Pastrana Back on Top in Madrid

Kit Palmer | July 16, 2004

The following is a release from Red Bull-

MADRID, Spain – (July 15, 2004) – The whiz-kid of freestyle motocross triumphed in his first appearance at the third annual Red Bull X-Fighters in Spain’s biggest and oldest bullfighting arena. Travis Pastrana wowed the jury and 23,000 fans while the Superman Backflip by his American colleague Nate Adams was a world première.

On the night of July 15th, eight of the world’s best freestyle motocrossers transformed Spain’s oldest and largest bullring into a freestyle funny farm – with 23,000 fans cheering them on, four Americans and four Europeans set off a fireworks display of the most daring stunts.

The two 20-year-old Americans wrote FMX history this evening as Pastrana and Adams delivered the undisputed highlights of a spectacular evening: Pastrana’s Flatspin 360, Nac-Nac Backflip and Can-Can Backflip were the first of their kind on European soil, and his Grandstand Jump from the Crowd to Backflip on the Dirt Lip with a No Hander Landing and his No Hander Backflip impressed both the judges, which included “Mad” Mike Jones, and the 23,000 enthusiastic fans. And in the three-rider final, Nate Adams scored a notable world première by pulling off the first Superman Backflip in FMX competition.

The duel between Europe and the USA was clearly dominated by the Americans: Travis Pastrana landed in front of Nate Adams, Ronnie Renner and Mike Metzger. Fifth place went to the best European, the Spanish national hero Edgar Torronteras, who was followed by England’s Kris Brock, Spain’s Dani Torres and Italy’s Stefano Minguzzi.

FINAL RESULTS

RED BULL X-FIGHTERS 2004

1. Travis Pastrana-USA

2. Nate Adams-USA

3. Ronnie Renner-USA

4. Mike Metzger-USA

5. Edgar Torronteras-ESP

6. Kris Brock-UK

7. Dani Torres-ESP

8. Stefano Minguzzi-ITA

Kit Palmer | Off-Road Editor

Kit Palmer started his career at Cycle News in 1984 and he’s been testing dirt and streetbikes every since – plus covering any event that uses some form of a knobby tire. He’s also our resident motorcycle mileage man with a commute of 120 miles a day.