2015 Graz FMX Results – NIGHT of the HUMPs
Rounding off the second of two double bill FMX European Championship weekends in Austria, those magnificent men on their flying machines delivered yet another unparalleled display of trick cycling.
And once again, the youngsters in the line-up – Filip Podmol and Luc Ackermann – made it through to the final. Podmol junior qualified with an Underflip, a Surfer Tsunami Flip and various other tricks learned from his big brother to take a sensational fourth place.
Luc had problems again with his Cordova Flip but still managed to squeeze through into the final in sixth. Unfortunately for him, he then had a crash landing in the Lifeproof Best Whip Contest and could barely manage a couple of show jumps in the second part of the main event.
Brice Izzo was also unable to dislodge the younger Podmol from fourth place in the final. Despite performing some well executed tricks, he finished the evening three points adrift.
The internal Czech duel for best result on the night was won by Petr Pilat. The tallest rider in the field pulled off a Dead Body Flip with near perfect extension, leaving Podmol trailing in his wake. It also secured him the Spark7 trophy for Best Trick of the Day. But even so, it still wasn’t enough for more than third place in Sunday’s NIGHT of the JUMPS at Graz.
The battle for top spot was a two-way contest between Remi Bizouard and a top-qualifying Maikel Melero. Remi delighted fans and judges in equal measure with his usual precision and assured style. An exquisite Ruler Flip saw him safely past Pilat.
But then the reigning world champion from Spain struck back. Melero had clearly been struggling in the previous European fixtures, but on Sunday, he was back to form with a new triple combination: a One-hand Takeoff One-Hand Seatgrab Rock Solid to No-Hand-Landing. And with a perfect Doublegrab Flip on his last jump, the judges were convinced that he merited the victory.
In the overall European Championship standings, Remi Bizouard stays ahead of Petr Pilat on 74 to 70 points. Melero on 61 points in third is now within touching distance.
And we mustn’t forget the Maxxis Highest Air in which Massimo Bianconcini and Jose Miralles had a dingdong battle. The bar kept on rising, up and up past the 9.6-metre mark. When both of them knocked it off at 10 meters, Miralles was deemed the winner on the basis of fewer unsuccessful attempts.
NIGHT of the JUMPS will next be held on the weekend of March 6-7 in Berlin where the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship will be contested. The next round of the European Championship is scheduled for April 26 in Munich. FMX fans in Austria already in possession of a diary for 2016 should pencil in the weekend of January 23-24. That’s when NIGHT of the JUMPs returns to Linz.
Video Trick of the Day: Petr Pilat performing his Deadbody Flip:
2015 Graz NIGHT of the JUMPs/Freestyle MX European Championships Results, Round 4:
1. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 396 points
2. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 383 points
3. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 380 points
4. Filip Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 359 points
5. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 356 points
6. Luc Ackermann GER DMSB Husqvarna 61 points
Results: Qualification
1. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 353 points
2. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 348 points
3. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 341 points
4. Filip Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 328 points
5. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 324 points
6. Luc Ackermann GER DMSB Husqvarna 305 points
7. James Carter USA AMA Honda 305 points
8. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 301 points
9. Leonardo Fini ITA PZM KTM 267 points
10. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 258 points
11. Steve Sommerfeld AUS PZM KTM 244 points
Results: Lifeproof Best Whip Contest
1. James Carter USA AMA Honda
2. Filip Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha
Maxxis Highest Air
1. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 9.60 metres
2. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 9.60 metres
3. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 7.50 metres
2015 Freestyle MX European Championships Ranking (after 4th contest):
1. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 74 points
2. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 70 points
3. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 61 points
4. Luc Ackermann GER DMSB Husqvarna 50 points
5. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 41 points
6. James Carter USA AMA Honda 36 points
7. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 35 points
8. David Rinaldo FRA FFM Yamaha 34 points
9. Leonardo Fini ITA PZM KTM 30 points
10. Filip Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 22 points
11. Steve Sommerfeld AUS PZM KTM 22 points
12. Hannes Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 12 points
13. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 11 points
14. David Rossi ITA PZM KTM 6 points
