3.27.2025
RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing 2025
We would like to take you on a journey to Berlin to catch up with RAD RACE who has been a long time partner of GOREWEAR with ties extending far beyond the level of exchanging work emails. RAD RACE has been an active agent in the world of cycling for years being famous for organizing wild and inspiring cycling events.
For the 10th time, Berlin welcomed more than 200 fixed gear elite cyclists from around the globe to participate in RAD RACE’s own version of a cycling March Madness. We are talking about the RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing 2025!
Now if you ponder what exactly this might be, imagine a Go-Kart track free of motorized vehicles. Imagine an international field of cyclists on fixed-gear bikes that only sport one single gear and not a single braking mechanism. Imagine thundering punk rock music and about 2,000 people in the stands being loud and crazy every time the riders make their way around the track. Now you have a clear picture of what the “Last Wo/Man Standing” feels like.
To understand the race itself, it helps to know that this tournament style race format brings the velodrome elimination race to a kart track. The objective for each rider is not to be last after completing a lap around the track because the last rider gets eliminated from competition. The participants have to survive the qualification rounds as well as the quarter- and semi-final before they make it to the grand final where again the last rider gets eliminated each lap until only one is left standing: The Last Woman/Man Standing!
What does it take to be a successful RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing athlete? Well, you’ll need overall cycling fitness as well as superior bike handling skills in equal measure. The strongest legs won’t help you much if you can’t navigate hairpin corners on your fixed-gear bike!
Alec Briggs from the UK, is one athlete who seems to tick all necessary boxes. Briggs just won the event for the 4th consecutive time, beating all opponents along the way - be it the so-called average Joe or Olympic gold medalist Fabian Cancellara as in 2020.
On the other hand, Chelsea Wolfe, this year’s winner of the female competition, was a first time winner. She was able to hold off Amy Perryman and Tamika Hingst in a very heated battle.
One of the most exciting parts of this competition is that there are a LOT of crashes! On a course filled with tight turns, fixed gear bikes, and no brakes, these kinds of collisions and wipeouts are inevitable. But there is always room for more drama with this race than just the crashes.
The fact that each and every single lap is a “do or die” elimination lap for competitors results in a 100% chance for heartbreak-overdose when watching this event. You never know which rider is going to be taking their final lap and getting eliminated! This is also what makes this event so spectacular. It just doesn’t get boring. Spectators tend to pick their favorites during the earlier rounds and cheer them on from round to round. The longer this relationship lasts – the more emotional it gets along the way. Usually to a degree that exceeds a tolerable noise level! Even Soccer World Champion Manuel Neuer was spotted at the event. Here, you see him eying his pick for event favorite.
In fact, there hasn’t been a RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing in the last 5 years that was not interrupted by the police for a noise violation. This year, it happened right before the finals so the cops were easily convinced to keep the show running for another two races. Everybody was happy that the police were only there for the noise level and nobody informed the “style police” as some riders chose outrageous outfits! 🤣
The RAD RACE Last Wo/Man Standing is the Paris-Fashion-Week of all bike races because no other bike race sports cycling outfits as spectacular as this one does.
It’s only fitting that each year we unofficially launch the GOREWEAR x RAD RACE jersey at this exact event. What better way to kick off the season than showcasing what can happen when GOREWEAR fabric engineering meets the design visions of young and dynamic cycling enthusiasts? See below our latest design resulted from this love affair between GOREWEAR & RAD RACE.
Like what you see? Mark your calendar— the RAD RACE x GOREWEAR Jersey 2025 will be available for purchase on May 30, 2025!
