On October 13, the highly anticipated 2018 Warhorse Bicycle Downhill Tour finally made its thrilling debut at its first stop in Nanjing！Over sixty professional riders and cycling downhill enthusiasts from East China and surrounding regions tackled a complex indoor course set up within buildings and stairwells. With jaw-dropping aerial stunts, they delivered a real-life version of “Fast & Furious” that was unlike anything spectators had seen before. Bringing one of the world’s most thrilling and craziest extreme sports—bicycle downhill—indoors added a uniquely fresh twist to the competition. The exhilarating race and specially designed indoor track drew large crowds of curious onlookers.
Astonishing: A More Challenging “Indoor Downhill”
Bicycle downhill is known as one of the most challenging and dangerous forms of mountain biking. Riders must swiftly descend rugged and ever-changing mountain paths, jumping and executing a variety of high-difficulty maneuvers, which demands exceptional overall skill. This year’s 2018 Warhorse Bicycle Downhill Tour innovatively brought this sport to indoor shopping malls across the country as part of a national tour, allowing many people to experience the excitement and appeal of bicycle downhill for the very first time.
Additionally, the unique indoor downhill environment, smooth tracks, challenging obstacle layouts, and groundbreaking uphill jump designs all contributed to increased difficulty, presenting new tests and challenges for every competitor. Yet, it was precisely these elements that enhanced the technical skill and visual spectacle of the race. With every impressive descent and jump, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, showing great interest and passion for this rarely seen extreme sport.
Oldest Participant: 55 Years Old；Youngest: Just 9！
According to reports, the competition is divided into two categories: Elite and Open. Both use individual time trials, with rankings based on performance. The Elite group gathers top riders from major national downhill cycling teams, representing the highest level of domestic competition. The top two finishers from each of the five Elite stops will advance to the finals in Shenzhen on November 17, where they will compete against international professional downhill cyclists for the annual championship title.
Although the Open group only competes in the stops and not in the final championship, it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of countless extreme cycling fans. The oldest participant in the Open group was 55 years old, and Warhorse even specially invited a 9-year-old rider to take on the challenge！Their courage and passion, far beyond their years, left audiences in awe and deepened everyone’s appreciation for the unique charm of downhill racing.
Innovative Track Design Adds to the Excitement
Besides the riders’ cool skills, the track design of this competition also stood out with creativity and excitement. For example, the specially created Warhorse Energy Boost Zone allowed riders to gain time reductions based on where they landed after jumping off ramps. This not only gave racers an extra tool for speed but also added more suspense to an already intense contest.
The especially steep uphill jump ramp at the finish line exceeded the difficulty level of those in typical races. Riders not only had to clear it smoothly but also maintain balance during the weightless airborne phase to complete their jumps. The spectacular scenes repeatedly prompted audiences to pull out their phones to capture and share the moment.
Additionally, Warhorse set up multiple special activity zones around the race venue, including VR cycling experiences and slow-ride challenges, allowing spectators to “feel” the thrill of cycling firsthand and creating another highlight outside the main arena.
In the end, Xiao Cong from Changsha and Liang Jinlong from Guangzhou claimed the top two spots in the Elite group, while the Open group champion was Luo Shitao from Changsha. Moreover, the competition also awarded a Special Honor Prize to the youngest participant to encourage the remarkable courage and strength he demonstrated at such a young age.
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Compared to other countries, bicycle downhill is still an emerging extreme sport in China. But being able to introduce and showcase its thrill and appeal to more people in urban settings is inherently meaningful. According to staff at the Warhorse event, the Warhorse Bicycle Downhill Tour not only innovated in terms of race environment, format, and track design—delivering non-stop excitement—but also leveraged popular internet social tools favored by young people. The event was livestreamed simultaneously on multiple platforms nationwide, generating unexpectedly strong attention and interactive engagement.
Reporters also learned that in the future, Warhorse is committed to making this event a long-term, iconic top-tier competition in China’s extreme sports scene. It aims to provide the best competitive platform for domestic downhill cycling enthusiasts and hopes to inspire more young people—with Warhorse’s brand spirit of daring to challenge everything—to break through limits, unlock greater potential, become their best selves, and keep pushing boundaries.
All the excitement so far is just the beginning. On October 20, in Wuhan, the Warhorse Bicycle Downhill Tour will kick off its second stop. The ongoing thrills of domestic downhill cycling are definitely worth looking forward to！