After third place in 2008 and second place in 2009, Robbie “Maddo” Maddison will settle for nothing other than victory in this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour. The Australian FMX legend looks forward to second tour stop in Egypt and explains why this year it really is all about victory in the Red Bull X-Fighters.

So Robbie, how is your preparation for this year’s Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour stop in Egypt going?
I feel this year is going to be a good year. I learnt so much last year, so I just can’t wait to put it all into place and use up the energy I have now riding my bike. I rode pretty well at the opening event of the season in Mexico City, but with the event being cancelled due to the weather it is hard to know where I am compared with the other guys. The third place in Mexico means I already have some points on the board, and I am looking forward to really going for it in Egypt.

What did you learn last year?
I leant that I can’t do everything! I gave a lot of attention to the long-distance jumps and building jumps. The way I am going to ride better is by having a balance, deciding which jumps are the right ones to do and which aren’t. I need to free up my schedule because I spent too much time last year trying to fit in all these jumps, and that cost me a lot of time and concentrating just thinking about doing all these extra things.

The Red Bull X-Fighters rumour mill is churning away with whispers of you having developed some new tricks. What’s the deal?
It’s true. I worked a lot before the start of the season and have also been working hard since Mexico City. Eigo Sato showcased a new trick in Latin America, where rider and bike combine to form an airplane. I have been working on that and now have the trick pretty much dialled – I call it “Maddison Airlines”. I will also be showing a new Whip Flip and a special something I have developed for the Backflip.



You completed your final training session in front of the Great Sphinx in the desert just outside Cairo. Was the hot, dry desert wind and the sand a problem?
The bike worked really well. If course, it is a little different using natural sand dunes rather than kickers to take off and landing on moving sand rather than dirt, but the training was great fun and I had the chance to see one of the most amazing sunsets on the planet. It is an incredible combination: on one side you have the most populous city in Africa, on the other the seemingly endless desert.