After third place in 2008 and second place in 2009, Robbie “Maddo” Maddison will settle for nothing other than victory in this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour. The Australian FMX legend looks forward to second tour stop in Egypt and explains why this year it really is all about victory in the Red Bull X-Fighters.
So Robbie, how is your preparation for this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour stop in Egypt going?
I feel this year is going to be a good year. I learnt so much last year, so I just can’t wait to put it all into place and use up the energy I have now riding my bike. I rode pretty well at the opening event of the season in Mexico City, but with the event being cancelled due to the weather it is hard to know where I am compared with the other guys. The third place in Mexico means I already have some points on the board, and I am looking forward to really going for it in Egypt.
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What did you learn last year?
I leant that I can’t do everything! I gave a lot of attention to the long-distance jumps and building jumps. The way I am going to ride better is by having a balance, deciding which jumps are the right ones to do and which aren’t. I need to free up my schedule because I spent too much time last year trying to fit in all these jumps, and that cost me a lot of time and concentrating just thinking about doing all these extra things.
The Red Bull X-Fighters rumour mill is churning away with whispers of you having developed some new tricks. What’s the deal?
It’s true. I worked a lot before the start of the season and have also been working hard since Mexico City. Eigo Sato showcased a new trick in Latin America, where rider and bike combine to form an airplane. I have been working on that and now have the trick pretty much dialled – I call it “Maddison Airlines”. I will also be showing a new Whip Flip and a special something I have developed for the Backflip.
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You completed your final training session in front of the Great Sphinx in the desert just outside Cairo. Was the hot, dry desert wind and the sand a problem?
The bike worked really well. If course, it is a little different using natural sand dunes rather than kickers to take off and landing on moving sand rather than dirt, but the training was great fun and I had the chance to see one of the most amazing sunsets on the planet. It is an incredible combination: on one side you have the most populous city in Africa, on the other the seemingly endless desert.
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