On Saturday night, 11 riders from 6 nations stormed the Bavarian capital for the sixth Night of the Jumps, which also counts as the 3rd round of the European FMX Championship for 2016. But the night didn’t only belong to the two wheel daredevils, with the Austrian Gerhard Mayr bringing the first backflip in a 650kg buggy to Munich in front of 10,000 spectators.
For the local derby the two German Ackermann brothers went at it. Older brother Hannes was the fourth rider in the qualification round to start, showing his Egg Roll, Hart Attack Flip and 360 Nac-Nac. But it was his Volt in the Double-Up which would have been a safe bet to see him in the final, saw him crashing hard and ending his tournament dreams. His younger brother Luc, wearing the jersey of the new Ice Hockey Champions team, the EHC Munchen team, which helped move the 18 year old with his 360 Flair and Surfer Tsunami Flip into the final round in 5th place.
David Rinaldo shocked the Munich crowd and the judges when he unleashed two new tricks in qualification. First he brought the Dead Body Flip under the Olympic Halle roof, then directly into the Lazyboy Flip. Although he didn’t show a body varial he ended in first place after the preliminary round. He was followed by Remi Bizouard in second and Libor Podmol in third. Reigning World Champion Maikel Melero was in fourth position and Leonardo Fini brought his new California Roll to make it to 6th position and sneak into the finals.
After a long injury, Marc Pinyol returned to NIGHT of the JUMPs, however the little Spaniard had some small mistakes including a flip deadsailor and not completing the Cliffhanger Flip. But Pinyol was able to console himself fairly quickly as in a heartbeat the LifeProof Bes Whip finals were starting and he was clearly the winner with bigger whips against Remi Bizouard and Luc Ackermann in the final. The Maxxis Highest Air trophy went again to Jose Miralles with 8.50 metres.
After Leo Fini showed a solid run to open the final 6 riders, he was followed by Luc Ackermann who brought a blistering display of tricks to the Olympic Halle. The 18 year old German, almost home-town kid, built upon his cracking qualification run by bringing two extra tricks, with the Egg Roll and the California Roll. With 374 points it was enough for him to take the hot seat.
For the first time in 10 Night of the Jumps competitions, the reigning World Champion, Maikel Melero wasn’t able to oust the other riders. With a crash on his first trick, the Egg Roll, it was an uncharacteristic mistake which saw him knocked out of the race.
Libor Podmol was firing on all cylinders, bringing the California Roll and his own style of Egg Roll which is like a 360, plus the Cliffhanger Flip, LP Roll, Supercan Flip and Surfer Tsunami Flip plus the Volt, he earned a whopping 414 points. He pushed Ackermann from the thrown and then held onto it for the rest of the night.
It wasn’t made easier with three-time World Champion, Remi Bizouard coming up next. Even with a clean Egg Roll, he didn’t do his Volt body varial and it cost him dearly in points. He ended up behind the younger German rider to finish in fourth place. Rinaldo also wasn’t able to catch Podmol. Even with his Deadbody Flip, Lazyboy Flip, One hand take off Seat Grab Flip and California Roll, it was only enough for 404 points and second place.
Luc Ackermann finished in 3rd place, taking his first podium result of the season and fourth in the overall European Freestyle MX Championship. Overall Melero still leads with 54 points and Remi Bizouard with 44 points.
The final of the European FMX Championships will take place in exactly one month at the Night of the Jumps event in Mannheim, Germany (May 21, 2016 – SAP Arena).
The actual issue of FIM Europe MAG is online and can be downloaded here.
