LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – In Red Bull Crashed Ice action it was a topsy-turvy team competition. The Ice Cross Downhill championship battle in Lausanne got off to a riveting start with the hard-fought Team Competition on Friday with a Canadian-German team called the International Gladiators coming from behind to beat Switzerland’s Swatch ProTeam in a spill-filled final watched by thousands of spectators.

Red Bull Crashed Ice – Team Canada in Third

Canada’s Living the Dream took third place ahead of Saturday’s individual competition in the fourth of five races in the 2012/13 Red Bull Crashed Ice season.[sws_pullquote_right]A thrilling Team Competition battle featuring the world’s best Ice Cross Downhill athletes excited a big crowd of Lausanne spectators on Friday to kick off the weekend of Red Bull Crashed Ice racing ahead of Saturday’s individual finals on the shores of Lake Geneva. [/sws_pullquote_right]

Kilian Braun was leading his Swatch ProTeam to what appeared to be a victory as he mastered the first half of the treacherous 450-meter long obstacle-filled track with jumps, bumps and hair-pin turns on its 50 meter descent from the 15th century Chateau Saint-Maire castle down into the heart of Lausanne. But the Swiss ace stumbled late in the race and Canada’s Kyle Croxall zipped into the lead with his teammates Fabian Mels (GER) holding on to third and Coleton Haywood (CAN) taking fourth. 

Lausanne March 2013 Red Bull Crashed Ice by netnewsledger

It was the first Team Competition victory this year for the International Gladiators but it helped the Canada-German trio move into first place in the overall team standings with 2400 points ahead of the season finale on March 16 in Quebec City, Canada. Swatch ProTeam, which won the season opener in Niagara Falls, is second with 2250 points and Living the Dream is third on 2100 points after winning in Saint Paul, Minnesota.