Bike
MTB
Roger Vieira takes spectacular debut win at Red Bull Genova Cerro Abajo
There was a new name at the top of the podium as the Brazilian rider got the 2025/26 season of the Red Bull Cerro Abajo World Series off to a stunning start in Italy.
Red Bull Cerro Abajo returned to Italy for the second time since its incredibly popular debut race in 2024. The world's best urban downhill riders gave it their all as they competed on the highly physical track in Genoa - the fastest of the series - with Brazilian Roger Vieira claiming his first-ever Red Bull Cerro Abajo win.
You can watch it all again right here:
Red Bull Genova Cerro Abajo livestream
The Cerro Abajo series returns to Europe for its second year in 2025/2026, solidifying its place as the most iconic and unforgettable event in the downhill world.
Riders were pushed to the limits as they went all-in for victory in the opening race of the Red Bull Cerro Abajo 2025–26 world series. Genoa, the historic port city and capital of north-west Italy's Liguria region, hosted the world’s best urban downhill MTB riders as they raced full throttle in the discipline's ultimate race series.
The 2.2km-long course dropped nearly 280m and featured constantly changing surfaces. It started from Monte Peralto and finished in front of a wild crowd at Largo della Zecca. Seeing riders hit speeds of up to 80kph between jumps, steps and bends in Genoa's narrow maze of creuze and Caruggi (the old town's narrow streets), provided a memorable spectacle, thrilling both riders and spectators alike.
It was 30-year-old Vieira who rode a flawless race in the final, flying through every last metre of the course to clock a winning time of 2m 37.798s. "I'm speechless right now, I pushed so hard today. Everything was perfect; all my lines, breaking points, pedalling. Today is Brazil's day," said the Brazilian.
The closely fought battle saw the podium positions change hands until the very end of the race, with fastest qualifier Vieira dropping in last. He knew he had a lot more to give from qualifiers and gave it his all. "Because I'm light, I have to pedal harder than the heavier guys - and I did, as hard as I could," he said.
Germany's Johannes Fischbach finished a close second and was pleased with how his race in Genoa went: "I'm fully happy with my race, my last Red Bull Cerro Abajo podium was years ago. Vieira was in full attack mode - he was super-fit and super-fast."
In a close battle for the last podium spot, France's Adrien Loron took third place ahead of Colombian Sebastian Holguín. The best-placed Italian rider was Hannes Alber in 14th place.
Position
Rider
Nationality
Time
1
Roger Vieira
BRA
2m 37.798s
2
Johannes Fischbach
GER
+1.503s
3
Adrien Loron
FRA
+1.611s
4
Sebatian Holguín
COL
+2.168s
5
Douglas Vieira
BRA
+3.003s
6
CHL
+3.343s
8
Gabriel Giovannini
BRA
+4.358s
9
Jeronimo Paez
ARG
+4.921s
10
Alex Marín
ESP
+5.118s
11
Felipe Agurto
CHL
+5.119s
12
Pedro Ferreira
CHL
+5.747s
13
Gonzalo Gajdosech
ARG
+6.061s
14
Hannes Alber
ITA
+6.143s
15
Alberto Nicolas
PER
+6.451s
16
Lucas Borba
BRA
+7.161s
"I'm super-happy with the podium, it's a fast and really unique track here in Genova. Kicking-off a new Red Bull Cerro Abajo season from the third place in the rankings feels great," said urban downhill racing veteran Loron.
Red Bull Genova Cerro Abajo serves as the season opener for the Red Bull Cerro Abajo World Series, which will also feature other major urban downhill mountain bike races throughout the 2025–26 season, so stay tuned for more details.
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