PUEBLO, Colo. – Another year, another PBR World Finals, another shot for Jose Vitor Leme to make history.
With the 2023 PBR World Finals on May 12-21 in Fort Worth, Texas, just days away, Leme once again heads into the season-culminating event as the favorite – but the two-time World Champion is in a slightly different position than he’s used to.
In 2020 and 2021, Leme entered the PBR World Finals in the No. 1 position, far ahead of his competitors. (In 2020, he was so far ahead that he clinched his world title in the third round.)
This year, he sits at No. 2 in the Unleash The Beast standings, 74 points behind No. 1 Kaique Pacheco. But with the news that Pacheco has withdrawn from the World Finals due to a broken leg, Leme is back in front.
But he still has to ride to overtake Pacheco.
“For me, it doesn’t change anything because I think if it’s going to be me that’s the World Champion, I was going to be it even if I was in the fifth or tenth spot,” Leme said at the final regular-season event of the year in Louisville, Kentucky. “I think who wins the World Finals has more chances to win the world title. The last bull, the last event, the World Finals, there’s so many points there, so everything can change, everything can happen. Anything can happen there.”
It’s a fact that Leme knows personally.
In 2017, he made his World Finals debut with just one prior event in the United States under his belt and promptly won the World Finals event and Rookie of the Year titles. In 2018, he made a late push to overtake an injured Pacheco but ultimately fell short, finishing the season ranked No. 2. In 2019, he entered the World Finals as No. 1 but was overtaken by Jess Lockwood and finished No. 2 yet again.
After two world titles, Leme was again in contention in 2022 but was injured during the World Finals and ultimately had to withdraw from the competition.
He’s also spent some time on the sidelines this season, missing the first five events due to injury. He made his season debut in New York City in early January, winning his first two events of the season to get himself right back into the world title race. He then missed another six events due to injury late in the season, returning in Louisville to end the season with a second-place finish and two 90-point rides.
“Everything’s good. I’m feeling good, ready to come back to work,” Leme said in Louisville. “It’s been, I think, 40 days since I got hurt, and I was doing everything I could to come back as soon as possible. But finally, I think now is the right time.
“It’s just because I’m feeling good, because I’m feeling ready. I don’t want to miss any event, just if I’m hurt and I can’t go. But now I’m feeling good, I’m ready to ride again, and that’s why I’m here.”
Leme admits that he didn’t watch the events he missed this season, preferring to take time off and be with his family while he had the opportunity. But he was kept up to date on what was happening thanks to people tagging him in results on social media, and he says it was frustrating to have to sit on the sidelines.
“For sure, it’s not something that I was happy about,” Leme said. “It’s sadness because you want to work, you want to ride and get as many points as you can. And to be out, watching all those guys getting close, and Kaique, he passed me, and all that – it’s hard. But I understand everything is for a reason. I trust God’s plan, and I’m here now, and I’m healthy. Just glad to be here again.”
And it’s just in time, too, as Leme forecasts this final push for the world title to be fast and furious.
“I think it’s going to be a big race,” Leme said. “This Finals is going to be a big, big fight, I think, for this world title. Cooper (Davis), Dalton (Kasel), Andrew (Alvidrez) – all those guys, they’re riding pretty good this year. If all those guys are healthy, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be one of the biggest World Finals ever.”
It’ll be even bigger if Leme can close the season out with a gold buckle. If he does, he would be just the third rider ever to win three world titles, joining Silvano Alves (2011-12, 2014) and Adriano Moraes (1994, 2001, 2006).
Leme is always a rider to watch at the World Finals, having won the event in 2017 and 2021. He finished second in 2018, fifth in 2019 and 2022, and sixth in 2020.
If there’s one thing fans can expect to see in Fort Worth, it’s fireworks from Leme.
“I’m very excited,” Leme said. “I always do my best at the Finals. I always have good results at the Finals. And it’s no different this year. I’m going to try to do my best again and maybe win my third one.”
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media