Erice van Leuven flying high at McGazzfest mountain bike festival in Queenstown last week. Photo: Emerson Sparks
- Young Hutt Valley Downhill Mountain biker Erice van Leuven will kick off her first year racing at the elite level with the RedBull Hardline event in Tasmania this February.
- Van Leuven says she's been training hard to get up to speed on course's massive obstacles which include 85 foot gap jumps and drops of over three stories.
Hutt Valley downhill mountain biker Erice van Leuven has a big year lined up as the two times junior world champion steps up to compete at the sport's elite level for 2025.
But before she can sink her teeth into the UCI Downhill World Cup series the 18-year-old will push the boundaries of her skills and the sport as one of eight women invited to compete in the daunting Red Bull Hardline race in Tasmania this February.
First run in 2014 - as the brain child of UK mountain bike legends Dan and Gee Atherton - Hard Line competitors ride some of the most spectacular and technical obstacles in the sport - all the while at full race pace with an eye on the clock.
Speaking from her new team, Norco Race Division's training camp in Queenstown, van Leuven said she had been spending plenty of time in the air to build up to the massive jumps that will be a part of the Tasmanian course.
"Its a downhill race but with a lot of big features in it. So there's a lot of step-downs, which is like a big drop, and then gap jumps as well. There's one that is like a 45 foot step down and a couple of the gaps are like 85 feet - which is insane. You have to be going about 70 kilometres to hit them," van Leuven said.
Van Leuven's speed, courage and commitment on the bike has brought her to international fame in her first two years of competing in the UCI Downhill World Cup.
She said she was thrilled to be among the 34 riders invited to compete and was happy to leave any concerns about the risks involved to her parents - who will travel to Tasmania to watch her ride.
"I was so excited, just went running into tell Mum and Dad. They were happy for me but also a bit scared - probably not quite as stoked as I was - but both my brothers were like 'heck yeah, let's go' and that's my reaction as well. My immediate reaction wasn't like 'Oh no here we go, I'm scared as' it was 'yeah let's go, I'm so excited for this'," van Leuven said.
The step up to competing in the Elite class had bought van Leuven a new sponsor - Canadian bike brand Norco - and the resources of a larger team to back the young rider up.
Van Leuven said the opportunity to be mentored by all time greats like Danny Hart - winner of the first Hardline - and Greg Minaar - the most successful male downhill world cup rider of all time - would have been hard to imagine a couple of years ago.
"It's pretty crazy to be honest. It wasn't that long ago that I was sitting on the couch at home with my bros watching them race at like two in the morning and being in awe of them and their riding. So it's pretty crazy to be with them now and getting their tips and tricks. It's incredible man and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. It's pretty special," van Leuven said.
Erice van Leuven is one of eight women who has been invited to compete in the daunting Red Bull Hardline race in Tasmania this February. Photo: Supplied
Her new team also boasts an even split between male and female riders and van Leuven said it was great to have other fast women to train and compete alongside.
She said she was loving coming to grips with her new Norco bike and in the next week she would ride with telemetry systems aboard the bike to fine tune her suspension set up.
"The first time I rode it, after a few laps on it, I was like 'woah this is so good'. It felt stable, it felt playful. I was riding a trail I wasn't used to but I was still riding it well and having so much fun. And it's great in the air - super stable, super fun to ride," van Leuven said.
Van Leuven celebrates winning the Women Junior Downhill Final at the 2024 World Champs in Andorra. Photo: SWpix.com
Van Leuven said she was hitting the gym and spending as much time on the bike as possible to give her the best chance to cope with the intense physical demands of the Hardline track.
"We have two full days of practising then Saturday is practising in the morning, qualifying in the afternoon. Last year two of the woman invited got to race because you have to get a full run of the course without stopping to qualify.
"Half of the way down the course is a very big step-down and it's got quite a difficult entry into it - which is a bit blind - so that's the one I'm most worried about. I'm just hoping that I get there and have the courage to go hit them all," van Leuven said.
Van Leuven's riding first came to the world's attention when she was 10 years old and a clip - filmed by her brothers - of her jumping her 16 inch wheeled bright pink kids bike - all the while wearing a huge smile - went viral. The video has amassed over 85,000 views on YouTube.
Clearing 85 foot gaps - under the watch of the world's best riders - with computer refined suspension seems along way from knocking around in the woods with her brothers. But van Leuven still holds the simple joy of riding her bike as the thing that gives her the most satisfaction.
"Just having fun on my bike. That's what makes the magic happen I reckon. I just love different styles of riding. I ride enduro, downhill, jumps, pumptrack you name it.
"But for me racing does take the cake. I'm just really competitive. Just the thrill of having to go as fast as I can against the clock - just me and the clock - is pretty special. When you're up there - you can't change what other people do - it's all yourself so you've just got to do your best and see who's better on the day," van Leuven said.
Coverage of Redbull Hardline Tasmania kicks off on 7 February.
