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#2 GIZA MAY 14, 2010 in the air tonight ! WHO WILL RULE AT THE PYRAMIDS?

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Over the past 10 years, Red Bull X-Fighters has thrown down tricks in some pretty special places, from Madrid’s amazing Plaza de Toros de las Ventanas to London’s stunning Battersea power station. Tonight, though, is truly special. Couplingthe magic and mayhem of freestyle motocross with the mystery and majesty of perhaps the world’s most iconic buildings, the Giza Plateau represents the ultimate duelling ground. Let battle commence!

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

#2giza

may 14, 2010

in the air tonight!

WHO WILL RULE aT THE PyRamIDS?

Page 2: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

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WFL038_100326_AnzeigeRBX-FightersMagazin_RR_ENG-ESP.indd 1 26.03.2010 15:06:43 UhrProcess CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess Black

CONTENTs 04 LOOKBACK The best of round one in Mexico 10 news Updates from the world of Red Bull X-Fighters 13 RIDeR Nate Adams

14 AIR TIMes Origins of the World Tour 18 MOnuMenTAL peRfORMeR Robbie Maddison jumps the world 25 RIDeR Mat Rebeaud 26 AIR CRAfT How riders modify their bikes 28 seeKIng

sATO The Japanese star profiled 33 RIDeR Robbie Maddison 34 TRICK BAg How do they do that? 38 RIDeR Levi Sherwood 39 wILD CARDs Nick de Wit and Adam Jones 40 The RIngMAsTeR

Tour Director Tes Sewell on developing the series 41 RIDeR Eigo Sato 42 RAnKIng RIDeRs

Five more who’ll go head-to-head tonight 44 The RuLes & Venue All you need to know 48 ResuLTs The chase for the Tour title 50 wORLD TOuR The season calendar 50 CReDITs

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GIZA / RED BULL X-FIGHTERS

JuMp InTOhistoryOver the past 10 years, Red Bull X-Fighters has thrown down tricks in some pretty special places, from Madrid’s amazing Plaza de Toros de las Ventanas to London’s stunning Battersea power station. Tonight, though, is truly special. Coupling the magic and mayhem of freestyle motocross with the mystery and majesty of perhaps the world’s most iconic buildings, the Giza Plateau represents the ultimate duelling ground. And after round one in Mexico, where torrential rain halted proceedings early, the Red Bull X-Fighters arrive here more fired up than ever. Norway’s Andre Villa will be keen to build on his amazing Mexico victory, while the chasing pack will be just as motivated to get their own taste of glory. It’s an epic setting for an epic competition. Let battle commence!

covER pHoToGRApHy: BALA

ZS GARDI FoR GLoBAL-NEwSRoom; pHoToGRApHy: ALEX ScHELBERT/RED BULL pHoToFILES

The best of round one in Mexico The best of round one in Mexico 10 news10 news Updates Updates Nate Adams Nate Adams

Robbie Maddison jumps Robbie Maddison jumps

station. Tonight, though, is truly special. Coupling

And after round one in Mexico, where torrential

X-Fighters arrive here more fired up than ever. Norway’s Andre Villa will be keen to build on his amazing Mexico victory, while the chasing pack will be just as motivated to get their own taste of glory. It’s an epic setting for an epic competition.

Page 3: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

GIZA / RED BULL X-FIGHTERSRED BULL X-FIGHTERS / GIZA

06 07

villa victoriousAndre Villa celebrates a surprise first

Red Bull X-Fighters win in Mexico City after torrential rain forced organiser to call a halt to the competition after

just a single round. Villa had earlier put in a stunning performance to win the

qualifying round, but entering the main event still thought he had it all to do. However, with the course too wet to

guarantee safety, the result went back to the qualifying standings and Villa

took the win from Nate Adams second and third-placed Robbie Maddison.PH

OTOGRAPHY: BALA

ZS GARDI FOR GLOBAL-NEwSROOm

LOOK BACKROUND 1 / MEXICO CITY

Page 4: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

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monumental mexico Over 42,000 FMX-crazy fans once again flocked to the world’s biggest bullring to see the Red Bull X-Fighters throw down some massive moves. And despite bad weather, they got their wish, as the riders treated then to a whole host of amazing new tricks.

mEXICO CITY / RED BULL X-FIGHTERS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: DANIEL KOLODIN FOR GLOBAL-NEwSROOm

RED BULL X-FIGHTERS / mEXICO CITY

Page 5: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

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GIZA / RED BULL X-FIGHTERS

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RED BULL X-FIGHTERS / GIZA

PHOTOGRAPHY: BALA

ZS GARDI FOR GLOBAL-NEwSROOm

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOERG mITTER FOR GLOBAL-NEwSROO

m

levitating levi Rubber kid Levi Sherwood won on his Red Bull X-Fighters debut in Mexico in 2009 and was hoping for more of the same in this season’s opener. In the end, though, he had to settle for seventh place, despite showing off some impressive skills on the night, including a great Stripper Flip (left).

Page 6: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

Norway’s Andre Villa is targeting another big points haul in Giza tonight to stay on top of the Red Bull X-Fighters title standings, after taking a surprise win in Mexico last month.

Torrential rain at the Plaza de Toros Monumental forced organisers to cut short the main event, and with the result based on the standings from the qualifying session, Villa landed his first-ever Red Bull X-Fighters tour victory, revealing later that the top step of the podium is where he feels he belongs.

“I’m so hungry, I want to do well in the events and I know I belong at the top,” he said. “The season I had last year – that’s not where I belong – but I never gave up and I’m looking forward to the future. This is my first Red Bull

X-Fighters win, but I know it’s not going to be the last.”

Villa rides out tonight 20 points clear of 2009 champion Nate Adams and a further 15 ahead of Robbie Maddison, but admits that this event is going to be tough.

“The round in Egypt [tonight] is a completely different set-up [to Mexico],” he said. “It’s going to be like a circle, ramp-to-ramp. That’s not my strongest area – I need some different obstacles – but I will give my best, I’ll ride my best and if I can get a top five result, I’ll be super-happy. Top three would be perfect.

