Johannes Fischbach Wins the Bilbao City

It was a beginning of another hot sunny day in north Spain when 50 urban downhill riders tested Bilbao's race track in Parque Etxebarria, a hillside park with views looking over the city. Whether it was a dirt wallride, big drops, long stairsets or a bus gap, the Spanish course tested all riders' limits well. The crowd of more than ten thousand "oh'd" and "ah'd" whenever riders whizzed by, passing the near Nervión river at full speed in order to beat the clock. Qualification runs were dominated by New Zealander Matt Walker, but it was German Johannes Fischbach who emerged victorious from the battle in the end, claiming first Bilbao's gold.