Seven nations to hit Cockatoo Island
The final of Red Bull X-Fighters will be held at Cockatoo Island on October 6, and four Aussies will be showcasing their FMX waresTwelve of the world’s best freestyle motocross riders will bring style, flair and excitement to Sydney’s highly-anticipated Red Bull X-Fighters finale at Cockatoo Island on October 6.
Seven nationalities are represented on the official rider list, which reads as a who’s who of the action sport’s elite.
The host country will field four athletes, each with a chance at taking out top spot.
Defending Sydney Champion Josh Sheehan (WA) makes his long-awaited return from injury, and is joined on the list by Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams (VIC), Rob Adelberg (VIC) and two-times X Games gold medalist Jackson ‘Jacko’ Strong (NSW).
The title race is deadlocked between New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood and Frenchman Thomas Pages.
Sherwood, nicknamed ‘The Rubber Kid’, brings flexibility and flair to the table, and with two wins to his name in 2012, will be a favourite to take out Tour honours.
Pages is a perennial X-Fighters front-runner but has stepped up his game in 2012, moving to the equal lead with Sherwood after a spectacular win in Germany.
Spain’s Dany Torres, the 2011 Champion and the rider with the most Red Bull X-Fighters starts to his name (30), comes to the competition as a serious threat to the leaders.
Torres is only 50 points shy of Sherwood and Pages, and with 100 points up for grabs for a win, a come-from-behind feat is not impossible.
Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Japan, Chile and the USA are all represented on the official rider list.
2012 Red Bull X-Fighters Sydney -- Official Rider List
1. Dany Torres (Spain) KTM?
2. Blake Williams (Australia) KTM
3. Eigo Sato (Japan) Yamaha?
4. Thomas Pages (France) Yamaha
5. Levi Sherwood (New Zealand) KTM
6. Todd Potter (USA) Honda
7. Javier Villegas (Chile) Yamaha?
8. Josh Sheehan (Australia) Honda?
9. Jackson Strong (Australia) Yamaha
10. Maikel Melero (Spain) KTM?
11. Rob Adelberg (Australia) Yamaha?
12. Taka Higashino (Japan) Yamaha?
Limited tickets to Red Bull X-Fighters are still available, starting at $69.00 (plus booking fee) including ferry transfers. Go to: www.ticketek.com.au/xfighters.
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