News: Rasoulution 2008 Season Review

This year, Adam Hauck (USA), Benny Korthaus (GER), Darren Pokoj (AUS), Roger Rinderknecht (CH), Trond Hansen (NOR) as well as Andreu and Lluis Lacondeguy (ESP) proved to be part of the worldwide mountain biking elite. Great contest results were only one aspect of the amazing season they had.

The rasoulution-athletes attended contests worldwide including the Nissan Qashqai Challenge series, the Kokanee Crankworx, the Teva Mountain Games, the BMX-Race discipline of the Olympic Games, the 4X World Championships, the Bearclaw Invitational, the Nissan White Style, the Vienna Air King, the Anti Days of Thunder and the Red Bull Bike Night. A lot of filming, shootings and sessions with their buddies all over the world filled the time in between.

For 2008, Roger Rinderknecht focused on the BMX training in order to qualify for the Olympics in Beijing. He was one of the 32 pro riders that had the honor to introduce BMX in the Olympics. After some fast races in the quarters, Roger crashed in one of his semi runs. He ended up with a 14th place. The only mountain bike competition that he attended in 2008 was the 4X World Championships where he impressively won the second place. Roger is still on the schedule to attend the 2008 4X World Cup in Schladming and the Supercross World Cup at Roc d’ Azur.

Darren Pokoj, signed in 2008 to Felt bicycles. This year Darren proved himself during the Nissan Qashqai Challenge tour. He placed 4th in Milan as well as 6th in London and got 11th overall. Next up for Darren are the upcoming Eurobike and the 26TRIX competition in Leogang.

Adam Hauck improved his riding in 2008 by branch out into disciplines other than just street. The Black Market team member finished 6th in Milan and 8th in London during the Nissan Qashqai Challenge and also won the best trick competition of the Red Bull Bike Night in Italy with a clean 720. Adam also dominated the Teva Mountain Games winning both competitions, the SoBe Slopestyle and the SoBe Speed Trials. Keep an eye out for Adam in the ninth New World Disorder movie titled “Never Enough”.

In spring 2008 Benny Korthaus won the best trick competition at the Vienna Air King in front of 10,000 people by pulling a 360 double-tailwhip. The Specialized team rider had his greatest success still during the Nissan Qashqai Challenge. After placing 3rd in Madrid, 6th in Munich and 2nd in London, he ended up 2nd in the overall tour ranking. Benny’s next appearances will be at the Eurobike and the 26TRIX.

Trond Hansen is definitely one of the most diverse riders, which he proved by winning the Nissan White Style as well as later during the Nissan Qashqai Challenge series. After wining the first tour stop in Milan, a second place in Munich and 7th in London, he got third in the overall ranking. Back home in Norway, he created, together with his friends from ANTI productions, an international competition called "Days Of Thunder", which united the world’s best freeriders in Northern Europe for a team battle in different disciplines (www.antidaysofthunder.com).

Trond finished 8th at Crankworx where he showed his incredible skills with tricks like 360 x-up drops, front flips, tail whips or 360-table one footers. He ended up 8th in the finals. The Viking still has a packed schedule. He will be at Eurobike, the 26TRIX and the Red Bull Rampage and perhaps even race the downhill World Cup finals in Schladming.

Lluis Lacondeguy is healthy after being unable to ride for a few months do to a wrist injury. He showed up at the ANTI "Days of Thunder", but had his great comeback getting 15th at the Kokanee Crankworx Slopestyle two weeks ago.

Andreu Lacondeguy can look back on 2008 as a season like never before. This winter, the 19-year-old was the first mountain biker to pull a backflip on a huge snowboard big air ramp. He flipped about a 70ft gap with a 18ft drop. Later in the year he won the Nissan Qashqai Challenge on his home turf in Madrid. And recently went on to win Whistler’s Crankworx with an incredible run including a double backflip and stylish tabled 360.

The Lacondeguys have also been shooting jump and downhill footage for Freeride Entertainment’s “Never Enough” movie, and are still looking forward to go to Eurobike and the 26TRIX this season.

Take a look on the rasoulution blog to find the latest news on the rasoulution athletes and other gossip: http://blog.rasoulution.com.