Team FMX4EVER and the The Warsaw Night Ride
THE BIG(GER) ADVENTURE

It was supposed to be an adventure. Something really exciting. The Red Bull X-Fighter teaser jumps in the Polish Capital by team FMX4EVER. It turned out to be everything anyone expected and a lot more…

It all started out as a roadtrip for team FMX4EVER riders Jimmy Verburgh, Steven Stuyven and Gilles Dejong. The ultimate goal was the Warsaw Night Ride, a Teaser Event to promote Red Bull’s X-Fighters in Madrid on September 14. It was all that and a lot more, because after a perfect start of the road trip with a show in the German town of Radevormwald, Warsaw was the next stop… and that’s where disaster struck.

While the team members went with people of Red Bull Poland, the photographers and the film crew to look for good locations to do some surprise jumps in the city of Warsaw, the team van was stolen from the parking of their hotel. Not only did the new Mercedes Sprinter vanish, also the three bikes and (literally) a truckload of gear and material disappeared with it. Jimmy Verburghs team lost a total of 48.000 euro’s and on top of that, they were preparing for a spectacular series of unauthorised jumps in the centre of Warsaw… without bikes or gear.


Stoica doing a Bingo Bongo

“We were one and a half days prior to our scheduled jumps, and we were left there in Poland with only the clothes on our backs”, Jimmy Verburgh recalls. “But I didn’t want to give in. We are a professional team and we were committed to this Red Bull X-Fighter Teaser event and I was determined to do what we came to do. So I felt we had to do the jumps as agreed. No matter what. First, together with the Polish police, we checked out all the areas where the van could possibly have been taken to. Of course we found nothing. I slept for a few hours and then sent for a new van in Belgium, it arrived at 1 PM on the day of the event in Warsaw with three other bikes. Of course they weren’t set up for us, the suspension was off, the engine settings were different… it took some last minute preparation and a big heart to take those first jumps in the darkness of nocturnal Warsaw.”

Jimbo | Cordova

The Team FMX4EVER riders first jumped along one of the main canals of Warsaw as a warm up, and then pulled of their main Red Bull X-fighters promotional stunt. In 12 minutes the put up their ramps, did a series of impressive freestyle jumps just in front of the colossal Warsaw Palace of Culture, packed up their things and drove off before anyone could even come and ask what they were doing. “We got all our stuff stolen, but still did this impressive teaser event in front of the biggest historical building in Warsaw”, Jimmy Verburgh says. “It was cool and my team kept their commitment to Red Bull in spite of the setback with the robbery.”

The team drove back with the good feeling of having done what they came to do. And they ended in style with a big demo during the LG Action Sports World Tour in Berlin. Jimbo, Stoica and Gillette gave it their all in front of a huge crowd with the famous Brandenburger Gate in the background.

At the same time team riders Nick Franklin, Nick Dewit, Toby Immler and Chris Birch were entertaining a crowd of 50.000 during the ID&T techno and rave party in Mystery Land, Harlem, Holland. They did their backflips and other amazing tricks from ramps that were floating on rigs on a river. Ramps moving, landings moving and still doing those flips. Those guys too did more than just jump. Just like their collegues in Poland they got going when the going got tough. And finished a week that turned out to be a bigger adventure then anyone could have expected.

Stolen in Poland
1 Mercedes sprinter van
3 Honda CR 250 R 2006
1 set Haan wheels
1 spare pipe and 3 handlebars
1 Big box of spare parts for Honda and KTM
1 Pioneer navigation system
3 bike stands
3 Utopia sunglasess2 iPods

From the riders
Gilles’ and Steven’s Alpinestars Tech 10 boots, Utopia Goggles and Troy Lee Desings gear. Gilles’s TLD helmet, Steven’s Lazer helmet

Jimbo’s Ogio 9800 bag. 3 complete Troy Lee Designs gear sets, Lazer Helmet, Alpinestars Tech 6 boots, 3 sets Utopia goggles…

total 48.000 euro

+ Jimmy’s little black phonebook … priceless.

All help is welcome.

Greetings,

Fmx4ever.com