Dany Torres took victory in front of 23,000 fans at his home event as the X Fighters World Tour touched down at the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid on Friday night.
Joining Torres on the winner’s podium were two FMX legends, Nate Adams and Robbie Maddison, who took second and third place respectively. It was the 10th anniversary of the first X Fighters competition was held in the Spanish capital, making Torres’ victory all the sweeter.
Over the years, Madrid’s X Fighter crowds have grown from being raucous and enthusiastic to outright fanatics, arriving equipped with thousands of traditional white handkerchiefs and chainsaw motors to really make some noise.
After a display by the Daka Rally-winning VW Toureg, Charles Pagès got the crowd going as he attempted once again to complete the first ever frontflip on a motocross bike. The last time he tried it, in the US round in Texas, the Frenchman left the arena on a stretcher. He failed again in Madrid, but only after coming agonisingly close to landing the trick.
Less fortunate was Cameron Sinclair. The Australian rider, who suffered severe bruising after landing two double backflips in the US, was hospitalized after crashing heavily in the quarter finals.
But Torres was in spectacular form. His display in the semi final gave American Jeremy Stenberg no chance as he advanced to the final. There, the 22-year-old from Seville came up against the winner of the previous X-Fighters round, Nate Adams, who had himself eliminated Tower Bridge conqueror Robbie Maddison in the other semi.
In the final, Adams had no answer to the Spanish rider’s tricks as Torres claimed his first win of the year to send the home crowd into raptures. But second place was enough to push Adams into the lead in the overall championship, ahead of Eigo Sato, who finished ninth, and defending champion Mat Rebeaud and Maddison on 210 points.
The final stop of the Red Bull X Fighters World Tour takes place at London’s Battersea Power Station on August 22.
Torero Torres