Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2026: Results & Why It Was Cancelled

09.02.2026 20:08

Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2026 was canceled due to severe weather conditions on race day, leaving fans and riders disappointed after what promised to be the most extreme downhill mountain bike race of the season so far. The event, known as the world's gnarliest MTB competition, faced unpredictable conditions that made the course too dangerous to ride. Here's what happened at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania and the key takeaways from this unprecedented cancellation.

Brett Hemmings / Red Bull Content Pool

Despite the cancellation of finals, we at least have a broadcast of the seeding runs available to watch below.

Watch Seeding (Finals) Runs: Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2026

Riders to Watch in 2026

Both Asa Vermette and Oli Clark have moved up to the Elite level of downhill racing, but only in title, as both riders attended Red Bull Hardline Wales in 2025 and put on amazing displays of talent that prove they are both ready to put pressure on the big names in the sport. Asa Vermette took the gold medal in the Men's category, and Oli Clark secured a top 10 at his first race with his new team, Mondraker Factory Racing. There's no denying that these two youngsters are packing some serious horsepower.

Brett Hemmings / Red Bull Content Pool

As Gracey Hemstreet returned to the Hardline Tasmania course for 2026, she proved that she's one of the most impressive talents on the bike, and although the women's field wasn't quite as stacked as the men's, Hemstreet put down a heater of a run for qualifications, and I'm sure she would have been sub-4 minutes if she knew she was putting down a finals run.

But it wasn't just the young guns that showed up to show off at Hardline Tasmania 2026, and Aaron Gwin, who is now on Frameworks Racing, managed to place in the top 5 at his first-ever Hardline appearance, proving that he remains one of the greatest downhill racers of all time.

Brett Hemmings / Red Bull Content Pool

Speed & Style

Should Hardline events have a speed and style category in the future? We love seeing freeriders lining up for a race, and Kaos Seagrave, Edgar Briole, and Matteo Iniguez being on the list of riders for events like Hardline is special. While they might not be the fastest on the course, they bring a unique blend of style and creativity that I think should be rewarded outside of the final race times.

Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull Hardline courses are well-known for the features on the course, and both Kaos and Edgar are renowned for their style, so why not incentivise these riders to showcase their bike handling in a way that isn't dictated by the clock or speed traps? I think it could result in some pretty exciting coverage and give riders who want to go for style over speed an opportunity to shine on the obviously freeride-inspired sections of the course.

Why the Race Was Cancelled

Rider safety is critical at Red Bull Hardline events and was the main factor in the race being called off. With the sky opening up and rain saturating the track on race day, it was a last-minute call to cancel finals, so the qualification runs served as the final times for riders. Although most of us who were looking forward to sitting down and witnessing the spectacle of the finals broadcast were robbed of that, it’s ultimately a good thing the race was cancelled, because even in perfect conditions, Hardline tracks are absurdly dangerous, and the clay dirt of the Tasmania course is probably nearly unridable once it’s soaked. Kudos to the team at Red Bull and to Race Director Simon French for calling it.

After finals were cancelled and seeding times served as the final standings, Asa Vermette took 1st place in the men's category, backing up his Red Bull Hardline Wales victory from 2025. Gracey Hemstreet took home gold in the Women’s category, becoming the first-ever back-to-back winner of the Red Bull Hardline Tasmania Women’s category.