Frenchman Tom Pages will be looking to extend his championship lead in the 2013 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour with a victory in the penultimate round of the season in Madrid on July 19 but Rob Adelberg, Dany Torres, Taka Higashino and Levi Sherwood are still in the title hunt and will be fighting to keep their hopes alive.

 

Tom Pages getting ready for a practice session – photo: Oscar Carrascosa/Red Bull Content Pool

Pages is leading the championship standings but Australia’s Rob Adelberg and local hero Dany Torres will be going all out to keep their title hopes alive with a victory and the 100 points up for grabs for the win at the most exciting freestyle motocross venue on the planet. Pages leads the world’s most prestigious FMX tour with 325 points while Adelberg in second (265 points) and Torres in third (245 points). Japan’s Take Higashino and defending champion Levi Sherwood of New Zealand could still win this year’s title as well with a strong showing in Madrid and in September’s season finale in Pretoria, South Africa.

Tom Pages stomping a big flair in practice – photo: Oscar Carrascosa/Red Bull Content Pool

Dany Torres with a huge double grab flip – photo: Oscar Carrascosa/Red Bull Content Pool

 Adam Jones in the pits – photo:  Daniel Grund/Red Bull Content Pool

Taka Higashino throwing down in practice – photo: Jorg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool

Clinton Moore’s YZ250 – photo: Daniel Grund/Red Bull Content Pool

Maikel Melero going big in the Bull Ring – photo: Oscar Carrascosa/Red Bull Content Pool

Aussies Josh Sheehan and Rob Adelberg talk it over in the pits – photo:  Jorg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

 Levi Sherwood’s Trick list – photo: Daniel Grund/Red Bull Content Pool

It has been a riveting Red Bull X-Fighters season with four different winners at each of the first four stops: Pages won the season opener in Mexico City, Torres won in Dubai, Adelberg won in Glen Helen, California and Higashino won at home in Osaka. Pages has been the epitome of consistency lately, the only rider this year to get on the podium at all four stops, which is particularly impressive when you consider how high concequence and risky most of his tricks are.  Adelberg, Torres and Higashino have however shown the Pages is nevertheless beatable despite his crowd-pleasing jumps such as the Flair, the Special Flip and the Volt.

 

Pages & Sheehan discuss the set-up – photo: Jorg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Clinton Moore prepping his YZ250 – photo: Jorg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Levi Sherwood chillin’ in the pits with his girlfriend – photo: Daniel Grund/Red Bull Content Pool

“It’s always special for me to ride in my own country, in the coolest Red Bull X-Fighters stop with the world’s best crowd,” said Torres, who won Madrid in 2011 and came a close second to Levi Sherwood last year at the Las Ventas bullring event watched by a frenzied crowd of 20,000. “I can’t wait to ride in Madrid.”

Dany Torres – photo: Sebas Romero/Red Bull Content Pool

Course building – photo: Jorg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Riders List Red Bull X-Fighters Madrid 2013:

– Levi Sherwood (NZL)

– Tom Pagès (FRA)

– Dany Torres (ESP)

– Javier Villegas (CHL)

– Clinton Moore (AUS)

– Todd Potter (USA)

– Josh Sheehan (AUS)

– Rob Adelberg (AUS)

– Taka Higashino (JPN)

– Maikel Melero (ESP)

– Adam Jones (USA)

– David Rinaldo (FRA)

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