(pics: Markus Greber, Stefan Hunziker, Yorrick Carroux)

45,000 spectators crammed into Nuremberg for the final of the District Ride series. The event is now split across two weekends, the first in Catania, Sicily on 15/16 July, and the final last weekend (4/5 August).

A longer course, bigger obstacles and more creative lines pushed the 21 invited riders from around the world to their limits. Brit Gee Atherton put in a great ride to grab 6th place but it was last man down, Cameron McCaul who most convinced the judges. A barrel roll, bar spin, nofooted cancan, another barspin, a 360, another barrel roll, another 360, another barspin followed by yet another 360, an indian air seatgrab, a nofooted cancan with a tailwhip, completed his winning ride. First place in the bag and a not-so-unreasonable €6,500 prize.

Paul Basagoitia, winner in Catania, also rode strongly, and took the overall series title. To say he was happy with his prize of a brand new Ford pickup truck would be an understatement: “I can hardly believe it. I am absolutely stoked! The truck is killing it! I didn’t dare to even think about winning the car before the contest.”

The great thing about the District Ride was that it takes place in a city centre, bringing mountain biking to the masses. It’s a lot easier to get a big crowd if you take the event to the people rather than trying to get all the people to the event. The District Ride format involves a course built to take advantage of the location, so pre-existing features like steps, banks and walls are combined with specially-constructed ramps, ladders and the like. The course is divided into “districts”, which you can think of as being like sections in a trials comp. Points are awarded for tricks, style and the ever-evasive “flow”.

Nuremberg was split into six districts. First riders navigated through the drop district, with the choice of a big castle wall drop or the Marzocchi quarter pipe. Next up, downtown district with box jumps and a rail drop. This led into the wing district, where riders could make full use of a couple of mini-ramps to get some impressive airtime. Street district suited the urban riders taking part, before the Step up’n’ Down district with a curved wallride and a the big BRAUN-sponsored box. A catwalk linked this section with the final section, the dirt district. A line of huge dirt jumps gave the riders no excuse for pulling some final sick moves.

Full results

• 1. Cameron McCaul 34,1
• 2. Paul Basagoitia 32,3
• 3. Darren Berrecloth 30,7
• 4. Kyle Strait 28,3
• 5. Andreu Lacondeguy 27,8
• 6. Gee Atherton 26,8
• 7. Timo Pritzel 26,1
• 8. Adam Hauck 24,2
• 9. Amir Kabbani 23,7
• 10. Lance McDermott 17

www.redbulldistrictride.com for more.