Brits Woodcock & Preston race the ADAC Supercross Dortmund – starting tonight!
The first laps on the 300-metre-long track in the Westfalenhalle have been completed and from tonight the ADAC Supercross Dortmund will literally be on! For the 39th time, Germany’s largest Supercross event will take place in the Ruhr metropolis. The riders were already able to get a first impression of the track yesterday: During demo laps, the stars of the scene took the track under their wheels for the first time and attested to the high tension factor of this year’s layout. For fans and visitors, the spectacle starts on Friday evening. Tickets are still available for Friday and Sunday at the box offices; Saturday evening has been sold out for weeks.
Words & Images: Dortmund Supercross
“It’s always a great pleasure for me to come to Germany and race,” says last year’s winner Jordi Tixier. “You’re only king for one year and you never know what the next year will be. I’m ready for the races here in Dortmund and I’m really looking forward to three exciting days.” In the SX1 class, Frenchman Tixier will then meet Dylan Wills, among others. The Australian is competing in Dortmund for the first time and is also full of anticipation: “I arrived on Monday with my fiancée. Then I don’t have any problems with jet lag. I didn’t even know that the hall is right next to the football stadium. As a child, I was a big football fan and we visited it and stocked up on merchandising,” says the Australian. “There are some fast guys here and I’m excited to see how I will do in my first race in Europe. My goal is to finish in the top five every night.”
Jordi Tixier is the reigning King of Dortmund
Paul Haberland has similar goals. He is the only German rider competing in the top class and is accordingly motivated: “I’ve been training diligently for the last few weeks. T
he SX1 is already a tough board and there are world-class riders at the start. For me as a part-time Supercrosser, it’s really hard sometimes, but it’s nice to be able to ride with them.” The 23-year-old has big plans for Supercross Dortmund: “If I make it to the final on all three days, then I’ll have achieved my goal. A lot can happen in the final itself and it’s important to get off to a good start. I feel very comfortable on the bike and I’m going to do my best.”
In the SX2 class, local hero Ben Gosepath from Essen, Nico Koch and Paul Bloy, among others, will be at the start. The competition, as in the SX1, is extremely strong. “From the first training session you have a lot of pressure. There is no such thing as a button,” explains Gosepath. Due to fewer training opportunities, the German pilots are often at a disadvantage compared to the strong competition from other countries. “Things went quite well at my home game in Stuttgart and now I’m looking forward to Dortmund. I prepared well, together with a few other guys,” says Paul Bloy.
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Track Map:
The ADAC Supercross Dortmund is one of the highlights of the sports year and Jürgen Hieke, board member for sports at ADAC Westfalen, sums up the enthusiasm for the event, which is typical of the Ruhr area: “We are hot as frying fat.” Hieke knows what he’s talking about, because he was already there at the first event in 1983 as a salesman for program booklets and has followed the development of Supercross Dortmund up close for almost four decades. “I still know the world of boards. This was followed by the first events on clay soil, which was a highlight and still is today.” As Board Member for Sport, Hieke naturally also has an eye on racing: “Tixier as defending champion and Greg Aranda as winner in Stuttgart will certainly deliver a thrilling fight. Fans can look forward to plenty of action. Personally, I don’t care who wins. The main thing is that we put on a good race and put on a great show.”
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