May 1, 2023

Behind the Lens: Unleash The Beast Louisville

Dener Barbosa secured his first premier series victory of the season on Sunday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, as the only rider to post a perfect 3-for-3 slate at the Cooper Tires Invitational, presented by Kubota. Advancing to the No. 5 rank after picking up 80 UTB points in the regular season finale, Barbosa bested I’m Legit Too for 89.5 points in the opening round before following the qualified ride up in Round 2 with an 85.75-point effort atop Crunch Time. Finishing the flawless showcase with a 90.25-point championship round conversion aboard Blue Duck, he’s now just 354.17 points behind No. 1 Kaique Pacheco heading into World Finals May 12-21 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Storming back into competition with a pair of 90-point rides in his first event on tour in more than a month, No. 2 Jose Vitor Leme reminded the world he’s here to compete for a championship. Despite being dispatched by his Round 1 opponent Hostage in a quick 1.24 seconds, he returned to elite form in the second round by posting a round-winning 90-point effort atop Wild Card. Later selecting a short round matchup with Ivy League, the two-time World Champion logged an event-best 91-point masterpiece en route to securing a second-place finish in his return. Taking home 108 UTB points for the runner-up placement, he’s negated Pacheo’s lead to a mere 74 UTB points atop the premier series standings.

Rounding out the podium finishes, rookie standout Brady Turgeon recorded a career-high third-place finish after going 2-for-3 in Louisville. He began the fruitful weekend with an opening round ride paired with Bomb Diggity for 88.25 points. Getting up for his matchup in Round 2 as well, he and his animal athlete partner Train Station were scored 86 points, punching the 19-year-old’s ticket to the short go, but was upended by UTZ BesTex Legend in a brief 2.9 seconds. Turgeon exited the competition having earned a clutch 67.5 UTB points while clinching a spot at next weekend’s World Finals, which will represent the youngster’s first-ever appearance at the season-end spectacle.

Photos courtesy of Bull Stock Media