ROME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: RED BULL X-FIGHTERS READY TO TAKE OVER THE ETERNAL CITY
Event Telecast to Air Sunday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT on FUEL TV
ROME, ITALY – Freestyle motocross heroes
are coming back to Rome on Friday, June 24 (11:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m.
PT) when Nate Adams, Robbie Maddison, Dany Torres and company perform
their gravity-defying tricks and battle for victory at the third Red
Bull X-Fighters FMX competition of the season in the Eternal City. The
majestic Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital will serve as the venue
with more than 50,000 Italian FMX fans expected to cheer on the
athletes.
See Red Bull X-Fighters Preview Video HERE
Defending champion Nate Adams is considered
the favorite going into the action-packed spectacle in the stadium that
is usually occupied by rival capital city soccer clubs AS Roma and Lazio
Rome. Adams rode his Honda CR450F to victory last month at the second
stop of the tour in Brazil in front of 100,000 fans and in Rome he will
be looking to make it back-to-back victories in the stadium used for the
1960 Summer Olympics to widen his lead in the championship. Adams will
have to contend with rival Dany Torres. The Spaniard, winner of the
season opener in Dubai, will be back in action after being sidelined in
Brasilia due to injury.
“It’s going to be hard work to narrow the
gap to the top of the pack,” said Torres. “I haven’t given up hope and
am going to fight hard all the way to the end.” It is still a tight
battle at the top after two of six events this season. Adams is at top
of the world tour standings with 165 points with Villa 20 points behind
in second and Maddison in third place with 110 points.
It will be the second time in the history of
the Red Bull X-Fighters that the riders will be showing off their
tricks in Rome. Dany Torres won the spectacle in 2010 that was held in
the Stadio Flaminio. Nate Adams took third place and won the overall
championship.
“I can still remember what a great
atmosphere there was,” said Adams. “There were 25,000 people and it was a
fantastic event.” There will be at least twice as many spectators in
2011. The Stadio Olimpico, where matches in the 1990 World Cup soccer
tournament were also played, has a capacity for more than 50,000 fans.
Engines are roaring at six events in 2011 on
four different continents. The riders already took to the air in front
of the Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai and in the Brazilian capital of
Brasilia. After Rome, the tour moves on to Spain, Poland and Australia.
PROGRAMMING NOTE - Red Bull X-Fighters Rome will air on FUEL TV on Sunday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
ATTACHED
IMAGES - Australian rider Blake Williams put an original Italian police
Moto Guzzi motorcycle through the paces at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome
on Tuesday afternoon. Williams will be competing on Friday evening in
front of 50,000 fans at the venue, which is also home to AS Roma and
Lazio Rome, on what will be the greatest FMX course ever built in Italy,
against the world's best freestyle motocross athletes at Red Bull
X-Fighters.
Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour standings (after 2 of 6 events):
1. Nate Adams (USA) 165 points
2. Andre Villa (NOR) 145 points
3. Robbie Maddison (AUS) 110 points
4. Dany Torres (ESP) 100 points
5. Levi Sherwood (NZL) 100 points
Rider Line-Up - Red Bull X-Fighters Rome:
Nate Adams (USA)
Adam Jones (USA)
Robbie Maddison (AUS)
Andre Villa (NOR)
Dany Torres (ESP)
Eigo Sato (JPN)
Blake Williams (AUS)
Clinton Moore (AUS)
Josh Sheehan (AUS)
Javier Villegas (CHL)
Massimo Bianconcini (ITA)
Petr Pilat (CZE)
Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2011 Calendar:
UAE, April 15
Brazil, May 28
Italy, June 24
Spain, July 15
Poland, August 6
Australia, September 17
6/23/2011 2:56pm
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