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Thomas Genon reflects on 14 years of Red Bull Rampage
After 14 years competing at Red Bull Rampage, Thomas Genon explains why freeride mountain biking's most iconic event continues to fuel his creativity and progression.
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The TV screen flashed scenes of mountain bikers amidst an otherworldly desert landscape. They were riding their bikes on natural ridgelines and jumps, all part of a newer event called Red Bull Rampage. The young Belgian kid who watched was in complete disbelief.
This DVD replay was Thomas Genon’s first taste of Red Bull Rampage. “My parents would tell me that’s not real - and back then everything looked so unreal,” he jokes. Flash forward to the present, and Genon is now a veteran of the event, with 13 appearances to his name and a second second place finish in 2025. “Red Bull Rampage is core to what freeriding is,” he explains.
In action at his first Rampage appearance in 2012
© Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Before he was a freerider, Thomas was a racer. He pivoted from racing in his youth when the dirt jumps and skatepark became more appealing. From there, he progressed to the biggest jumps in freestyle mountain biking, competing on the Freestyle Mountain Bike tour at 16.
At 18, he won Red Bull Joyride as a relatively unknown rider, solidifying himself as a top FMB rider. During his time on the FMB tour, he earned seven Crankworx slopestyle medals and one FMB World Tour overall win. In 2012, he competed at his first Red Bull Rampage, which felt like a natural next step in his career. All of the riders he looked up to dabbled in both slopestyle and Red Bull Rampage. Plus, the transition to a downhill bike was effortless given his racing background.
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Why creativity drives Thomas Genon’s riding
Hooked from his first appearance, he’s competed in every Red Bull Rampage since 2012. “I always feel right competing at Red Bull Rampage,” he explains. “When you compete slopestyle, you have to fit in those boxes to score; when you race downhill, you have to fit in those boxes to go fast. You don’t have to fit any boxes to compete in Red Bull Rampage. You just have to be the best version of yourself.” Red Bull Rampage gives him the freedom to do what he’s best at: creating.
When he’s not competing, Genon rides like an artist. He rode in Guanajuato, Mexico, interpreting the city’s colorful streets into urban slopestyle features, as seen in Anthill’s Anytime. He used an abandoned coal mine in Liège, Belgium, and shaped it into a freeride playground, documented in Mine Line.
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In 2021, he teamed up with photographer JB Liauturd to create a photo and video series called “The Art of MTB”, and in each iteration they’ve worked to create one-of-a-kind images. Genon applies this same kind of artistic drive to his Red Bull Rampage runs. “Everyone has vision, and it really shows in the creation of our lines,” he says.
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The 2025 Red Bull Rampage podium breakthrough
Thomas Genon wins 2nd place at Red Bull Rampage 2025
© Christian Pondella / Red Bull Content Pool
Driven by progression, rather than podiums, Genon hopes to put forth the best version of himself each year at Red Bull Rampage. It’s the kind of mindset that creates consistent results. His resume is proof: he finished fifth in 2015 and 2018; in 2024 he finished in sixth, and in 2025 he earned his first podium with a second place finish.
Last year’s result didn’t come without a fight, though. In his first run, Thomas dropped a hammer, throwing a 360 right from the top of the course. The landing was narrow with drop-offs on either side. “Right away I saw that drop and thought it was a good opportunity to spin,” says Genon. Unfortunately, Genon carried too much speed and missed the next feature, ruining the run.
Undeterred, he tried again, dropping into his second run with the same bold 360 drop. This time he nailed the exit speed, moving into the heart of his run. “All my tricks were packed in one section - all of this in a short section. You only have time to take a breath before it’s back to back,” he explains.
Everything had to line up perfectly - the braking, landing, and takeoff for each feature - to find that needed flow. Genon found his rhythm, nailing two 360s, a 270, a backflip, a suicide no-hander with a table, and a flatspin when he reached the finish corral. It boosted his score to a 94, earning him 2nd. After more than a decade of competing at Red Bull Rampage, this result meant the world. At this point in his career, just being there and competing felt like was a win in itself, so a podium finish made it all the sweeter.
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Looking ahead to Red Bull Rampage 2026
Going into the 2026 event, Red Bull Rampage still captures his imagination just as it initially had 14 years ago. This year’s competition carries additional importance as the 25th anniversary of the event. Genon can’t help but have reverence and celebrate the past 25 years of progression.
“Red Bull Rampage has so much history,” he reflects. “Just being part of that is insane.” Undoubtedly, throughout his tenure competing, Thomas has contributed his own part to the bigger Red Bull Rampage story, and he’s not done yet.
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