Torres storms Basel

After the freak weather in Europe on Thursday, another storm blew into Basel the following day with the arrival of the world’s Top Ten freestyle motocross riders in the Sankt Jakobshalle, all of them intent on scoring points towards the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship. This is the seventh occasion on which NIGHT of the JUMPs has been staged in the Basel arena, and with the championship campaign having reached an absolutely critical stage, the tension was running exceptionally high. As early as the qualifying round, a whirlwind of tricks was unleashed. David Rinaldo, Dany Torres and Libor Podmol were cracking one backflip flash after another and almost threatening to bring the roof crashing down. Clinton Moore was also firing on all cylinders with his proprietary Volt, his Nac 360 and his version of the Tsunami Flip. Maikel Melero managed to book the sixth and last slot for the final round. Despite excelling themselves on the evening, Jose Miralles (ESP), Hannes Ackermann (GER), Massimo Bianconcini (ITA) and Kai Haase (GER) missed out in the battle for the final. Bianconcini was competing in his first high jump event since breaking his wrist in the X Games. The Italian seemed to have been edged out by Miralles who cleared the 8.50-metre bar while Bianco knocked it off at his first attempt. However, the world record holder not only sailed over the second time round but subsequently jumped 8.80 metres to secure yet another victory in the Maxxis Highest Air. Maikel Melero claimed the Rockwell Time Best Whip trophy in a face-off against Clinton Moore. The storm clouds were brewing again as the finale got under way. The audience were ecstatic as both Rinaldo and Melero pulled off a Double Seatgrab Flip on their final runs. The surprise was great when even tricks of this magnitude were insufficient to secure them a podium finish. Libor Podmol also failed to make it into the Top Three, emerging uninjured after crashing into the barrier coming out of an Underflip Indy, but had the consolation of a tumultuous applause from the crowd. The same outcome befell Clinton Moore as he executed a Seatgrab Flip, but he jumped straight back onto his bike to complete his run with a Nac 360, a Tsunami Flip and The Volt. This performance was rewarded by the judges with third place. Brice Izzo celebrated a spectacular comeback in Basel with a new triple combo, a Tsunami Flip, an Underflip and various takeoff and landing tricks. Ultimately, though, the Frenchman was outgunned by Dany Torres who fired off a salvo of Paris Hilton, Oxecutioner and Lazy Backflip. In the World Championship standings, Libor Podmol and David Rinaldo were the main beneficiaries of the injury-related absence of reigning world champion Remi Bizouard. Podmol has now taken the lead with 82 points ahead of Rinaldo on 80. Bizouard meanwhile slips back to third on 72 points. The sixth round of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship takes place tomorrow in the second of a NIGHT of the JUMPs double bill in Basel. Final
1. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 387 points
2. Clinton Moore AUS MA Yamaha 372 points
3. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 372 points
4. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 369 points
5. David Rinaldo FRA FFM Yamaha 362 points
6. Maikel Melero ESP RFME KTM 347 points

Results: Qualification
1. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 334 points
2. Clinton Moore AUS MA Yamaha 330 points
3. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 330 points
4. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 325 points
5. David Rinaldo FRA FFM Yamaha 322 points
6. Maikel Melero ESP RFME KTM 318 points
7. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 295 points
8. Hannes Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 277 points
9. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 262 points
10. Kai Haase GER DMSB Suzuki 257 points

Results: MAXXIS Highest Air
1. Massimo Bianconcini ITA KTM 8.80 metres
2. Jose Miralles ESP KTM 8.50 metres
3. Maikel Melero ESP KTM 8.00 metres

Results: ROCKWELL Best Whip Contest
1. Maikel Melero ESP RFME KTM
2. Clinton Moore AUS MA Yamaha

FIM Freestyle MX World Championships
Ranking (after 5th contest)
1. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 82 points
2. David Rinaldo FRA FFM Yamaha 80 points
3. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 72 points
4. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 63 points
5. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 51 points
6. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 48 points
7. Hannes Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 44 points
8. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 42 points
9. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 31 points
10. Kai Haase GER DMSB Suzuki 29 points
11. Maikel Melero ESP RFME KTM 29 points
12. Clinton Moore AUS MA Yamaha 16 points
13. Gabriel Villegas CHL FMC KTM 16 points
14. Rich Kearns USA AMA Kawasaki 10 points
15. Martin Koren CZE ACCR KTM 7 points