The hopes of Australia and New Zealand's front-running Red Bull X-Fighters competitors were dashed in the early stages of competition at Glen Helen in Southern California on the weekend, with a hill-dominated course in blazing heat favouring the lineup of local riders.
Levi Sherwood (New Zealand) and Rob Adelberg (Australia) entered the event placed first and second following their domination in Dubai, but fell out of favour with judges when they did not make best use of the course, including the intimidating 60-foot step-up jump, during their runs.
The familiar course and conditions in freestyle motocross heartland suited American rider Todd Potter to a tee, with the crowd-favourite taking on the step-up in spectacular style and coming up trumps against Frenchman Thomas Pages in the final.
Fellow American Wes Agee completed the podium in his first ever Red Bull X-Fighters event.
"It's a dream-come-true," said Potter, who takes the lead of the World Tour after the second of six rounds. "I think they (the other riders) need to suck it up and do it, that's the bottom line," he said of the step-up jump.
"You can't just circle and hit a ramp and come back and hit another ramp. This takes you out of your element and puts you into the real world of FMX and its roots."
Despite the disappointment of finishing seventh for the weekend, Sherwood retains a top two placing in the competition with Adelberg slipping from second to fourth after scoring sixth overall at Glen Helen.
The Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour resumes in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 16.
Today marks the half-way point for the delivery of 6500 tonnes of dirt transported to Sydney's Cockatoo Island for the Red Bull X-Fighters final on October 6.
140 barge movements will carry 220 truckloads of dirt to the iconic venue where it will be stored before being shaped into a complete freestyle motocross course.
Tickets for the event will go on sale from July 9.
Main Photo:
Results Glen Helen:
1. Todd Potter (USA),
2. Thomas Pag̬s (FRA),
3. Wes Agee (USA),
4. Javier Villegas (CHL),
5. Eigo Sato (JAP),
6. Rob Adelberg (AUS),
7. Levi Sherwood (NZL),
8. Dany Torres (ESP),
9. Maikel Melero (ESP),
10. Nick Dunne (USA),
11. Martin Koren (CZE).
Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour Standings:
1. Potter 135,
2. Sherwood 130,
3. Villegas 120,
4. Adelberg 115,
5. Pages 80,
6. Sato 65,
7. Agee 65,
8. Sheehan,
9. Torres,
10. Andre Villa (NOR) 45.
