Freestyle: Red Bull X-Fighters Preview - Madrid (Video)

Red Bull Media Press Release:

Australia's Clinton Moore, the 2015 world champion, will be back in the air battling in the famous bullring against three-time Madrid winner Tom Pagès of France as well as a field packed with former champions and legends of the sport hungry to win the one and only Red Bull X-Fighters event in 2016. Red Bull X-Fighters is the world's most prestigious FMX competition where riders perform gravity-defying tricks off their motorcycles in midair off their bikes while launching themselves at speed off jumps for up to 30 meters in distance and up to 15 meters in height.

The Red Bull X-Fighters stop in Madrid has long been celebrated as the world's premier FMX event as enthusiastic crowds cheering the riders on to even greater new tricks each year. Their stunning performances have set the trend for the sport around the world. The first-ever backflip, for example, was performed in Madrid. Pagès has sent the huge crowds into successive frenzies with three straight victories and his deep bag of amazing tricks, some of which he created especially for Madrid. Las Ventas is also always one of the world's most formidable FMX tracks with riders shooting out of the bullfighting ring's labyrinth of tunnels into the packed stadium to perform breathtaking trips off their bikes to the roars of the crowds.

Some of the greatest FMX riders the sport has ever known have tried to win over the knowledgeable and appreciative Madrid crowds with their incredibly creative and daring jumps. Travis Pastrana (USA) has also won Madrid three times but not consecutively like Pagès while Dany Torres (ESP) has won the most important stop of the year twice. Other winners in Madrid include Robbie Maddison (AUS), Levi Sherwood (NZL), Mat Rebeaud (SUI), Nate Adams (USA), Kenny Bartram (USA) and Edgar Torronteras (ESP). The event will be judged by legends of the sport. Former champions and Madrid winners competing include: Australia's Josh Sheehan (2014), Pagès (2013), Sherwood (2012) and Torres (2011).

With a special new format in Madrid, the event will also give two "Novilleros", a term for an aspiring young bullfighting in Spain getting their first taste of the ring, to compete in the action. The "Novilleros" can win a spot in the competition by sending in a video of their best tricks. The public will have the chance to select by popular vote the first "Novillero" and the Red Bull X-Fighters sport committee will select the second newcomer. Candidates can submit their tricks starting on April 14 and voting begins immediately.

The competition kicks off on Thursday, June 23 with a qualifying session, which will define three groups of four riders who will compete in a "Jam Session". An additional new feature at the "Jam Session" when riders perform their own series of tricks will be a roulette round -- each group will spin a roulette with the names of established tricks from the sport's rich history and all four riders in the ground will have to spontaneously perform that trick.

The best two riders of each of the three "Jam Sessions" will advance to the three Semi Final rounds. In the Semi Final, the top six riders will battle it out head to head against the winners of the three groups advancing to the Final 3.

The competitors:

Red Bull X-Fighters Madrid will broadcast live HERE.

For more information: www.redbullxfighters.com