“But when we go to places such as Moscow, with bigger tracks, I’ll be stronger. There are so many good riders, you can’t predict anything, so right now, I’ll enjoy leading Red Bull X-Fighters!”

on a differentplaneEvery year the riders attempt to bring something wilder, bigger and better out of the trick bag and in Mexico City it was Eigo Sato who debuted the sickest new move, a little something he’s calling ‘The Aeroplane’, in which the rider kicks the bike out and then extends his whole body away to the side, only keeping hold of the handlebars with one hand.

villa aims to stay top of the pyramid

NEWSCoUntdoWn to GiZa…

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PHOTOGRAPHY: FLO HAGEnA FOR GLOBAL-nEwSROOM (2)

Page 7: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

levisherwood

torres times oUtwhile the rest of the Red Bull X-Fighters tonight get the chance to take on one of the seven wonders of the world, one regular Tour rider will be missing – Dany Torres. The Spanish star has been forced out of the Giza round owing to a wrist injury he sustained in the build-up to the start of this year’s world Tour and although he broke through the pain barrier in Mexico to claim fourth place in the season opener, the strain was too much. DT was forced to abandon plans for the trip to Cairo and has instead booked himself in for surgery on the injured wrist.The good news is that Torres’ place here in Giza will be taken by none other than Mat Rebeaud. The Swiss rider had his own pre-season nighmare, crashing heavily while training for the Mexico round and was expected to be ruled out until the Madrid event in July. But Mat’s a tough guy and his rapid recovery means the Cairo crowd is in for and amazing competition tonight as the 2008 Red Bull X-Fighters champ looks to make his mark on this latest world Tour.

1/ You are no longer a rookie. People expect top results from you now. How do you deal with that? It was definitely an advantage going into the Mexico event in 2009 as an underdog. As far as pressure goes, what pressure? I try to stay relaxed, then nothing can go wrong.

2/ Tell us about your new bike. I’ve switched from a four-stroke to a two-stroke, which means I now have more power. The handling is fantastic and I feel really comfortable on the new KTM.

3/ Do you get to see anything of the countries you’re competing in? Of course, you tend to be very focused on the event, but I always try and see a bit of the places in which I compete – that is important for me.

4/ How do you get on with the other riders on the World Tour? Do they help you out when you have questions? I don’t want to bother them too much – I know how annoying that can be. But if I have questions, they are always cool and help me out.

5/ Who is your favourite to take this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour title? I want to win it! But the starting field is incredibly strong. You can’t beat guys like Nate Adams just like that. Everything has to be perfect; you can’t afford to make any mistakes. I am sure that 2010 will be a pretty close year.

freestylinG

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PHOTOGRAPHY: BALA

ZS GARDI FOR GLOBAL-nEwSROOM, JOERG MITTER FOR GLOBAL-nEwSROO

M

Page 8: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

2010 Results Mexico City ( Mexico)2ND

2009 ResultsMexico City( Mexico)DNSCalgary(Canada) 5thFort Worth (USA) 1StMadrid (Spain) 2NDLondon (UK) 1St

FiNaL OveraLL POSitiON: ChaMPiON

NATE ADAMSNickName / The DesTroyer NatioNality/ UsA Date of BiRth / MArch 29, 1984 Bike / yAMAhA yZ250

After a year of injuries in 2008, Nate Adams burst back onto the scene in spectacular style in 2009, dominating the second half of the red Bull X-Fighters World Tour and crowning his comeback season with a sensational performance at the season finale in London, to win the overall title. hell-bent on defending it, the Destroyer has started the 2010 Tour with everything still to ride for.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRiSTiAn POndellA/Red BUll PHOTOfileS

2010riDerS

GiZA / Red BUll X-fiGHTeRS

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Page 9: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

2001 valencia MIKE JONES (alSO

ShOwN lEft)

From just a single battle to a world-spanning series Featuring the best Freestyle riders on the planet, Red Bull X-FighteRs has come a long way. and here’s how…

PhOtOGRaPhY: BERNhaRd SPOEttEl/REd Bull PhOtOfIlES (2)

AIR TIMES

2001 The origins of Red Bull X-Fighters stretch back to a single event. On a steaming July day in 2001, a few thousand dedicated FMX fans gathered in Valencia’s bullfighting arena to watch the world’s best freestylers defy logic, physics and, presumably, every health and safety regulation in the book by throwing themselves and their bikes through the baking air. With echoes of Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls – 100 white-clad volunteers were herded into the arena by the FMX stars – and screamed on to ever more dangerous feats by a fanatical crowd, Mike Jones took victory and the template was set.

2002 Following the success of the Valencia event, Red Bull X-Fighters went for broke in 2002, migrating to Madrid’s legendary Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, for even wilder tricks. More than 23,000 fans crammed in, to see local hero Edgar Torronteras take his revenge

on Jones. The Spaniard’s array of gravity-defying tricks relegated Jones to second, with Mike Metzger slotting into third place.

2003 By the following year, the stakes had doubled, with two events in Spain and the start of US domination, Kenny Bartram ruling in both Valencia and Madrid, twice pushing fellow American Nate Adams to second position. However, the Antipodeans put up a good fight, with Australian Dayne Kinnaird finishing third in Madrid and New Zealand’s Nick Franklin third in Valencia, paving the way for current stars such as Robbie Maddison, Levi Sherwood and Cameron Sinclair.

2004 There was a sole event in 2004, Madrid again getting the nod, FMX legend Travis Pastrana continuing US domination and taking his first title, ahead of Nate Adams and Ronnie Renner. “Red Bull X-Fighters is more fun than any other event, with a unique atmosphere,” said Pastrana of his win. Little did he know that it was about become even more special.

2005 With crowds increasing in the Red Bull X-Fighters’ heartland of Spain, it was decided to go international. Given its bullfighting heritage, Mexico’s vast Plaza de Toros in Mexico City presented the obvious destination and here Ronnie Renner dominated what was fast becoming freestyle’s most exciting series.

