Podmol triumphs in Shenzhen

Breaking the long summer drought, NIGHT of the JUMPs returns with the very best of Freestyle Motocross competition to the Chinese economic metropolis of Shenzhen.

With 10 of the world’s best riders starting qualification in the Shenzhen Sports Centre, one of the most exciting riders to return to the World Championship competitions was Dany Torres.  With an impressive run of unique flip combos, the Spaniard flew into the finals. However pre-event problems outside of anyone’s control plagued some of the brightest stars, with Libor Podmol having his luggage go missing, to Adelberg’s hard crash during training.

However, it appeared even the current World Championship leader, David Rinaldo, had even worse problems.  With his bags missing also from the airlines for at least an extra day, Rinaldo missed practise and eventually had to borrow his team mate Podmol’s riding gear and bike parts from other riders to even be able to ride the competition and eventually qualify.  Rounding out the top 6 final was the German rider, Hannes Ackermann, who stomped his first ever Volt body varial to dirt in qualifying in 3rd position.

Motivated by the preliminary round competition, Dany Torres showed some extra style and turned down his way to his victory in the LifeProof Best Whip Contest in front of Massimo Bianconcini and the other 4 starters.  After the intermission, it was Italy’s Massimo Bianconcini who would exact revenge on Spain in the Maxxis Highest Air competition, narrowly beating Jose Miralles, even as both riders missed the bar at 9.5 metres. Bianconcini took the win from one less failed attempts at the 9.0 metre height.

The final six riders would light up the sky over the 15 million inhabitants of Shenzhen as they intensified their charge for the top of the podium.  Dany Torres stepped up with an Oxecutioner to Double Grab backflip combination in his Double Up, however even after an almost flawless run, was relegated to 6th position.  Adelberg’s thunder from down under was also not enough to get close to the podium, even after an impeccable run and finishing with a California Roll to No-hander lander combo.

Coming into Shenzhen and sitting in second place in the overall World Championship rankings, Maikel Melero has won 4 from the past 8 events, but even with his experience and huge tricks he wasn’t able to make it to the podium.  With some uncharacteristic errors and in 4th place, he showed a few chinks in his armour, when he had seemed almost untouchable at the start of the season and now puts a small damper on his second World Championship title fight.

One of the biggest improvements we have seen in NIGHT of the JUMPs roster was from the German rider Hannes Ackermann who stood on the podium for the very first time in his World Championship career. After an incredible qualification round, Hannes put together a supersized run of One-hand seat grab Flips, 360 Nac’s and his new Volt, which although was a little sketchy, he held onto it and showed that he’s writing a new chapter in his career as he took 3rd place.

The man with the biggest disadvantages leading into the event and current World Championship leader, David Rinaldo began with a Volt, and very soon after then stuck a California Roll on an unfamiliar bike, and then finished with a huge Double Grab backflip in the Double Up.  And while he looked like the sure winner, things would quickly change again when Libor Podmol stepped up, full of confidence and stomped his own Volt and side-saddle take-off California Roll, but with a cleaner run and more flow.  

The Championship leaderboard has been shaken up with Libor’s victory and Melero’s absence from the podium.  Rinaldo is still looking strong, however after the first night of competition in Shenzhen, a second night to go and a handful of rounds left in the 2015 season, the race to the end appears to have opened

FACTS 
NIGHT of the JUMPs/FIM Freestyle MX World Championship
1. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha406 Points
2. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha402 Points
3. Hannes AckermannGERDMSBKTM386 Points
4. Maikel MeleroESPRFMEKTM383 Points
5. Rob AdelbergAUSAMAYamaha380 Points
6. Dany TorresESPRFMEKTM376 Points

Results Qualification
1. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha360 Points
2. Maikel MeleroESPRFMEKTM354 Points
3. Hannes AckermannGERDMSBKTM350 Points
4. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha341 Points
5. Dany TorresESPRFMEKTM338 Points
6. Rob AdelbergAUSAMAYamaha334 Points
7. Brice IzzoFRAFFMYamaha327 Points
8. Petr PilatCZEACCRKTM327 Points
9. Jose MirallesESPRFMEKTM279 Points
10. Luc AckermannGERDMSBHusqvarna276 Points

Lifeproof Best Whip Contest
1. Dany TorresESPRFMEKTM
2. Massimo BianconciniITAPZMKTM
Maxxis Highest-Air
1. Massimo BianconciniITAPZMKTM9,00 Meter
2. Jose MirallesESPRFMEKTM9,00 Meter
3. Luc AckermannGERDMSBHusqvarna8,50 Meter

FIM Freestyle MX World Championship
Ranking (after 9th contest)
1. David RinaldoFRAFFMYamaha152 Points
2. Maikel MeleroESPRFMEYamaha142 Points
3. Rob AdelbergAUSAMAYamaha132 Points
4. Libor PodmolCZEACCRYamaha128 Points
5. Remi BizouardFRAFFMKawasaki  90 Points
6. Jose MirallesESPRFMEKTM  78 Points
7. Hannes AckermannGERDMSBKTM  73 Points
8. Brice IzzoFRAFFMYamaha  61 Points
9. James CarterUSAAMAHonda  52 Points
10. Luc AckermannGERDMSBHusqvarna  39 Points 
11. Petr PilatCZEACCRKTM  32 Points
12. Dany TorresESPRFMEYamaha  24 Points
13. Filip PodmolCZEACCRYamaha  23 Points
14. Taka HigashinoJAPYamaha  16 Points
15. Davide RossiITAPZM KTM  14 Points
16. Kai HaaseGERDMSBSuzuki  12 Points

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