Red Bull Hill Chasers 2012 transformed Park Street, in the heart of Bristol, into a race track for one night as 32 cyclists came together in an attempt to settle the debate of which bike discipline is best uphill.

Red Bull Hill Chasers saw 16 elite rider and 16 enthusiasts from BMX, mountain bike, road cycling and fixed-gear compete in a series of head-to-head knockout rounds on the unforgiving incline in front of a 6,000 strong crowd.

One of the elite competitors, multiple world champion Michal Prokop set the fastest time of the day on his 4X mountain bike but  was forced to retire at the quarter final stage with a broken chain. He said: “This was a unique race for me. Where else can you compete against so many different bikes? Even though my chain broke I still had an awesome time taking on the enthusiasts.”

The semi final saw an elite v enthusiast showdown in both races as Ben Simmons took on Gareth Montgomerie while John Whittington fought Cobble Wobble winner Lewis Lacey. The enthusiasts prevailed as the final showdown saw Ben Simmons against local boy John Whittington – both on road bikes.

And there could be only one to take the title from last year’s champion, Charge Bikes’ Chris Metcalfe, with enthusiast qualifier Ben Simmons crowned king of Park Street.

The top three riders who rode home on their specially made prize Charge bikes were:
1st Ben Simmons
2nd John Whittington
3rd Gareth Montgomerie