2006 After a glut of US wins, 2006 saw a new European star emerge, as Swiss maestro Mat Rebeaud beat Pastrana in Mexico. He

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Page 10: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

PhOtOGRaPhY: ludOvIc fRaN

cO (1), www.flOhaGENa.cOM (3), JOERG MIttER (2), JüRGEN SK

aRwa

N (1), alEXSchElBERt.dE (1) all REd Bull PhOtOfIlES

2002 madridEdGaR tORRONtERaS

2009 londonNatE adaMS

2003 valenciaKENNY BaRtRaM

2004 madridtRavIS PaStRaNa

2006 madrid Pastrana,adams

(left) and rebeaud

2007 madrid tRavIS PaStRaNa

2008 germany Mat REBEaud

2005 mexico city RONNIE RENNER

finished third behind Pastrana and Nate Adams in Madrid, but it was clear that a new era was beginning. It was time to go global.

2007 The first World Tour took off in 2007, with events in Mexico, Ireland and, once again its spiritual home, Madrid. Here Travis Pastrana took another title, winning the finale after also winning at Ireland’s historic Slane Castle, to wrest his title back from Rebeaud. But the Swiss star wasn’t to let it go for long.

2008 Across a season that took in Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Forth Worth in the US, Madrid, Oetelshofen in Germany and the season finale in Warsaw, Rebeaud took three wins from the first four events to seal title victory, even before the finale.

2009 But while everyone was talking about Rebeaud ruling the roost indefinitely, along came a skinny kid from New Zealand. Drafted into the ’09 opener in Mexico at the last minute, 17-year-old Levi Sherwood stunned everyone with a set of flawless tricks. He won on his debut, relegating Eigo Sato, almost twice his age, to second, with Rebeaud third.

In Canada, Robbie Maddison staked his early claim to a first title, with Eigo Sato again second. In round three in Texas, Sato again picked up points, to extend his series lead. The stars of the show, though, were event winner Nate Adams, now finding form, and Australian Cameron Sinclair, who brought the crowd to its feet with an amazing double backflip.

Back in the series’ heartland, local hero Dany Torres thrilled the Madrid crowd with a set of adrenaline-pumped runs that gave the injury-hampered rider a deserved win. But Adams was lurking in the wings, and second in Madrid put him in charge of the championship.

It set up a thrilling four-way fight at the season finale in London’s Battersea power station.

The title could have gone to any of Mat Rebeaud, Eigo Sato, Robbie Maddison or Nate Adams. It was Adams, though, who kept his focus and, after a fascinating duel with close friend Robbie Maddison in the semi-final and Levi Sherwood in the final runs, ‘The Destroyer’ took the win – and claimed victory in the overall standings, in the closest battle ever for the title.

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Page 11: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

MONUMENTALPERFORMERHe leaps tall buildings witH a single jump, backflips bridges and crosses canals 95m above tHe water. but tonigHt, daredevil Robbie Maddison takes on His biggest cHallenge yet – tHe pyramids

PPHOTOGR

APHY: DAniel KOlODin fOR GlObAl-newsROOm, lee POweRs / ReD bull PHOTOfiles

m e x ica n wav e Maddison opened his

2010 campaign with third in Mexico

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Page 12: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

PHOTOGRAPHY: bAlA

zs GARDi fOR GlObAl-newsROOm, JOeRG miTTeR fOR GlObAl-newsROO

m

obbie Maddison is making something of a habit out of landmarks. Not content with taking on a massive 30m jump onto Las Vegas’s version of the Arc de Triomphe in 2008, followed by a 12m drop off the same building, the Australian daredevil last year staged a dead-of-night raid on London’s iconic Tower Bridge, vaulting the open bridge with a stunning backflip. And just last month, having declared he’d avoid statement jumps this year, Maddo couldn’t resist the prospect of a leap across Greece’s Corinth Canal, soaring some 95m above the surface of the water at a speed of 125km/h. Bridges, canals, buildings – there’s isn’t anything, it seems, that go-for-it Maddison won’t take on.

“Jumping across the Corinth Canal became a challenge I just could not resist,” he said of the feat. “It involved the greatest degree of risk so far. I am thrilled about managing to pull it off, given that there’s only one opportunity to get it right. I was just stoked and everything went pretty smoothly.”

The jump wasn’t without its hazards, though, with Maddison not having the ideal run-up to the ramp used for the jump. “Some

people said to me: ‘Oh, it was pretty easy for you because it wasn’t as big as your world record for the longest motorcycle jump,’ and that would be true if it was in an open field,” Maddison told freeridermx.com. “But with this, the run-in started in the swimming pool area of the hotel next door to the set-up and only the previous day, they’d drained all the water out of the pool, which left the surrounding grass area water-logged. So I started off on polished concrete, then moved on to grass – which wet my tyres – then on to carpet, then I hit concrete again and got major wheelspin. After that I had to ride between two gardens, on to a soccer pitch where I built up my speed, then make a left turn and jump over a fence, land in the property where the ramp was, go down a driveway onto a scaffold and then hit the ramp!”

This was the point of no return, with the next stop the landing zone some 80m across the divide. “From the moment I took off, it was crucial not lose traction so that I could build up speed, and given the wet conditions and changes in surface, that was close to impossible,” he recalled. “A few kilometres under or over when taking off on the ramp would have meant I’d either case the landing, come up short and fall down the gorge, or over-jump, all because the landing wasn’t big enough to allow for error. With all that to consider, the jump was very technical and difficult, and scared the absolute crap out of me!”

In the end, it was outrageously successful and another milestone on a remarkable journey that has seen Maddison not only set records for distance jumps and for statement stunts such as the Tower Bridge and Corinth leaps, but also become a major player in freestyle motocross. The latter reclaimed his attention in the immediate aftermath of the Corinth spectacular, the opening round of the 2010 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour beckoning in Mexico City. It was a key moment for Maddison, who last year finished the Tour as runner-up to Nate Adams. While the defeat in London clearly wasn’t a source of bitter pain – Adams is, after all, a friend and neighbour in the California town of Temecula – it’s obvious that Maddison is ramping up his efforts for this year’s Tour.

