FIM Freestyle MX World Championship Liberec
By TMX Archives on 1st Mar 08
Spectacular opening of the FIM Freestyle MX World Championship - Villa wins ahead of Rowe
Liberec, 01st March 2008: Last Saturday the IFMXF season started with theSuzuki NIGHT of the JUMPs and the first contest of the FIM Freestyle MX WorldChampionship 2008. A totally sold out Tipsport Arena in Liberec (Czech Republic)welcomed 12 Freestyle Motocross riders out of nine nations. And the seasonopening delivered a lot new faces. With X Games Dubai winner Greg Hartman andJack Rowe (both USA), Gilles Dejong (BEL), Kota Kugimura (JAP) and Eugenio Zafrafrom Spain five FMX riders celebrated their IFMXF track premier.
FIMWorld Champion 2007 Ailo Gaup, Vice Champion and local hero Libor Podmol andFrench Remi Bizouard, 3rd of the FIM World Championship 2007 were all missingbecause of injuries. Gaup and Bizouard with shoulder problems, Podmol with abroken feet. So the starters in Liberec were highly motivated to collect as muchpoints as possible, to be prepared when those riders come back to the WorldChampionships. And the announced SUZUKI Swift Sport in NIGHT of the JUMPs desginfor the World Champion 2008 pushed the motivation even higher.
SuzukiTeamrider Andr Villa (NOR), Fredrik Johansson (SWE), Romain Izzo (FRA), OysteinKjorstad (NOR), Bartosz Olglaza (POL) and the two Germans Fabian Bauersachs andLukas Weis completed the field of riders.
In the qualification the 8.000people already saw massiv backflip combos. Fredrik Johansson with Indy Flip,Greg Hartman with his Switchblade Flip, Lukas Weis with Whip Flip, Romain Izzowith a Superflip, Andr Villa with an incredible Underflip and Jack Rowe with aCordova Flip. Those six riders qualified for the final.
In the final theriders pushed the limit even higher. 95 seconds they had time for 10 tricks.US-Boy Greg Hartman showed an Indy and a Switchblade Flip. But he had problemswith the track and missed one trick. So he ended up 6th. Fredrik Johansson didnot show his smothness we know from hin, so he reached only 5th position. GermanLukas Weis did his programm with partly three trick combos and got#4.
Last year winner Romain Izzo ruled with extreme extensions and hardflip combos. But he missed one trick and got 3rd. But even with one trick more,it would have been hard for him to beat Villa and Rowe this day. Both Suzukiriders did a massiv contest.
Rowe with 1-Hand-Flip, Clickerflip, CordovaFlip, Superflip and his unbelievable Cordova with 1-Hand-Seatgrab. Villa withNac Nac Underflip, 1-Hand-Can Flip to 1-Hand-Landing, Can-Flip to SidesattleLanding and a massive Underflip in the Double-Up. So the Norway guy won 13points ahead of Rowe at his IFMXF premier.
In the FIM Freestyle MX WorldChampionship the Suzuki Teamrider Andr Villa leads with 20 points ahead of JackRowe with 18 points and Romain Izzo with 16 points. Next two contests of theWorld Championship take part in Graz/Austria at the 18th and 19th April.
FACTS Suzuki NIGHT of the JUMPs FIM Freestyle MX World Championships
Liberec ,01st March 2008
Results Suzuki NIGHT of the JUMPs Final
1. Andr Villa NOR RFME Suzuki 326 Points
2. Jack Rowe USA DMSB Suzuki 313 Points
3. Romain Izzo FRA FFM Kawaski 273 Points
4. Lukas Weis GER DMSB Suzuki 269 Points
5. Fredrik Johansson SWE SVEMO Suzuki 266 Points
6. Greg Hartmann USA DMSB Yamaha 237 Points
Results Qualifikation
1. Jack Rowe USA DMSB Suzuki 275 Points
2. Andr Villa NOR RFME Suzuki 273 Points
3. Romain Izzo FRA FFM Kawaski 252 Points
4. Lukas Weis GER DMSB Suzuki 235 Points
5. Greg Hartmann USA DMSB Yamaha 232 Points*
6. Fredrik Johansson SWE SVEMO Suzuki 232 Points*
7. Fabian Bauersachs GER DMSB KTM 230 Points
8. Kota Kugimura JAP Yamaha 209 Points
9. Gilles Dejong BEL FMB KTM 201 Points
10. Eugenio Zafra ESP RFME KTM 182 Points
11. Bartosz Oglaza POL PZM Suzuki 172 Points
12. Oystein Kjorstad NOR NMF KTM 112 Points
Results Whip Contest
1. Lukas Weis GER DMSB Suzuki
2. Gilles Dejong BEL DMSB KTM
3. Bartosz Oglaza POL DMSB Suzuki
FIM Freestyle MX World Championships
Ranking (after 1st contest)
1. Andr Villa NOR RFME Suzuki 20 Points
2. Jack Rowe USA DMSB Suzuki 18 Points
3. Romain Izzo FRA FFM Kawaski 16 Points
4. Lukas Weis GER DMSB Suzuki 14 Points
5. Greg Hartmann USA DMSB Yamaha 12 Points
6. Fredrik Johansson SWE SVEMO Suzuki 10 Points
7. Fabian Bauersachs GER DMSB KTM 9 Points
8. Kota Kugimura JAP Yamaha 8 Points
9. Gilles Dejong BEL FMB KTM 7 Points
10. Eugenio Zafra ESP RFME KTM 6 Points
11. Bartosz Oglaza POL PZM Suzuki 5 Points
12. Oystein Kjorstad NOR NMF KTM 4 Points