For the third consecutive year, Chris Pfeiffer on his BMW F 800 R claimed the Indoor World Cup, which was decided at the the Swiss-Moto Exhibition in Zurich on Sunday 22, February 2009.
In second and third places, two Hungarians: Balasz Herzceg and Zoltan Angyal.
The reigning double world champion and title defender Chris Pfeiffer was favourite again, but a debilitating flu made the first day of training agony: he spent more time on the toilet than on his motorcycle.
At that time, even for him to participate was in question.
As the training showed, the competition from Europe and overseas had really increased/improved, so an easy title defence for Pfeiffer was in doubt.
During the first qualification round on Saturday, he was forced to drop a number of physically challenging tricks from his routine and was only ranked third“I had to use a few hot tricks from my repertoire, because I just wasn’t feeling fit enough and this was sufficient to keep the leadership within reach.
” After a large slab of original Swiss chocolate as a homeopathic remedy and in much better form, the 38-year-old managed the second qualification round more successfully, winning with the best marks for the round and for the day as a whole.
At the same time, also took the lead in the overall ranking prior to Sunday’s final.
On Sunday, as the last of 16 semi-finalists, Pfeiffer entered the 50 x 15 meter action area, which had been covered with 70 tons of asphalt, ready to show his tricks.
However, two minutes into the four-minute round he crashed doing a one handed sharp angled wheelie which he invented the fell during a “Touch-Ground-Circle”, a move he invented himself involving a one-handed sharp-angled wheelie.
Nonetheless, Pfeiffer managed to complete the round and, despite losing points, still went on to the final as one of the ten best competitors.
Chris Pfeiffer: “Apparently I turned too dynamically in to the circle wheelie and, with an angle of over 45 degrees, my back wheel started to judder, I lost grip and fell over.
The return spring on the footplate broke off, which also caused me some difficulty in the rest of the round.
”The final provided one of the most impressive demonstrations of Pfeiffer’s ability.
Here he used his modified F 800 R to go through his entire repertoire of motorcycle tricks with the smoothness and precision of a Swiss watch.
Once again achieving the best result of the day and the five judges gave him the day’s best score, and for the third consecutive time, became Indoor World Champion for Stunt Riding.
“I was quiet before the finals started and just happy that I had the chance to do it all again.
The mood here at the Swiss-Moto was amazing, so I just went for it.
When I stopped my BMW F 800 R and waited for the scoring, I knew already that this would be enough.
When I saw the confirmation of the judges, I was overjoyed.
Under these conditions, it was certainly my toughest of all three World Cup titles, so I enjoyed it all the more “said Pfeiffer.
Chris Pfeiffer has dominated the stunt riding scene since 2003, and this success is another part of this saga.
Nevertheless, the innovative motorcyclist from Allgau, is retreating a little from the competition circus: “I’ve repeatedly won everything that there is to win, and it will be time soon to leave it to others.
I myself am also increasingly involved in photos, video projects and want to take care of my just released DVD “Stunting for Life”, which was only a prelude.
” “I will keep working away at the endless limits of the sport and will be at the forefront of the more progressive side of it.
Stunt riding is a freestyle sport, and can be expressed in many different ways ” said Chris Pfeiffer cryptically, after his triumph.
