Videos
Thomas Genon goes to Utah.
The iconic dust and rock of the 45th State is no stranger to having Belgian freeride athlete Thomas Genon, aka Tommy G, tearing down its shale slopes and launching off its cliff faces.
But while Tommy has visited Utah on eight separate occasions, all of these trips have been centred around riding in one of the wildest sporting events on the planet. Red Bull Rampage.
Rampage is an event that pushes riders, and the sport of MTB to new limits. But the brutal back-to-back digging days, the limited time to test and perfect lines, and the pressure cooker that is Rampage finals day no doubt have an effect on riders reaching their full potential.
‘No Schedule’ is a video concept that builds off the back of Tommy’s multiple Rampage experiences. The project sets out to answer a question: away from the structure and time constraints of contest riding, what can a rider like Tommy do with the legendary Utah terrain? To find an answer to this, the project sees Tommy head out to the desert on a 3week trip with good friends Louis Reboul, Eliott Lapotre and Paul Fisson. With videographer Christian Rigal capturing the madness.
“After all my trips to Utah, I had so many ideas I wanted to try, but never got the chance. The ‘No Schedule’ project was really about finally getting the chance to explore these ideas. Having the time to shape stuff until it was dialled and waiting until the wind dropped to ride features was awesome. I felt like I could push things more than ever before.” Thomas Genon
With endless style, insane moves, experimental features and epic scenery, ‘No Schedule’ achieves all it set out to do.
It goes without saying that special projects like this, need special equipment. For ‘No Schedule’ Tommy used a custom painted Canyon Torque CF- with artwork to match the sandstone ridgelines and cliffs of Utah. The specification was based around the build Tommy used at the 2021 edition of Red Bull Rampage, featuring a dual crown Marzocchi 58 fork, Shimano brakes and transmission, Schwalbe tires and Novatec wheels. This unique bike, which blends capability and playfulness in equal measure was another inspiration for the project.
“I have always loved riding big bikes in big terrain. But this new Canyon Torque CF build was something different for me. In the past it took some effort to get the DH bikes in the air and move them around. But the Torque just wants to get airborne. It’s so much fun.” Thomas Genon