Team USA Wins and Ties Team Point Standings
AURORA, Ill. (May 15, 2006) – Team USA was victorious Saturday evening at the second of three stops on the Hardcore Freestyle Motocross tour at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland. The win tied the team standings for the series with one event left. Fans can follow television coverage of the Hardcore Freestyle Motocross exclusively on Eurosport, Europe’s leading sports media platform, in one-hour programs of the energy-packed events.
In the Team Europe vs. Team USA format, it was USA’s Beau Bamburg that out-performed Team Europe and guided the Americans to victory in front of the packed Hartwall Areena crowd. However, the event did not unfold without some amazing drama.
Heading into the event, Team Europe led Team USA by one win. Team USA had their backs to the wall and competed without two of their top riders, Mike Mason and Dustin Miller, while Derek Berlew rode with an injured knee. Mason, who swept all three individual competitions at the opening event of the series in Antwerp, Belgium, also led the individual point standings. Stepping into these vacated spots of the American team were 2006 IFMA Freestyle Motocross champion Beau Bamburg and Suzuki freestyle team rider Jeff Banks.
Before the enthusiastic crowd at Hartwall Areena, Bamburg won all three categories – the whip, freestyle run and the doubles contest – and threw down several back flip combinations. A few of the big tricks were a back flip-nac, whip-flip, back flip-heel clicker and a McMetz to put Team USA ahead 235-230 on Saturday.
“These riders are amazing,