2013 FIM Freestyle Motocross with David Rinaldo Video
Fans of freestyle motocross saw Olympic levels of performance at NIGHT of the JUMPS in Munich on Saturday. The world’s top FMX riders descended on a sold-out Olympiahalle for the third round of the Freestyle MX European Championship, where a frenzied crowd drove them on to surpass themselves.
Qualification was dominated by Spanish torero Dany Torres who stamped his authority on the proceedings with a Lazyflip, Paris Hilton and an Oxecutioner somersault.
Flying not far behind was David Rinaldo. Joining them in the final were Libor Podmol, Brice Izzo, Jose Miralles and Maikel Melero. Berliner Kai Haase narrowly missed out this time as seventh best rider, but when P7 is your best NIGHT of the JUMPs result to date, that is also something to celebrate.
He was followed by Russian rider Koleshnikov in eighth. NIGHT of the JUMPs veteran Chris Brock (GB) was drafted in as a late replacement. After seven years’ absence from the scene, he will have been well satisfied with a Top Ten placing in his comeback.
But the Englishman had even more cause for celebration with victory in the ROCKWELL Time Best Whip, in which he saw off the challenge from eight other riders. The MAXXIS Race & Style contest was won by Brice Izzo. Other highlights on the support program were the Megaramp mountain bikers and Australian FMX superwoman Emma McFerran wowing the crowd with the first ever motorcycle backflip attempted by a female rider in Munich.
The excitement in the Olympic Hall built up to fever pitch for the final. The three Spaniards, two Frenchmen and one Czech were driven on to heightened levels of performance by the frenetic atmosphere. Unfortunately for Melero, the double-up didn’t quite come off, and he finished back in sixth.
Miralles laid on his best run of the season to earn himself a respectable fifth place. Brice Izzo pulled a Tsunami Flip to take fourth. Libor Podmol saved his pièce de resistance – an Underflip Indy – for the last jump and timed it to perfection.
Although it was good enough for a podium, it still fell short of what Rinaldo and Torres would now serve up. Both executed a Double Seatgrab Backflip. Rinaldo came up with triple combos and various landing and take-off tricks. The Spaniard responded with Lazyflip, Oxecutioner, Paris Hilton and Barhop to Indy Superflip. In the end, Dany Torres finished one point ahead of Rinaldo and was delighted with his maiden NOTJ victory.
David Rinaldo continues to lead the overall standings of the Freestyle MX European Championship on a score of 58 points. In second place is Brize Izzo on 48, closely followed Libor Podmol on 46. The decisive round of the FMX European Championship takes place on the weekend of May 24-25 in the context of NIGHT of the JUMPS in Hamburg.
Munich-based fans already have a date for their diary, with NIGHT of the JUMPS returning to the Bavarian capital on April 26, 2014. Advance ticket sales have already commenced.