Never had anyone dared to mix these two perilous figures on the same freestyle motorcycle jump, but the Frenchman David Rinaldo did it: Saturday during a jump back, he made a full rotation of his body to win the race. Gold at the X Games in Minneapolis. Pure madness! In the best trick, Rinaldo created the feat in the US Bank Stadium, in front of an admiring public and taped professionals, simultaneously posing a backflip with a body varial (spin on yourself by letting go of the bike and catch it).
"It's crazy, I did not think I could do it so well, I'm really happy to get back on the bike like this, it's killing me," said the 29-year-old rider who won his first medal Gold at the X Games, the big annual event for extreme and alternative sports.
Can not even put it into words how far this sport has come !! David Rinaldo blew our minds today during @XGames Freestyle MotoX best trick !! Well deserved gold medal! pic.twitter.com/xVVgB0yvyR
- Mike Mason (@ Mike_Mason81) August 3, 2019"I just realized a kid's dream come here and have a medal, with the pride of showing everyone that it's feasible," added the Narbonnais, who had already created tricks but never of this magnitude. "Never did anyone turn around the bike in reverse, it's just crazy, I had my little five minutes right after you had this moment of madness where you put your thing, you you're alone in your bubble, you're really happy with yourself. "
A painstaking preparation
David Rinaldo - who discovered the bike at age 3 and a half before even riding a bike! - came to Minneapolis first and foremost to pose this figure. He has been working on it since February, not without difficulties when he fractured his ankle in May, requiring five weeks of immobilization. But the Blue caught on and killed the competition on Saturday with his trick as he was the first of the competitors to start.
Daddy of a 2-year-old boy, the 2013 world champion has dedicated his life to the freestyle bike since he was 14 years old, between competitions and performances in shows.