Bikes instead of a wedding carriage: Red Bull Bike Night in Trieste saw an unprecedented marriage between two rival camps, namely BMX and mountain biking.
An alliance between AC Milan and Inter Milan, a snowboarder winning the Gröden downhill skiing event or a pizzeria serving up hamburgers: Italy isn't the only place where it's hard to imagine combinations like these. But sometimes reconciling two things that are poles apart can be a success – as the inaugural Red Bull Bike Night on July 7 in Trieste showed. The event saw BMX riders and mountain bikers – normally two rival disciplines – team up together to demonstrate tricks, style and showmanship on a street obstacle course in front of 15,000 spectators.First obstacle: an altar
Twenty riders from twelve countries lined up for the start in teams of two which – till fall us do part – were drawn in the wedding room of the Trieste registry office. The two-man teams, each comprising one mountain biker and one BMX rider, pitted themselves against one another during Friday night's qualifying and on Saturday night at the main event.
Four riders in first place
The two-night stand, sealed at the registry office, between BMX and mountain bike cultures, was a match made in heaven for two teams: The inaugural Red Bull Bike Night saw Tobias Wicke and Markus Beckedahl, the two Germans in the Wickeders Team, come in joint first with the Austro-British Dream Team, consisting of Senad Grosic and Lance McDermott.
Best tricks from an Italian
Independently of the overall ranking, a best trick session was contested and was dominated by the BMX riders. Italy's Stefan Lantschner came in first, ahead of Argentine Axel Jurgens. Overall winner Tobias Wicke finished third.
Senad Grosic
Lance McDermott
Red Bull Bike Night