In the aftermath of the Corinth jump, the Australian was keen to get his preparations

rca na L HOP P i nG Daredevil maddo vaulted the 85m-wide Corinth Canal

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Page 13: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

PHOTOGRAPHY: lee POweRs/ReD bull PHOTOfiles (3)

right, admitting that he’d had little time for freestyle work over the winter.

“I’ve only ridden about 10 hours of freestyle in six months,” he said after the Greece jump. “But after this event I’ve left an open book to train with my trainer Ryan Hughes in the US, and practice some new tricks I’ve got up my sleeve. Hopefully, they’ll work out in my favour as the series goes on.

“I’m also working hard on strengthening my knees, so I don’t have to wear braces, as they’re stopping me executing tricks such as Shaolin Flips, Cordova Flips and a bunch of others. Plus, I’m building a new foam pit, something I haven’t used for four years now, so with that to learn new tricks and my fresh approach for 2010, I believe I’ll get stronger as the season progresses.”

The work paid off in Mexico. Despite the opening round being cut short by torrential rain, Maddison finished third in the qualifying session that determined the result behind Adams and event winner Andre Villa.

Indeed, Maddison managed to get a run in during the main event and even here, on a wet and treacherous course, outmanoeuvred Japan’s Eigo Sato in the quarter-finals.

It leaves Maddison on the cusp of another landmark event. Having taken on Las Vegas, London and the Corinth Canal, tonight he’s set to compete against the biggest backdrop of his career, the jaw-dropping Pyramids and Sphinx. And the fearless rider reckons the Greek jump has taught him a thing or two that might help out tonight.

“When it comes to the crunch, in those stressful moments when I’ve got to perform, I should be able to deal with it more easily,” he said. “I’m stronger mentally, so I think I’ll be able to stay more focused and keep a clear head.

“Most mistakes with tricks happen when you second-guess yourself right before leaving the ramp, but I’m not fearful of any tricks I’m doing at the moment. Of course, there are consequences if I screw up, but any fear those tricks might hold for me is far less than the Corinth jump, so to face that fear and come to Red Bull X-Fighters is almost like going to Sunday school for the weekend!”

And that attitude should bode well for Maddison’s assault on the Red Bull X-Fighters

World Tour this year. In 2009, he missed the opening round due to injury and still managed to stitch together a sequence that included one win in Calgary and third, fourth and fifth-placed finished at the remaining rounds.

In the words of Radiohead, the 2010 version of Robbie Maddison is ‘fitter, happier’ and injury-free heading into the season. He has married fiancée Amy Sanders and recently learned that he will soon be a father. It all points to the possibility that this could be his year in Red Bull X-Fighters. He agrees that a new sense of calm, inspired by home life and his recent exploits in Greece, could help him attain that dream goal.

“Last year I came into the series really prepared and psyched, and won the first round I competed in, but then I lost my mojo and couldn’t keep the momentum you need to win through to the end,” he says. “This year, I plan to be the tortoise instead of the hare, build steadily and then finish off with a bang!”

To some degree, Maddison has already surpassed his own expectations with third in Mexico. On the evidence of that result, the bigger bangs should start tonight in Giza

ROBBIE MADDISONAddicted to record

breaking: in 2008, he broke the world motorcycle jumping record twice in one night, leaping 107m in melbourne All-time hero: evel Knievel

F1 Fever: maddo not only jumped Corinth this year, in march

he jumped 60 metres in the air over the main straight at his home f1 GP in Australia.

“ mOsT misTAKes wiTH TRiCKs HAPPen wHen YOu TRY TO seCOnD-Guess YOuRself JusT befORe leAvinG THe RAmP”

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Page 14: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

AIR CRAFTFreestyle asks a lot oF a motorcycle, so to cope with the trickery, riders make small but critical modiFications

1 > FRONT FENDER

No major adaptation here,just a shorter front fender for purely aesthetic reasons.

2 > FORKS/NUMBERPLATES

A lot of riders cut the numberplates to fix on grip tape or simply add grip tape to the forks. This helps, during tricks such as the Cliffhanger, to clamp their feet to the forks.

3 > POP-UP BARS These are flip-up bars that, when extended, sit perpendicular to the handlebars. During some tricks, these are crucial for the rider to balance his arms against. Essential, to carry out many tricks.

4 > STEERING STABILISER

The handlebars’ dial sets the rigidity of steering. For some tricks, it’s vital that steering stays in a straight line when hands are off the bars.

5 > HANDLEBARS

FMX riders opt for wider-than-standard bars, making the bike easier to grab and manipulate. They prefer bars with a deeper bend and no top cross-brace, for tricks such as the Dead Body. With no crossbar, handlebars are often thicker and more rigid than usual.

6 > SEAT

Part of the foam beneath the seat’s covering is removed to give riders more room when performing tricks such as No-Foot Cans, and to reduce the danger of riders getting tangled up in mid-air.

7 > REAR FENDER

Many riders shorten this for better control of the back end of the bike and to facilitate more tricks.

8 > HANDHOLDS

Most riders create handholds by cutting into the plastic coverings just beneath the seat. This may also mean the subframe needs cutting and re-welding to give space to perform seat-grab tricks such as the Superman Seat Grab, etc.

9 > FOOTPEGS

Most riders opt for wider footpegs so they have greater stability. They also help to distribute the force of impact across the foot, making landings less painful.

10 > UNDERCARRIAGE

Includes forks and shocks. These are specially adjusted to cope with bone-jarring landings, especially when riders miscalculate distances.

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PHOTOGRAPHY / XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRisTiAn POndellA/Red Bull PHOTOfiles

Eigo Sato’s in no mood to slow down. Although the Japanese rider is all Zen-like calm when you meet him, there appears to be an unlimited reserve of energy bubbling beneath the surface. At 32 years of age, most riders have backed off from a sport that invariably exacts a heavy physical toll on joints and limbs, and progressed to something a little less frenzied. Not Sato, though.

Fuelled by a desire to stamp Japan’s mark on the world of FMX, Eigo keeps going: bigger, higher, wilder – and all with a trademark style that’s part laidback insouciance, and part punk iconoclasm.

