MADRID (ESP). It was 100% action right from the start for the famously fanatical Madrid fans – equipped as always with chainsaw motors and tens of thousands of traditional white handkerchiefs – as Charles Pagès (FRA) used the opening jump of the night to try to become the first ever rider to land a frontflip on a motocross bike. Despite having his 100 kg bike under control for the whole rotation, the Frenchman was unlucky two come up slightly short on both his attempts.

Local FMX matador Torres threw down a spectacular run in his Semi Final to convince the judges and leave his opponent, America’s Jeremy Stenberg, with no chance as he advanced to the Final. There, the 22-year-old from Seville came up against the winner of the previous X-Fighters event in Texas, Nate Adams (USA), who had himself eliminated Tower Bridge conqueror Robbie Maddison in their Semi Final.

Cameron Sinclair crashed hard in the quarter finals and was brought to hospital.

Following the first European stop of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour 2009, Nate Adams (USA) has taken over the lead in the overall standings with 225 points, ten ahead of the previous leader Eigo Sato (JPA), who could only manage ninth place in Madrid. The Japanese rider is closely followed by Mat Rebeaud (SUI) and Robbie Maddison (AUS), equal on 210 points.

The final stop of the international FMX tour takes place at London’s Battersea Power Station on 22 August 2009.

Photographs available free of charge for editorial use only: Joerg Mitter, Balazs Gardi, Juan Medina, Chris Pondella und Daniel Kolodin for Global-Newsroom.