Red Bull Crashed Ice hits Netherlands for second stop in Valkenburg

February 6, 2012

This weekend saw the second stop of the Red Bull Crashed Ice series touch down in Valkenburg in the Netherlands.

Canadian firefighter Kyle Croxall got his second straight win of the season in the ice cross downhill world championship race in Valkenburg, in the Netherlands, on Saturday. In the Red Bull Crashed Ice final, Croxall defeated Germany’s rising star, Fabian Mels, Finland’s Paavo Klintrup and brother Scott to take a firm grip on the 2012 championship. With two competitions down and two more to go, the next stop is Are, Sweden, in two weeks.

Canadian Kyle Croxall struggled through training and was a dismal 17th place in qualifying in the southern Holland town of Valkenburg, where the longest and most difficult Ice Cross Downhill track in the history of Red Bull Crashed Ice was built in recent weeks. He was not among the favorites before the race on the 575-meter long artificial ice track with its steep ramps and challenging obstacles and trailed behind Kilian Braun of Switzerland, the fastest qualifier, and his younger brother Scott. But the 23-year-old Kyle Croxall, a bull of a man weighing 97 kg, came out on top once again with a stirring come-from-behind victory. After knocking defending world champion Arttu Pihlainen out in the semi-finals, Croxall was the only one of four finalists to stay on his feet in the final. The next race takes place in Are, Sweden on Feb. 17-18.

The Canadian stayed close on the heels of Mels in a high-speed final and took advantage of his chance when the towering German stumbled late in the race. The 21-year-old from Cologne is the shooting star of the 2012 season and nevertheless moved into second place in the championship with his first career podium. Finland’s Paavo Klintrup, an outstanding jumper, took third while Scott Croxall was fourth after breaking a skate blade in the final.

“I wanted to win this more than anyone else,” said Kyle Croxall. Local hero Glenn Bakx (NED) took 26th place. Racers accelerated to over 70 km/h on the track. The start ramp featured a 7-meter drop. Pieter Gysel of Belgium, a former Olympic short tracker, finished a strong 23rd, while the usually strong Czech team disappointed with Lukas Kolc as their best on 19th.