Urban downhill: Full throttle in South America - Fischi's Valparaiso Vlog
Urban downhilling has a long tradition. It started out as a freak event, morphed into a high-calibre Red Bull contest such as the City Downhill Lisbon (where Steve Peat dominated for years) in the early 2000s, the Cerro Abajo series was created in South America and urban downhilling almost became a World Cup series. In 2014, the World Cups were already announced in Valvariso (Chile), Lisbon, Paris, Bratislava and Santos, Brazil. But they never materialised.
So now: Cerro Abajo in Valpariso, Chile (1 to 3 March) and Guanajuato, Mexico (23 March). Red Bull will be broadcasting with top presenter Rob Warner on the mic. With him: Gasgas pilot Johannes "Fischi" Fischbach. He is our FREERIDE reporter in the truest sense of the word. Fischi is one of the favourites. Otherwise right at the front: "Urban legend" Tomas Slavic. Tomas came close to winning the series last year, but crashed. Hence "only" 3rd place for the Czech. Tomas has a score to settle and will give his all to win the series. But the competition from South America is particularly strong. This year, the final of the series will not take place in Medellin, Colombia, but in Genoa, Italy.
The video: Preparations
Day 1 in Valparaiso
FREERIDE photographer Lars Scharl and racer Johannes Fischbach have arrived.
The livestream will start on 3 March at 19:15.
Day 2 and 3 in Valparaiso
Yesterday, the drivers were able to walk the course for the first time, give feedback on the track and express safety concerns. A few sections were released for training. The final is already taking place today. From 19:15 redbull.tv will be broadcasting live.
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Don't miss it. The livestream starts today on Sunday at 19:15 on redbull.tv
Finale: The drama
Fischi qualifies in fifth place. Then the final: the South Americans take the lead. Then Fischi takes off. Just a few seconds after his start, Fischi turns into the stair bend, loses control and crashes headfirst onto the road. What a scary fall. Fischi stays down. The camera pans away and the course is closed.
After a few minutes, the race continues. Favourite Tomas Slavik makes a mistake. In the end, the Brazilian Lucas Borba stands at the top of the podium. Followed by local Felipe Agurto and Adrien Loron (FRA).
30 minutes after the fall, photographer Lars Scharl contacts us and gives the all-clear, at least for the worst-case scenario. Fischi is taken to hospital and given a full check-up.
Fischi reports back around four hours after the fall: "No fractures, all good," is how he summarises his stay in hospital. Incidentally, today, 4 March, is Fischi's birthday. There is probably no better present than surviving such a horror fall without serious injuries. All the best, Fischi. Follow Fischi on Instagram.
Here is the complete replay of the race:
Fischi's video of the final - with crash
Fischi got off lightly. The video shows the qualifying run and the final run with the horror crash. Here is Fischbach's assessment of the crash. Fischbach says: "I'm not the type to stay down after a crash... but at that moment I felt a really stupid pain in my back and neck...", says Fischbach in the video. More in the video.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
