X-Fights hold packed audience in thrall
Spain’s Dany Torres wants more after winning Dubai leg of motocross tour
Dubai: Top riders have vouched that the Red Bull X-Fighters motocross tour can only get better as the season progresses.
“It is getting more and more difficult out there as all riders are at a similar level and the score can be so close,” Dany Torres admitted after picking up his second win in three stops in the Dubai round at Downtown Dubai late on Friday.
Competing before a packed audience of nearly 18,000 and watched by Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Saeed Hareb, the new Vice Chairman of the Dubai International Marine Club DIMC), Torres narrowly edged out New Zealand’s “rubber kid” Levi Sherwood after the pre-race favourite and opening round winner in Mexico, Thomas Pages had crashed during his semi-final against Sherwood.
“Riders make the jumps look easy. These guys [Sherwood and Pages] have worked hard to be where they are. So when you consider all this, I am simply happy to be where I am with two wins in Dubai,” said the 26-year-old.
Competition was close with Sherwood going against Pages in the first semi-final while Torres faced Australia’s Rob Adelberg in the second. Pages crashed on a flip towards the end of his round leaving Sherwood a 4-1 winner, while Torres edged past his Australian opponent 3-2.
The highly-improved Frenchman – winner of the opening round in Mexico last month – walked away with a bruise on the right elbow and a limp left leg.
“Nothing was clear till the very end. I kept on thinking that he [Sherwood] was the better one. But it feels great to be winning here the second time,” Torres added.
The Spaniard was crowned champion in 2011 when the X-Fighters made a stop here for the first time. But since then, the 26-year-old has struggled with a few second places.
Pages vowed a strong comeback as the tour makes a stop in Glen Helen in the US next. “Obviously, I am disappointed as I could not show Dubai everything that I had in store. But I know that it is going to be more hard work preparing for Glen Helen next,” Pages said.
“In the past two weeks I have crashed five times and this is not a good feeling at all. But the idea is to continue the good work on the jumps and tricks and come even stronger.” The third round on the 2013 calendar will be held in Glen Helen, California, USA on May 10-11.
