Hardline Wales the ‘hardest’ MTB race of all – Kaos Seagrave

One of the toughest mountain bike races of all takes place in Wales next weekend.

Hardline Wales is a part-downhill, part-freeride race which will be staged in Machynlleth on 26-27 July.

According to the organisers, Hardline riders “push their limits to conquer a brutal course with massive jumps, drops and technical challenges”.

Kaos Seagrave, a London-born professional rider who is based in Wales, has many years of biking experience under his belt but says Hardline Wales “is actually the hardest race I’ve ever done”.

Seagrave devotes his time to freeride mountain biking having left racing on the World Cup scene after finding races “too serious”.

Hardline is the only race the 26-year-old still competes in, and also tests for, as he feels it is the only race that gives the racers the chance to have fun while racing.

“The good thing about Hardline is you get to race and be competitive. It’s like playing Mario Kart with your mates,” Seagrave said.

Though he was born in the UK, Seagrave, along with his professional racing sister Tahnee, grew up near Morzine in France – the gateway to the Portes du Soleil area that mountain bikers flock to in summer, and skiers in winter.

When the siblings were younger, the family often had athletes staying with them.

“I was at the races all my life,” said Seagrave.

“Before I was a racer, my family would always be at the races because my mum would cook for some of the teams.”

The Seagraves eventually left France for Wales, where they have lived and raced for 10 years.

Kaos says he “fell in love with the place” after visiting his sister, who had moved over first.

In Morzine there was no opportunity for biking in winter, meaning that – unusually perhaps – the Welsh weather was appealing.

“We wanted to always just ride bikes and you can’t with winter out there [in France],” Seagrave said.

“Here you can ride 12 months of the year. It’s just so beautiful.”

The Seagraves are not alone, with Wales’ landscape attracting many elite racing families in recent times.

“The riding is insane, the amount of hills and wherever you go there’s kind of a track there,” Seagrave added.