Juanfer Vélez Clinches His Third Straight Red Bull Cerro Abajo Title in Style
The steep, narrow streets of Guanajuato, Mexico set the stage for an unforgettable finale to the 2025 Red Bull Cerro Abajo urban downhill series—and Juanfer Vélez delivered a run for the ages. With a commanding ride through the historic alleyways and staircases, the Colombian phenom secured his third consecutive Cerro Abajo title, a feat that cements him as one of the greatest urban downhill racers of all time.
Heading into the final round, the spotlight was on Czech rider Tomáš Slavík, who had taken commanding wins at the previous two rounds in Genoa, Italy, and Valparaíso, Chile. Slavík held the overall points lead and needed only a sixth-place finish in Mexico to clinch his first Cerro Abajo championship. Juanfer, by contrast, was seen as the long shot after a crash in Valparaíso dropped him out of title contention—on paper, at least.
But racing, as we know, isn’t won on paper.
Vélez showed flashes of brilliance during qualifying, laying down the fastest time of the day and putting pressure on the rest of the field. Slavík, on the other hand, qualified further back and knew he would need to push hard during finals. Unfortunately, his championship hopes unraveled when he suffered a heavy crash on the exit of the container section—one of the fastest, most technical parts of the course. It was a devastating blow that took him out of contention for both the win and the overall title.
With Slavík out, the race opened up, and Vélez seized the moment.
Brazilian rider Roger Vieira held the hot seat with a strong time of 1:49.853, which looked like it might hold until Colombian Sébastian Holguín stormed the course with a blazing 1:48.194, jumping into first place. But Juanfer was still to come—and he was on a mission.
With flawless precision and raw speed, Vélez attacked the Guanajuato course like a man possessed. Fastest at every split, he stopped the clock at 1:47.257, taking the win and with it, an unexpected but fully deserved third straight Red Bull Cerro Abajo championship. His clean sweep of the series—2023, 2024, and now 2025—puts him in a league of his own.
“This win means everything,” Vélez said after the race. “I came into this round knowing it was a long shot, but I gave it everything I had. Huge respect to the other riders and thanks to my team and everyone who’s supported me. Let’s go!”
With this victory, Juanfer Vélez continues to inspire a new generation of urban downhill riders—not just with his results, but with his energy, humility, and unrelenting passion for the sport. From the rooftops of Valparaíso to the winding staircases of Guanajuato, he’s proven time and again that he thrives when the stakes are highest.
