Billy Bolt Beats Jonny Walker in Thrilling Red Bull Tyne Ride Showdown on Newcastle Quayside
Billy Bolt won the second edition of the Red Bull Tyne Ride in a head-to-head showdown with Jonny Walker in Newcastle. Set along Newcastle’s Quayside beneath the famous Tyne Bridge, the Red Bull Tyne Ride is a unique event. It features a dual-lane racetrack on the streets, open for free to the public, showcasing the world’s best riders just steps away from bars, restaurants, and even a Greggs. There’s nothing quite like it in the UK.
Taking a break from the Hard Enduro World Championship season, which will resume next weekend in Italy with the Abestone Hard Enduro, Billy Bolt and Mani Lettenbichler were joined by last year’s Tyne Ride winner Jonny Walker and Cody Webb. Both Walker and Webb were using the Tyne Ride as practice for the upcoming EnduroCross season in the USA. Other international riders included Eddie Karlsson, Mitch Brightmore, Matty Green, and Francesc Moret.
The weather often plays a role, but fortunately, it held up this time. Large crowds filled the Quayside and watched from the Tyne Bridge during early morning practice and qualifiers before the main event began in the afternoon.
Knockout Racing on a Brutal Urban Track
After qualifying, 16 riders faced off in heats, with winners moving on to the finals. The knockout format had riders racing side-by-side in a best of three setup. They quickly navigated a more challenging track than the previous year. Dougie Lampkin and his team designed and built the track specifically for this event, featuring impressive jumps, a boulder garden, a log matrix, shipping containers, and a wall ride.
It felt somewhat unfair to pit the highest-ranked riders against the lowest in the early heats, leading to one-sided contests. A solid lineup of British riders raced against top competitors like Billy Bolt, Jonny Walker, Mani Lettenbichler, and Cody Webb, and they quickly advanced through the heats.
As Charlie Frost remarked after facing five-time SuperEnduro World Champion Billy, “When I saw they’d put me against Billy, I nearly packed up and went home!”
As the heats narrowed down to the quarter and semi-finals, the races became much closer, featuring heated duels like Walker against Lettenbichler and Mitch Brightmore against Bolt.
Billy passed Eddie Karlsson while Jonny defeated Cody Webb, setting the stage for the highly anticipated final between Bolt and Walker.
The two fastest riders faced off for the closest races of the afternoon, as the top two in the SuperEnduro world tackled the track skillfully.
Bolt Seals Hometown Victory
In the end, Walker pushed Bolt, but the Husqvarna rider claimed two wins to secure the final and stand atop the podium before his home crowd.
“I had to watch from the sidelines last year,” Billy said after his victory, “so it gave me the chance to appreciate how big and amazing this event is. But riding this year, I had only one goal in my mind.
“The pressure was on since it’s my hometown. I felt a bit nervous this morning. A lot of people were here with high expectations for me. I had a couple of shaky runs early on, but I started to perform as I wanted toward the end.
“So, it was an amazing day, with an amazing crowd in an amazing place to ride. I’m just super grateful to be part of it all.”
“Second place – I’m happy with that,” said Walker. “The track was technical, even more than last year, so the riding was a bit more spread out.
“The crowds are always great here in Newcastle – the northern fans get excited. Everyone has a good time, and everyone is so nice. It feels like home for me – I’m only an hour and a half away, so I come here often. I’m already looking forward to next year.”
Manuel Lettenbichler, the Hard Enduro World Champion, raced in the Red Bull Tyne Ride for the first time: “It was brilliant. I couldn’t believe how good the vibe was. It’s great that it’s open to the public so everyone can come. During practice yesterday, it was packed from 9 a.m., which was really cool. Riding was good, the vibes were high, and I’m really stoked.”