Four former champions in Mexico City for 10 year anniversary

MEXICO CITY (Mexico) – Marking 10 years since the first Red Bull X-Fighters first lit up the nighttime sky above the sold out Monumental Plaza de Toros bullring in Mexico City with 38,000 frenzied fans, the 2015 season opener of the world’s most prestigious freestyle motocross championship is shaping up into yet another Battle Royale. The world’s best FMX riders – including former World Tour championsTom Pagès of France (2013), Levi Sherwood of New Zealand (2012), Spain’s Dany Torres (2011) and Switzerland’s Mat Rebeaud (2008) – are hungry for a victory and will be bringing spectacular new tricks perfected during the off-season for the appreciative Mexican crowd.

The tight course in the breathtaking bullring and the 2,240-meter high altitude in Mexico City add an extra challenge to the freestyle motocross elite as they perform their dazzling tricks off their airborne dirt bikes as they fly up to 15 meters high and up to 30 meters in distance. But they will once again be cheered on to ever more exciting tricks by the enthusiastic fans, who will be seeing the action for the eighth time since its debut in Mexico City in 2005.

Sherwood’s win in Mexico City in 2009 made him the youngest Red Bull X-Fighters winner ever at age 17 and he also won last year’s season opener here. Pagès took first place in Mexico in 2013, paving the way for his championship run. Rebeaud also won two times already, in 2006 and 2008 to start his world tour title run with a win in Mexico City and Spaniard Torres won in 2007. Reigning Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour champion Josh Sheehan of Australia will miss the first competition this year but will be back for the next four stops in an attempt to defend his title.