And it’s paying off. Last year, the rider born in Iwaki City (about three hours north of Tokyo), scored his best Red Bull X-Fighters results, taking second places in at the opening rounds in Mexico and Canada and ending the season on a high, finishing in third place overall, behind Robbie Maddison and eventual champion Nate Adams.

This year too, Sato has been in similarly good form, taking sixth place in the opening, rain-curtailed round in Mexico. All of which is a little incongruous when you consider the environment from which Sato emerged. A fortress town built around the formidable presence of Aizuwakamatsu Castle, Iwaki City once flourished as a coal-mining town, but is now a relatively quiet city of 300,000, more notable for its temperate climate and tourist industry than anything else. Not exactly a wellspring of FMX mayhem.

Sato, though, grew up in the household of a motocross-mad father and was lifted on to his first motorcycle aged three. His burgeoning interest in motocross coincided with a similar

EldEr statEsman, FmX pionEEr in his homE country and innovator – Eigo sato can BE said to EmBody all thrEE – But For thE JapanEsE star, it’s still Just aBout having Fun, writEs HitosHi Kajino

SA

TO

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Page 16: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

small groundswell of curiosity across Japan, and at a formative age, Sato was taken to Japan’s first Supercross event in 1986. It was to be a turning point, as the motorcycle-mad Japanese kid got up close and personal with some of the legends of the US scene.

“Since I was a kid, my hero was Rick Johnson,” Sato recalls of the legendary seven-time American Motorcyclist Association champion. “He was flamboyant and looked so cool. If he won, he would do an action jump without fail. I thought ‘I wanna be like that’.”

It wasn’t until he was 18, however, that Sato obtained the competition licence that would enable him to take part in the All-Japan Championship. A year later and he was on the move, to the US, to train at the highest level.

During his time in the States, absorbing the techniques needed to be a motocross racer, he had his FMX epiphany. At a small music festival in suburban southern California, Brian Deegan, Ronnie Faisst and others were giving an FMX show. The sport had just come into being and Sato, who had only watched FMX on video up to then, was bowled over by the no-holds-barred world of freestyle.

“At that time,” he says, “I was backed by Yamaha, and although I had appeared in the All-Japan Motocross competition, Yamaha’s line was that they didn’t need action jumps. It was like they were saying, ‘just ride fast’. But my feeling was that I was a professional who had to excite the spectators. So I broke from Yamaha’s support and went it alone, in order to do what I wanted in the way I wanted.”

It was the cue for a return to Japan and intense self-education. Video footage of tricks was viewed until the tapes wore out. Tricks were practised until the falls that plagued his early attempts ceased to be a factor. By 2000, he’d assimilated what he needed to know.

Later that year Sato staged and produced the ‘Mosh Ride’, a show imitating what he’d seen in the US. It soon became a fixture of the travelling shows Sato took around Japan and, by 2001, the country had its own professional team, MX-Virus. The crew exists to this day and is comprised of riders who were involved in FMX from the very start, Eigo included.

MX-Virus allowed Sato to give up racing and travel his homeland as a professional FMX

Secret Satofive THinGs YOu didn’T knOw ABOuT eiGO

1. Have you got a phobia? i’m afraid of crashing. it shouldn’t be a phobia in this sport, but it is.2. What are your hobbies? At the moment, i’m into skateboarding.3. Which movie star would you like to date? Angelina Jolie.4. If you weren’t an FMX rider, what would you have been? Homeless!5. If you could jump anything, anywhere in the world, what would it be? niagara falls. Actually, i just want to visit there so... ask Robbie first!

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRisTiAn POndellA/Red Bull PHOTOfiles

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Page 17: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

“ iT musT AlwAYs Be fun, even in THe HeAT Of COmPeTiTiOn”

rider. It also gave him the chance, in 2002, of achieving his dream – to compete in America.

“The first overseas competition I attempted was the elimination round of X Games, and I came in 13th, I think,” he says. “I was at a low level, where I had no idea what was good or bad, even. Really, the gap between me and the successful guys was wide, but being the optimistic idiot that I am, I kept telling myself ‘It’s not that wide!’ and fought to narrow that gap as much as possible.”

And that’s what he’s done, going on to become a fixture on the international FMX scene and, of course, maturing into one of the lynchpins of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour. Throughout the process, he has sought to encourage the FMX scene back home and, besides contributing to Japanese FMX magazines, encourages young riders to gather at his local course. He is also organising a tour called the ‘Go Big competition’, hoping to boost the skills of Japanese riders and thereby increase the number of fans all over Japan.

His input has yielded results, and riders such as Taka Higashino now cite him as a major inspiration. One of Sato’s main aims is

that more young riders come through “to support the next generation”.

And that next generation could even be another Sato. He married in 2008 and, like his father before him, it might not be long before Eigo is lifting his own son onto the seat of a motorcycle. Any knowledge he passes on will reflect his own philosophy – that whatever you do in freestyle motocross, it should be fun.

“When I began FMX, I had eyes only for the X Games, and I had disdain for Europe. But when I appeared at European events, I realised they were good in their own way. The US looks cool, but I also like the sense of oneness with the European spectators. The broadening of my vision made clear for me what FMX should be. It must always be fun, even in the heat of competition.”

And he is still having fun. Sato is adamant that his status as one of the sport’s ‘elder statesmen’ is no bar to progress, and the old dog can still get up to tricks.

“Maintaining your current condition is the same as going backwards,” he has said of his urge to improve his skills, adding, “don’t worry, I’ve still got plenty of fight in me yet!” PH

OTOGRAPHY: CHRisTiAn POndellA/Red Bull PHOTOfiles

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RTH MilA

n/Red Bull PHOTOfiles

ROBBIE MADDISON NickName / Maddo NatioNality/ australiaN Date of Birth / July 14, 1981 Bike / yaMaha yZ250

robbie Maddison can rightly claim to be daredevil world-record holder for distance jumps on 125cc and 250cc motorcycles and FMX kingpin to thousands of fans back in australia, but after a 2009 season in which he finished runner-up to friend and neighbour Nate adams in the red Bull X-Fighters World tour, he’s vowed to put record attempts on hold in 2010 as he pursues one goal – a red Bull X-Fighters title. “i’ve stewed over what happened last year and i want a run at it this year,” he insists. third after Mexico (despite the circumstances), sees him off to a good start.

