Ronnie Renner showing what a 2-stroke KTM can do.
Ricky Carmichael and Ronnie Renner went head-to-head on the vert face of MotoX Step Up at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The battle for a gold medal came down to those two men with very different styles – motocrosser vs. freestyler, 4-stroke vs. 2-stroke – all in an attempt to clear 35 feet in front of a huge crowd and live on ESPN.
Brian Deegan was the first rider to be eliminated, clearing 26 feet but running out of steam at the next level which was 29. Jeremy McGrath had a scare at 31 feet but managed to squeak by – this is what the King of Supercross does, folks. However, Kevin Windham wouldn’t be as fortunate. As a guy who arguably has the most stylish whip in all of MX, Windham failed twice at 31.
Once the bar was raised to 33 feet, Jeremy McGrath fell off the pace, but Matt Buyten was hanging tough with the top two riders. Buyten gave it his all, but once the bar went to 34’ he was left behind like the rest. It looked as though he would have to settle for bronze, but the medal war was not going to play by the rules as Renner and RC squared off for the gold medal showdown.
Renner scored a gold medal as he tied with Ricky Carmichael.
Renner was the only competitor who chose to ride a 2-stroke. His 250cc KTM dirt bike was thought to be a disadvantage pre-comp, but with an appearance in the finals that went all the way to the wire thanks to his ability to completely flatten the lightweight dirt bike, there’s still proof that the pre-mixers have a legitimate place in FMX. Renner was the first to attempt 35 feet, but he missed on both runs, leaving Carmichael with a golden opportunity. The old Goat followed suit with a similar performance which moved them into a third and final attempt. Renner knocked the bar off again and it all came down to the motocross legend. RC’s Rockstar Makita
Suzuki RM-Z450 spun just a bit on the launch but it was enough to ruin the jump. He tried valiantly to make up for it with a pinned throttle up the kicker face but the manic go-for-gold attitude sent him launching vertically into the bar. Stabbing at his rear brake, the front end refused to come down and Ricky landed hard getting pitched over the handlebars in a heavy slam. He would walk away and the judges awarded the first-ever co-gold medal. Though somewhat dissatisfying for those watching, this battle will have to wait another year to see who really is the best Step Up rider.
“The stakes were high, you know? Just going back and forth. And, my style has never been pretty,” Carmichael said. “ Just get the job done. I’m happy.”
“I worked my tail off for that thing. I can’t believe that I finally won,” added a relieved Renner.
X-Games 15 Moto X Step Up Results
1.
Ricky Carmichael - 34'
2. Ronnie Renner - 34'
3. Matt Buyten - 33'
4. Jeremy McGrath - 32'
5. Kevin Windham - 30'
6. Brian Deegan - 26'
