Cycling
Double Down at Alamo Plaza for Red Bull Last Stand
For the second consecutive year, this unique criterium race lit up San Antonio, Texas.
This was my first time attending Red Bull Last Stand, and I was not disappointed to say the least. Located at the historic Alamo Plaza with tall city buildings and a crowd of 15,000 people, this was the most unique criterium race I have ever seen.
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Red Bull Last Stand 2017
Watch all the highlights from the second annual Red Bull Last Stand 2017 outside the Alamo Plaza in Texas.
The course was set in the streets of San Antonio with nine curving turns raced by over 200 men and women from all over the world. Each rider competed in qualifying time trials in the early afternoon in hopes of qualifying for the evenings main event races. With four different races to come later in the evening (fixed women, fixed men, geared women, geared men) only 160 people would move on in hopes of being the last one standing.
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
During the finals, Red Bull Last Stand isn't about time, but instead features an eliminator-style finish where a rider is pulled every lap until there are only two people left to sprint to the finish. With a half-mile-long course, it made for easy viewing to see bikes zoom past you going 30-40 mph blowing your hair back every time the pack comes through. The course and eliminator style instinctively drives up the pace of the peloton and makes for new racing tactics from the riders, causing unexpected sprints, breakaways and the dreaded result of getting dropped by the pack.
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
From the men’s side, there were top competitors from around the world. Whether it was seeing Texas locals like Colin Strickland or Red Bull Athlete Addison Zawada, the men’s side was packed with competition. The women’s races featured strong competitors as well, including Texas’s Sammi Runnels, Ash Duban and New York native Kym Non-Stop.
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
Red Bull Last Stand 2017
© Mae Elizabeth/Red Bull
Women’s Fixed
1. Ingrid Drexel; Team Tibco- SVB
2. Samantha Runnels; Hit Squad
3. Esther Walker; Aventon Racing Team
Men’s Fixed
1. David Santos; Aventon Factory Team
2. Kevin Girkins; Elbowz Racing
3. Tristan Uhl; Aventon Racing Team
Women’s Geared
1. Ingrid Drexel; Team Tibco- SVB
2. Samantha Runnels; Hit Squad
3. Ash Duban; ATX HitSquad
Men’s Geared
1. Tristan Uhl; Aventon Racing Team
2. Kevin Girkins; Elbowz Racing
3. Connor Sallee; Bicycles Plus Racing
Lastly, riders had the option to compete in both the geared and fixed races to potentially win the "Double Down" award for being extra badass. I'm looking at you Ingrid Drexel, who placed first in the Fixed, Geared and Double Down category.
Womens’ Double Down Award
1. Ingrid Drexel; Team Tibco- SVB
2. Samantha Runnels; Hit Squad
3. Ash Duban; ATX HitSquad
Men’s Double Down Award
1. Tristan Uhl; Aventon Racing Team
2. Kevin Girkins; Elbowz Racing
3. Mat Stephens; Arapahoe Resources/Garneau
Although only a select few competitors would be able to stand on the podium, pop champagne all over the crowd and walk away with prize money, every single-entry fee to compete in Saturday's race was donated to the Wings for Life Foundation to help raise money for spinal cord injury research. No matter how they finished, hundreds of riders left knowing they helped a really amazing charity which only added to this already special event. The riders and San Antonians alike won’t soon forget it this race.