On Saturday night, Round 3 of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship was held in the context of NIGHT of the JUMPs in Gdansk (Poland). The slate of ten regular contestants for the title was supplemented by the Polish federation’s two wild card challengers, Artur Puzio and Marcin Luksczcyk. Despite the home fans willing them on, the local duo were well out of the running for inclusion in the final.
The other ten World Championship contenders fought hard to make it through to the last six places. Hannes Ackermann and Jose Miralles ruled themselves out with one Dead Sailor each in their qualifying run. Massimo Bianconcini wasn’t on the peak of his form and had to settle for eighth. A frustrating P7 went to the Czech Republic’s Petr Pilat who was unable to complete his Seatgrab Flip and rode straight back to the changing room in disgust.
Pole position in the preliminary heat once again went to Maikel Melero after unpacking his Double Seatgrab Flip. Joining him for the showdown were Rob Adelberg, Remi Bizouard, Libor Podmol, Brice Izzo and Dany Torres.
Fans in a packed Ergo Arena were then treated to a spectacular Rockwell Watch Best Whip contest which was won by Red Bull rider Dany Torres ahead of Massimo Bianconcini and local hero Martin Luksczcyk.
‘Bianco’ may well have been saving himself for his strongest event, the Maxxis Highest Air, but Jose Miralles was to steal his thunder. The Spaniard cleared a height of 8.80 metres, while the Italian veteran tipped the bar off twice.
The final was then opened by Dany Torres. His Paris Hilton Backflip and Oxecutioner Flip were enough to protect the hot seat against the subsequent challenge of Brice Izzo but judged not quite sufficient for a podium finish. And despite pulling off a Ruler Flip in the double-up, Remi Bizouard also missed out on a trophy. Rob Adelberg secured the third podium spot with a run that included several combos and perfect extensions.
Victory on the night came down to a straight fight between Maikel Melero and Libor Podmol. Having won the first two rounds of the 2014 World Championship, Melero executed a Surfer to Tsunami, Tsunami Flip and various other tricks before finishing his run with a Doublegrab Flip. Podmol went one better in the double-up, resurrecting his Surfer to Tsunami Flip over the Kicker Ramp – this was the trick on which he had a crash in Berlin. But in the Polish Grand Prix, he was able to complete the combo cleanly and was rewarded with a score five points superior to that of Melero.
In the FMX World Championship table, Maikel Melero still leads the way on a points total of 40. This year, the scratch result for the season is already factored into the current standings. Melero’s closest pursuers are now Remi Bizouard on 36 points and Dany Torres on 32.
The FIM Freestyle MX World Championship takes only the shortest of breaks, with further action next weekend (28th/29th March) when Rounds 5 and 6 are contested at NIGHT of the JUMPs in the Sankt Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland.
Results
1. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 390 Points
2. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 385 Points
3. Rob Adelberg AUS MA Yamaha 375 Points
4. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 372 Points
5. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 357 Points
6. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 345 Points
Results Qualification
1. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 350 Points
2. Rob Adelberg AUS MA Yamaha 343 Points
3. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 322 Points
4. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 318 Points
5. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 317 Points
6. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 316 Points
7. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 312 Points
8. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 272 Points
9. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 259 Points
10. Hannes Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 201 Points
11. Marcin Luksczcyk POL PZM Yamaha 186 Points
12. Artur Puzio POL PZM Kawasaki 182 Points
Results Rockwell Watch Best Whip Contest
1. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM
2. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM
3. Martin Luksczcyk POL PZM Kawasaki
Maxxis Highest-Air
1. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 8,80 Meters
2. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 8,40 Meters
FIM Freestyle MX World Championships
Ranking (after 3rd contest)
1. Maikel Melero ESP RFME Yamaha 40 Points
2. Remi Bizouard FRA FFM Kawasaki 36 Points
3. Dany Torres ESP RFME KTM 32 Points
4. Libor Podmol CZE ACCR Yamaha 30 Points
5. Brice Izzo FRA FFM Yamaha 28 Points
6. Rob Adelberg AUS MA Yamaha 25 Points
7. Jose Miralles ESP RFME KTM 24 Points
8. Hannes Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 18 Points
9. Luc Ackermann GER DMSB KTM 15 Points
10. Massimo Bianconcini ITA PZM KTM 14 Points
11. Petr Pilat CZE ACCR KTM 13 Points
12. Aleksey Koleshnikov RUS MFR Yamaha 13 Points
13. Marcin Luksczcyk POL PZM Yamaha 5 Points
14. Artur Puzio POL PZM Kawasaki 4 Points