Thomas Genon gets Red Bull Rampage ready

Mid-August Belgian freeride powerhouse Thomas Genon wrapped up an intense weekend at the Tour des Niares in Châtel – and it was no ordinary session.

Watch the full video for Thomas's complete breakdown of his Rampage build and his training YouTube.

With Red Bull Rampage looming on 10 October, Genon used the event to sharpen exactly the skills he'll need in Utah. "Tour des Niares is more of a downhill and freeride event, and I think it's all about speed judgment, braking skills, and tire placement," he explains. "It goes really well with the training I've done on the airbag and with tricks – this one was more specific to the downhill skills."

Beyond the riding itself, Genon points to the atmosphere as a key part of the prep. "All those events we do are really cool because they really feel like free training. You just show up and ride with people who are motivated and push their limits. So you feel pushed to do the same. That environment is really cool."

In Châtel, he rode the exact bike he's bringing to Rampage – a heavily dialed-in version of the Rocky Mountain Altitude. "It took me a while to find the right version that fits me best. A good Rampage bike is pretty versatile – good for tricks and capable of handling the gnarlier stuff. It has 27.5 wheels and a short chainstay to be a bit more snappy on the flips and spins. But I'm still riding a large top tube with a shortened headset. So it's a large, but a small version of the large."

While the Tour des Niares seemed tailor-made for Tommy’s taste overall, there was one thing that just was not for him: "I'm kind of stuck in my head about skinnies. I don't really like them, or being up high on those things. That feature at Tour des Niares looked really dope, but when I stood on it, I didn't see the fun in it. But that's maybe just about confidence.”