and tore her calf muscle. Two years of
injuries followed, while the level of riding
at Rampage rose exponentially. “It was
really emotional,” she says. “I realised
that dream wasn’t going to come true.”
Even as Rusch began asking questions,
Holden still felt the sting of regret. “I had
wanted to be the girl who made Rampage,”
she says. At the same time, she had begun
PARIS GORE
Route-one cycling: British World Cup rider Tahnée Seagrave takes the path of least resistance
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