The 2009 Red Bull X-Alps has finished, and what a race it’s been! Chrigel Maurer (SUI3) hammered the rest of the field by flying at ‘another level’! Even the double Red Bull X-Alps champion Alex Hofer (SUI1) was left straggling 200 km behind him. Hofer was the only other athlete to make goal. Both flew to the beach – another first in the race.
200 km Behind them Cross Country magazine’s own weather columnist Honza Rejmanek (USA), Britain’s Aiden Toase (GBR1), and Russia’s Evgeny Gryaznov (RUS) battled it out to the end to take third, fourth and fifth spots.
Thirteen more athletes were strung out behind them, the last of which had completed 361 of the 818 km. Twelve athletes, including race favourites and goal finishers in 2007 Toma Cocanea (ROM) and Martin Muller (SUI2), had to drop out due to elimination, injury or infringement of the rules.
The race has been heralded as the hardest ever Red Bull X-Alps and it’s been certainly the most watched paragliding event in history. Full report in the next Cross Country Magazine.
Buy the official Red Bull X-Alps DVD here