2010 results Mexico City ( Mexico)3RD

2009 resultsMexico City( Mexico)DNSCalgary(Canada) 1STFort Worth (usA) 5THMadrid (spain) 3RDLondon (uK) 4TH

FiNaL OveRaLL POSiTiON: 2ND

2010RiDeRS

Page 19: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

TRICK BAG

RU L E R

The Ruler is one of the harder tricks on Tour, relying on a great deal of strength and balance to get just right. The rider comes off the ramp and, holding the bars, launches his body upwards, his feet pointing to the sky. simultaneously he must push down the back of the bike so that the rear fender points towards the circuit. With back and bike pointing to 12 o’clock and six o’clock respectively you get The Ruler.

W H I P A Whip is when the rider kicks the bike sideways in the air so that it flips out to at least a 90° angle to the rider before being straightened out for the landing.

SU P E R F L I P (SU P E R M A N BACK F L I P) The rider does a Backflip, lets go of the bike with both feet and then kicks them straight back. Riders score bigger execution marks by getting further away from the bike. The biggest problem here is getting back onto your feet against the rotation. That’s why many riders mount special Flip-Levers in front of the handlebars in order to exert counter-pressure.

H A RT AT TACK Named after Carey Hart, the first rider to perform the trick, the Hart Attack, is performed with both legs pointing straight up in the air. One hand is positioned as if performing a handstand on the seat, while the other holds on to it. If the rider’s face is facing backwards then the trick is called a Lookback Hart Attack. Some riders add an ‘Indy’ (as shown), where the rider kicks his legs in a cycling motion during the trick, to score extra points.

DE A D BODY A Dead Body consists of the rider taking his feet off the pegs and extending his legs through the arms and up over the handlebars. Once in this position, the rider straightens his body completely.The riders have a vasT

caTalogue of graviTy-defying Tricks aT Their disposal. here’s a quick quide To jusT a few To look ouT for TonighT…

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Page 20: Red Bull X-Fighters Magazine Giza

ILLUSTRATInOS: RUSSELL BELL

TSU NA M I Similar to a handstand in the air performed over the front of the handlebars while trying to keep the bike horizontal and level.

CL I F F H A NGE R The rider leaves the bike, then catches the underside of the handlebars with his toes. Most riders nowadays perform the trick slightly differently to the original trick. They also catch the bike with the inside of their foot at the fork for better control. The hands are raised above the head and the rider tries to lift his body as far away from the bike as possible.

L A Z Y BOY The Lazyboy is a variant of the Coffin trick (which is performed by extending the legs out in front of the bike and below the handlebars and leaning back on the seat as far as possible). For the Lazyboy the rider lets go of the handlebars and extends his arms back over his head. The further a rider extends his arms and legs, the more points he will score.

K ISS OF DE AT H

The rider performs a handstand on the bike and eventually lowers his head to the front fender as if to kiss it while still upside down.

ROCK SOL I D Similar to a Superman Double Grab, where the rider takes his feet off the bike and straightens his body away from it, just holding onto the handlebars, but this time the rider releases his hands sideways from the bars. For a moment he’s totally detached from the bike and flies above it. The rider then catches his bike using the grab-holes to pull himself back onto the saddle.

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2010riders wild

card

wildcard

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ADAM JONESNatioNality / USA Date of Birth / JULY 23, 1984 Bike / YAMAHA YZ250

The first rider to land a Cordova Flip in competition, Adam’s one of the top FMX riders in the world. An X-Games gold medallist in 2007, he accomplished another goal by becoming the 2008 AST Overall Tour Champion. Most recently he scored eighth place in this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters season opener in Mexico.

NICK DE WITTNickName / SICK NICK NatioNality / SOUTH AFRICAN Date of Birth / AUGUST 28, 1981 Bike / KTM 250 SX

‘Sick’ Nick is Africa’s premier FMX star. The 28-year-old Johannesburg-born rider started with motocross racing in the mid-90s, but made his move to FMX in 2001. Last year, he won the Pro-X Games at the Waterfront in Cape Town and performed at the Ertzberg Rodeo in Austria, where he rode the race too, qualifying for the top 300 out of a starting line-up of 1700. He also took part in the Red Bull X-Fighters Jam in Cairo last April, even inventing a new j ump, ‘ The P haraoh’, f or t he event.

2009 resultsdid not participate

2010 results Mexico City ( Mexico)8TH

2009 resultsMexico City( Mexico)7THFort Worth (USA) 8THMadrid (Spain) 7THLondon (UK) 11TH

FinaL OveraLL POsiTiOn: 6THPHOTOGRAPHY: GA

RTH MILA

n/RED BULL PHOTOFILES; ILLUSTR

ATIOnS: ADAM cARBA

jAL

LEVI SHERWOODNickName / RUBBER KId NatioNality/ NEW ZEALANd Date of Birth / OCTOBER 22, 1991 Bike / KTM 250 SX

Prior to his Red Bulls X-Fighters debut in Mexico last year, Levi reckoned the call-up made him as happy as “a fat kid in a doughnut shop”. A year on from his spectacular first win there, the Rubber Kid has made a solid if unspectacular start to 2010 in a rain-stalled return to Mexico. But after finishing ’09 in sixth place overall, with an automatic entry to all of this year’s events, wonderkid Levi’s still perfectly poised to prove that he is indeed one of the sport’s brightest new stars.

