Monthly Archives: June 2017

Featured, Global News, Motorsports, WRC

FIA World Rally Championship / Orlen 74th Rally Poland / Thierry Neuville leads three-car fight

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Courtesy of WRC Media Service

Thierry Neuville (BEL), Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) perform during the FIA World Rally Championship 2017 in Mikolajki, Poland on June 29, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Belgian leads Orlen 74th Rally Poland amid a thrilling battle on sodden roads.

Driving a Hyundai i20, Thierry Neuville headed Ott Tänak’s Ford Fiesta by 1.3sec, with Jari-Matti Latvala a further 5.3sec behind in a Toyota Yaris.

All three led during the first full day of this eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship as heavy rain and mud provided little grip on the sandy tracks.

The early starters fared best this morning as they churned up the soft gravel in their wake. The roles were reversed this afternoon as they ploughed through water-filled ruts and thick sludge to leave a quicker line for those behind.

Neuville quickly relegated Elfyn Evans, who won last night’s curtain-raising speed test, despite clipping a bank. Latvala shrugged off the handicap of broken windscreen wipers to edge ahead and finish the morning with a 4.5sec advantage, the biggest lead of the day.

Ott Tanak (EST), Martin Jarveoja (EST) perform during the FIA World Rally Championship 2017 in Mikolajki, Poland on June 29, 2017 – Photographer Credit:
Ivo Kivistik / Red Bull Content Pool

He was less confident as conditions changed and Tänak deposed him, but the Estonian’s reign at the top was brief. A charging Neuville won two consecutive speed tests, taking his tally to four, to regain top spot.

Tänak missed a junction and stalled his engine this morning, while an over-cautious Latvala was unhappy with the set-up of his Yaris in the afternoon mud.

Sébastien Ogier was in the thick of the fight early on. As road opener he endured the worst of the afternoon conditions and slipped to fourth, 35.1sec off the lead and ending the day with a smashed windscreen.

Sebastien Ogier (FRA), Julien Ingrassia (FRA) perform during the FIA World Rally Championship 2017 in Mikolajki, Poland on June 30, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Hayden Paddon was a risk-free fifth, the Kiwi closing on Ogier all afternoon in his i20. The gap was 4.5sec. Team-mate Dani Sordo hated the inconsistent grip but was sixth, despite a stall and a spin.

Esapekka Lappi was the only major retirement. He was fifth when he damaged the front right suspension after cutting a corner.

Saturday’s longest leg packs almost 145km into nine stages, journeying north towards the border with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. Four stages are driven twice either side of service, before a final test at Mikolajki Arena.

Leading positions:
1. T Neuville / N Gilsoul BEL Hyundai i20 56min 21.2sec
2. O Tänak / M Jarveöja EST Ford Fiesta + 1.3sec
3. J-M Latvala / M Anttila FIN Toyota Yaris + 6.6sec
4. S Ogier / J Ingrassia FRA Ford Fiesta + 35.1sec
5. H Paddon / S Marshall NZL Hyundai i20 + 39.6sec
6. D Sordo / M Marti ESP Hyundai i20 + 51.7sec

Thierry Neuville (BEL), Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) perform during the FIA World Rally Championship 2017 in Mikolajki, Poland on June 29, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
Adventure, Culture, Featured, Freestyle MX, Global News, Moto, Motorsports

Sherwood seals world first trick

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Courtesy of Red Bull Newsroom

Levi Sherwood performs a double back flip no hander at his FMX training track in Palmerston North, New Zealand on May 15, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool

Kiwi motocross rider lands world first FMX bike no-hander double backflip.

Levi Sherwood may be known as the ‘Rubber Kid’ but the Kiwi motocross rider has stretched the realms of possibility with the first landed FMX no-hander double backflip.

The 25-year-old pulled off the feat at his riding compound in Palmerston North, in New Zealand, a trick he first attempted simply because he was bored.

Now the question is whether he plans to put his new creation into his competition repertoire at next week’s Red Bull X-Fighters in Madrid.

Levi Sherwood is seen prior to practice a double backflip at his FMX training track in Palmerston North, New Zealand on May 15, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool

Of being the first to land the no-hands double backflip, Sherwood said: “It’s a big day for me, I’ve landed a trick that no one in the world has ever landed.

“Three months ago I started practising a double backflip, which was really out of my comfort zone, then I got bored with that and I really wanted to push myself to a no hander double backflip.

“It took me a while to get both hands to release off the bars but, once they came off, it was easy from there.”

Sherwood, who has been practising at home with a specialised airbag to gain confidence with his range of tricks, is in good competition from having sealed the FMX competition at the recent Nitro World Games with a double backflip.

Levi Sherwood performs a double back flip into the airbag at his FMX training track in Palmerston North, New Zealand on May 15, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool

And he knows he will need to pull some tricks out the bag – potentially without his hands – to celebrate further glory in Madrid.

“The last couple of years at Red Bull X-Fighters I’ve been a bit off the pace,” he said, “so I am really going to be pushing hard to get on the podium this year.

“If I go there with new tricks I have recently landed, and execute them the same way I execute all of my other tricks, I will be in with a good chance.

Watch it live!

Red Bull X-Fighters Madrid will broadcast live on redbullxfighters.com and Red Bull TV at 10 pm CET on July 7th. Red Bull TV is available on connected TVs, gaming consoles, mobile devices and more. For a full list of supported devices, visit www.redbull.tv/apps.

Levi Sherwood performs a double back flip no hander into the bag at his FMX training track in Palmerston North, New Zealand on May 15, 2017 –
Photographer Credit:
Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool