Mountain biker Atherton set to race after year-long injury lay-off

This is the view that will greet Gee Atherton and his fellow competitors in Snowdonia later this month

Ex-world champion mountain biker Gee Atherton is set to return at the race dubbed 'the world's toughest' after recovering from an horrific crash.

The 36-year-old's return comes a little over a year after he broke 11 bones in a 100 ft fall at a disused Welsh slate quarry.

Red Bull Hardline is at Dinas Mawddwy in Snowdonia on 10-11 September.

Thirty of the world's top riders will face a succession of huge drops and jumps on the course.

Atherton suffered his crash during filming of a video at a former slate quarry in Snowdonia in June 2021.

He was airlifted to hospital where he spent a lengthy period recovering from a broken leg, wrist, ribs, nose and eye socket as well as concussion.

In addition to the physical injuries the multiple world champion and World Cup winner suffered PTSD and night terrors, but is now looking forward to returning.

"Obviously after a massive crash you never think you're going to race again, or even ride again, but as I started to recover a bit Red Bull Hardline began to look quite appealing," Atherton said.

"While I was injured I spent a lot of my time thinking about Red Bull Hardline and the goal of being able to ride again at that level was a massive driver.

"Through all those long hours in the gym it was a massive motivation for me."

"Now I've had time to rehab, choosing the hardest race in the world to come back to maybe isn't the best idea, but I've been training hard and I feel like I'm riding well," he added.

The course is designed by his brother, Dan Atherton, and has earnt a reputation as one of the most challenging in the world.

The 2022 race is the eighth edition of the event and is set to be tougher than ever with new, bigger-than-ever features aimed at pushing the boundaries of the sport.

Gee Atherton won the race in 2018, but is realistic about his hopes this year.

"I'm not going to jump on the bike and aim for a podium, the goal is to ride Red Bull Hardline and to have fun doing it," he said.