2010 results Mexico City ( Mexico)7TH

2009 resultsMexico City( Mexico)1sTCalgary(canada) 7THFort Worth (USA) dnsMadrid (Spain) dnsLondon (UK) 2nd

FinaL OveraLL POsiTiOn: 6TH

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PHOTOGRAPHY: JOeRG MiTTeR fOR GlObAl-NewsROO

M

2010riders

AIRMAT

2010 Results Mexico City ( Mexico)dNs

2009 ResultsMexico City( Mexico)3rdCalgary(Canada) 3rdFort Worth (UsA) 2NdMadrid (spain) 6THLondon (UK) 6TH

FiNaL OveraLL POsiTiON: 4th

mat rebeaudNickName / air mat NatioNality/ SwiSS Date of BiRth / july 29, 1982 Bike / Ktm 250SX

Since his red Bull X-Fighters debut in 2005, Swiss star mat rebeaud has established himself as one of the series’ major forces. He took his first series win in 2006, beating travis Pastrana in mexico and by 2008 was tour champion. He was also in with a chance of back-to-back titles right up until the final event last year. a pre-season crash ruled him out of round one this year, but he’s made an amazing recovery to be here tonight, so expect big air from air mat in Giza!

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eigo sato NickName / sato NatioNality/ JapanEsE Date of Birth /octobEr 30, 1978 Bike / Yamaha YZ250

Eigo had his best-ever season of red bull X-Fighters competition last year – back-to-back second places in the opening two rounds and consistent performances thereafter putting him in contention for the overall title, right up until the finale in London. It wasn’t to be, though, as he was pipped at the post by nate adams. It's only given him an even greater appetite for victory, however, so after his ‘plane’ incredible exploits in the mexican opener, expect Eigo to go higher, wilder, faster than ever, in pursuit of a first-ever tour win.

PHOTOGRAPHY: BAlA

zs GARdi fOR GlOBAl-newsROOm

2010 resultsMexico City (mexico) 6TH

2009 resultsMexico City ( mexico) 2NDCalgary (Canada) 2NDFort Worth (UsA) 4THMadrid (spain) 9THLondon (UK) 7TH

FiNaL OveraLL POsiTiON: 3rD

GizA / Red BUll X-fiGHTeRs

2010riDers

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2010

riders

JIM MCNEILNickName / Jumpin’ Jimmy NatioNality / uSA DoB / December 29, 1979 Bike / Suzuki rm250

Arizona’s Jumpin’ Jimmy mcneil has been riding freestyle for almost a decade and in 2004 took fourth at the LG Action Sports championships and tied for third in the best Trick at the Gravity Games. At the Winter X Games in 2006 he took 10th. While the past couple of years have been plagued by injury, mcneil’s now back to his best and took an excellent fifth place in mexico city to earn a spot here in Giza.

DAISUKE SUZUKI NickName / DAice, Suzu-D NatioNality /JApAneSe DoB / FebruAry 25, 1981 Bike / yAmAhA yz250

Japan’s Daisuke Suzuki has been riding FmX since 2002 and has established a reputation as one of the sport’s most flamboyant performers. now the man from miyagi, who lists painting as one of his hobbies, will be looking to add some vibrant colour to tonight’s showdown in egypt.

LANCE COURYNatioNality / uSA DoB / mArch 3, 1990 Bike / hOnDA crF250r

Lance first clambered aboard a motorcycle at just four years of age and has been pushing the limits ever since. These days he’s focused on being one of the top Freestyle motocross riders in the world. now 20, he’s most recently spent time honing his skills in the company of mat rebeaud and other red bull X-Fighter regulars at the red bull compound in the uS, so arrives in Giza with plenty of new tricks to show off.

LIBOR PODMOL NickName / The cAT NatioNality / czech DoB / June 1, 1984 Bike / Suzuki rm250

Like so many others, Libor got his start racing mX but soon succumbed to the thrill of freestyle and he’s been racking up big air time since 2002. nicknamed the cat, due to his ability to walk away unscathed from some pretty big crashes, Libor’s also got plenty of the aerial agility associated with his nickname and has an enviable record behind him.

say hello to the remaining riders who will tonight go wild on the giza plateau in pursuit of red bull x-fighters glory

ranking file

ANDRÈ VILLANickName / nOne NatioNality /nOrWeGiAn DoB / ApriL 27, 1982 Bike / yAmAhA yz250

Like most riders, Villa began his career in mX but had to quit in 2000 following an injury. it didn’t prevent what he calls ‘play-riding’ and in 2003 the norwegian began translating that into a full FmX career (as well as turning pro in freestyle skiing!). he last year rode the whole red bull X-Fighters World Tour, with encouraging results and then, to up his game this time out, he recently moved to Temecula, california, the home of FmX. The big re-location seems to have worked, with Andre taking a first red bull X-Fighters win in mexico last month. he arrives in cairo in charge of the title race and on the look out for more big points.

PHOTOGRAPHY: BAlA

zs GARdi fOR GlOBAl-newsROOm, jOeRG miTTeR fOR GlOBAl-newsROO

m (2), cHRis TedescO/Red Bull PHOTOfiles, imAGO/mYRiAm vOGel

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SEMI-FINALS1 run of 90 sec

HEAT 1vs

HEAT 4

HEAT 2vs

HEAT 3

WINNER

WINNER

FINAL1 run of 90 sec

SEMI-FINAL 1vs

SEMI-FINAL 2

WINNER

THE RULES

RIdER Q9 RIdER 3 R1

ROUNd 11 run of 90 sec

(Quaifying ranks 7-12)

QUALIFyINg QUARTER-FINALS2 runs of 90 sec

(12 riders)Head to head

RIdER Q1

RIdER Q2

RIdER Q3

RIdER Q4

RIdER Q5

RIdER Q6

RIdER Q7

RIdER Q8

RIdER Q10

RIdER Q11

RIdER Q12

RIdER 1 R1

RIdER 2 R1

RIdER 4 R1

RIdER 5 R1

RIdER 6 R1

RIdER Q5vs

RIdER Q4

RIdER Q6vs

RIdER Q3

RIdER 1 R1vs

RIdER Q2

RIdER 2 R1vs

RIdER Q1

HEAT 1

HEAT 2

HEAT 3

HEAT 4

RIdER Q9 RIdER 3 R1

Top six qualifiers progress straight to Quarter-Finals

WORLd TOURAt each Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour stop, 100 points are awarded for first place, 80 for second, 65 for third, down to 5 points for 12th place. Riders have the chance to discard their lowest single Tour stop score under the Throw Out Rule, with the remaining stops totalled to give an adjusted points score prior to the start of the final competition. The overall winner of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010 is the rider with the highest number of points after the final stop of the season.

