© Lat34
Pastrana Prevails
Sep 29 2006 / Madrid, Spain
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Travis Pastrana soars to victory in Madrid Red Bull X-Fighters stop.
Is it too early to start calling Travis Pastrana the Michael Jordan of FMX? Just 22, the winner of eight X Games golds is as dominant as the hoops legend was in his prime—and he proved it again last week with a high-flying win at the Red Bull X-Fighters in Madrid. As a Las Ventas arena sell-out crowd of 23,000 roared, TP wowed the judges with a variety of sick tricks, including a Superman Flip, a Nac Nac Flip, a Heelclicker Flip One Hand Landing and a Superman Indian Flip.
No double backflip in sight, but Pastrana’s two-and-a-half-minute final jam session earned a 95.5 (out of a possible 100), good for a comfortable 3.5-point margin over Nate Adams (92 points). Third place went to Switzerland’s Mat Rebeaud (90.5), followed by Spaniard Dani Torres (90), and Australian Robbie Maddison (81).
“I always love this event,” Pastrana, who also won at Las Ventas in 2004, told transworldmotocross.com. “The pressure is not as intense as it is for contests like X, but the main reason I love it is just because of the fans. They cheer so loud and get so crazy that you can’t help but ride at your absolute best level. There are people waving around chainsaws, swinging their bandanas, and basically just going nuts! This is the way that every contest or show should be.”
For his part, runner-up Adams put on a pretty good performance. “The Destroyer” busted out a no-handed flip and a cordova flip, among others. “I gave it everything I had,” said Adams, who won this event last year. “But nobody stands a chance against Travis at the moment. He’s simply the best.”Meanwhile, third-placer Rebeaud was just happy to be riding. “I injured my hand at the X Games,” said the winner of the X-Fighters Mexico City stop in March. “Being able to compete here at all after my operation was an achievement in itself.”
Speaking of injuries, Ronnie Renner narrowly dodged a nasty one. Opening the competition, Renner under-rotated a Whip Flip, skidded on the dirt, and lay dazed on the ground for a few minutes. A gurney appeared, but Renner ultimately got up and walked it off on his own.
Pastrana didn’t even have to do that. After he shared the podium with Adams and Rebeaud, a crowd of local bullfighters hoisted him up and carried him out of the arena. With a smile as huge as some of his jumps, TP gave the appreciative crowd a celebratory thumbs-up. Mr. Jordan would be proud.
-Steve Mazzucchi
RESULTS:
Final:
1. Travis PASTRANA (USA), 95.5 points
2. Nate ADAMS (USA), 92 points
3. Mat REBEAUD (SUI), 90.5 points
4. Dani TORRES (ESP), 90 points
5. Robbie MADDISON (AUS), 81 points
Head to head:
MADDISON beat Ronnie RENNER (USA)
PASTRANA beat Eigo SATO (JPN)
TORRES beat Libor PODMOL (CZE)
REBEAUD beat Remi BIZOUARD(FRA)
ADAMS beat Carlos CORDOBA (ESP)
