Richie
Rude
United States
·
MTB
Date of birth | January 1, 1995 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Redding, Connecticut |
Age | 31 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2010 |
Disciplines | Mountainbike Downhill / Mountainbike Enduro |
Richie Rude grew up in Redding, Connecticut, and was riding a BMX bike and a mountain bike on the dirt trails around his house by the age of seven. By the time he was 12 he had already competed in his first downhill mountain bike race. He also played football, baseball and ran track, but Richie was most at home on the seat of his mountain bike.
Turning pro
He turned pro when he was 15 and graduated from high school while juggling a competition schedule that had him travelling around the world to compete in mountain bike races. In 2013, at the age of 18, he won the Junior Men’s Downhill World Championship title. Soon after, Richie switched his focus to enduro racing – a growing mountain bike discipline that involves timed stages throughout a mountainous course.
Becoming an enduro legend
He debuted in the Enduro World Series in 2014, grabbing second place in a Colorado race during his rookie season. A member of the Yeti/Fox Factory Team since he was 17, Richie returned to the Enduro World Series in 2015 and claimed the overall title after winning three stops on the global tour. He followed that up with another overall victory (and four series wins) in 2016, becoming the first man to win back-to-back championship titles on the Enduro World Series. A feat he repeated in 2023 and 2024 in what is now known as the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup to become the most decorated male rider in the championship's history.
A change of direction and another world title
Since 2025, Rude has switched focus to concentrate on competing in downhill, with select appearances in enduro races. However, in his first season away from full-time enduro, he nevertheless found time to win his first UCI Enduro World Championship title in Valais, Switzerland.
Maximum drift in the snow for Richie Rude
© Matthew DeLorme
Richie Rude annoys some skiers on the piste
© Matthew DeLorme
Richie Rude wheelies on Thunder Mountain
© Matthew DeLorme
Richie Rude takes a break
© Matthew DeLorme