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8TH

5TH

6TH

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5

9TH

10TH

11TH

12TH

1ST 100

2Nd

3Rd

4TH

80

65

55

POINTS SySTEM

RIdER Q1

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOeRG MITTeR/Red Bull PHOTOfIles

follow THE fIGHT To BE RED BUllS X fIGHTER ToUR CHAMPIoN 2010!

RULESEach World Tour stop comprises three days: Day One (rider briefing and training), Day Two (training and qualification), and Day Three (training and main competition). Following qualification, the riders compete in Round 1 in reverse ranking order, with the top six ranked riders from qualifying sitting out Round 1 and automatically progressing to the Quarter Finals. During Round 1, each competitor has one 90-second run to impress the panel of Judges led by the Head Judge. Only the top two riders from Round 1 progress to the Quarter Finals, where they are awarded seed #7 and #8 respectively and compete against the top six from qualifying.

The Quarter Finals are head-to-head elimination rounds for the top-seeded eight riders. The riders are paired up in the heats (shown in the table).

In each heat, the lower-ranked rider will ride first. A panel of five Judges, led by the Head Judge, will award each rider a score and the winner of each heat progresses to the Semi Finals. The Semi Finals pit the winners from the Quarter Finals against each other.

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PHOTOGRAPHY / XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

RULES continued

RIdERSThe number of starters at each Red Bull X-Fighters event is limited to 12. Six of the 12 are prequalified for each event, based on the final standings from 2009. Four of the remaining places are awarded based on the ranking from the previous round, so tonight’s will be based on how they stand from the opening round in Mexico, where the elements had an unexpected say in how things panned out. The final two spots are reserved for the wild cards – riders the organisers believe will bring something unique to each event.

JUdgINgThere are five Judges on hand at each Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour event, with each one responsible for judging different criteria, and all are presided over by a Head Judge. Judge 1 / Variety This Judge is responsible for marking the riders on the range of tricks they bring to each run, based on a number of trick categories.Judge 2 / Challenge and exeCution Has responsibility for assessing the level of difficulty of each trick and how well the tricks are performed.Judge 3 / Style Here the rider is judged on the rhythm of his run and synergy with the course and bike, both on the ground and in the air.Judge 4 / uSe of CourSe Here the rider is assessed on how he utilises the whole course in order to show off his skills. Judge 5 / Show and SpeCtator reaCtion This Judge rules on how the rider’s ability to demonstrate the most energetic, exciting and entertaining run, impacts on the audience.head Judge / Responsible for judging the overall impression of the run.

THE vEnUE

STANDING AREA 01

LANDINGRAMPS

JUMPRAMPS

JUMPRAMPS

SEP

ERATIO

N FEN

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SEPERATION FENCE

ENTRANCE 2

ENTRANCE 1

STANDING AREA 02

CATERING

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WC

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MEDIA

CYCLESAREA

FRIENDSOF THE BULL

JUDGES &

CONTROL

LIGHTTOWER

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SEATING AREA 01

SEATING AREA 02

LED SCREEN

LED SCREEN

THE gIZA COURSEWelcome to Giza and the second stop on the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2010. This course, in the one of the world’s most iconic locations, presents a particular challenge for the riders. Carving out space in front of these amazing structures was no easy task and tonight the riders have to contend with a tight course that will really test their skills to the limit, especially as they will not have much room to land, turn and set themselves up for the next big trick. It’s tight, thrilling and designed to bring out the best in the world’s biggest stars. Should be an amazing spectacle! PH

OTOGRAPHY: GeTTY IMAGes; IllusTARTIOn: MAndY fIscHeR

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RED BULL X-FIGHTERS / GIZA

MEXICO CITY Mexico City Result Points

01 Andre Villa (NOR) 10002 Nate Adams (USA) 8003 Robbie Maddison (AUS) 6504 Dany Torres (ESP) 5505 Jim McNeil (USA) 4506 Eigo Sato (JAP) 3507 Levi Sherwood (NZ) 3008 Adam Jones (USA) 2509 Charles Pagès (FRA) 2010 Blake Williams (AUS) 1511 Cameron Sinclair (AUS) 1012 Johan Nungaray (MEX) 513 Libor Podmol (CZE) 014 Taka Higashino (JAP) 0

Overall Standings Points

01 Andre Villa (NOR) 10002 Nate Adams (USA) 8003 Robbie Maddison (AUS) 6504 Dany Torres (ESP) 5505 Jim McNeil (USA) 4506 Eigo Sato (JAP) 3507 Levi Sherwood (NZ) 3008 Adam Jones (USA) 2509 Charles Pagès (FRA) 2010 Blake Williams (AUS) 1511 Cameron Sinclair (AUS) 1012 Johan Nungaray (MEX) 513 Libor Podmol (CZE) 014 Taka Higashino (JAP) 0

RESULTSIn the end, round one came down to who naIled It In qualIfyIng, and that man was andre vIlla – he now heads the table as gIza beckons...

Blake Williams performs a Nine O’Clock Nac

with Indy in round one in Mexico last month PH

OTOGRAPHY: DAnIEL KOLODIn FOR GLOBAL-nEwSROOm

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ImprInt red bull x-fighters magazine # 1 / 2010 / mexico city

Publisher Red Bull GmbH, Am Brunnen 1, A-5330 Fuschl am See

Produced by Red Bulletin, Heinrich-Collin-Str. 1, A-1140 Vienna, www.redbulletin.com

Printed by Offset 5020, A-5072 Siezenheim media contact [email protected]

Visit www.redbullxfighters.com

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591189_XFighters_DNA_148x210_e.i1 1 29.3.2010 10:43:27 Uhr

mexico city Mexico / April 16giza egypt / MAy 14

moscow Russia / June 26madrid spain / July 22 / 23

london england / August 14rome italy / OctOber 1

NEXT STOP: RED SQUARE!

PHOTOGRAPHY: SeRGei GuneYev/Time Life PicTuReS/GeTTY imAGeS

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