The 2013 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour starts off with a bang in Mexico City this Friday night, 8 March.

Defending champion Levi Sherwood of New Zealand will return to one of the world’s most spectacular venues where his Freestyle Motocross (FMX) career all began with a victory in his first international event in 2009. A capacity crowd of 38,000 will be back at the Monumental Plaza de Toros.

Sherwood won three stops last year and is ready to defend his title against the world’s best Freestyle Motocross riders in the new season that is going truly global in its 13th year with six stops on four continents.

Last year’s runner-up Tom Pages of France is also ready to roll in the world’s most prestigious and challenging FMX competition after taking a close second to Sherwood in 2012 and the 2011 champion Dany Torres of Spain, who took third overall last season, will be looking to excel in the Monumental Plaza de Toros.

Torres has competed five times in Mexico City, which hosted the Red Bull X-Fighters for six straight years from 2005 to 2010 before missing the last two seasons. Other title contenders Josh Sheehan of Australia, Todd Potter of the United States, Rob Adelberg of Australia and Maikel Melero of Spain will be looking to get on the podium in Mexico City. Australian Truman Carroll will also compete.

Local hero Erick Ruiz is also expected to be in the thick of the action in bullfighting ring, the most compact venue on the 2013 tour that is only 43 meters wide and has a total area of 1,452 square meters.

The 2013 World Tour also includes stops in Dubai (UAE), Glen Helen (USA) Osaka (JPN), Madrid (ESP) and Pretoria (RSA).

The Red Bull X-Fighters, which was launched in 2001 in Valencia (ESP), are tournaments in which the world’s top FMX riders compete head-to-head through a series of knock-out rounds in front of enthusiastic crowds in some of the world’s most iconic locations.

In tribute to invited rider Eigo Sato (1978-2013), 11 riders will participate in Mexico City. Sato sustained fatal injuries on Thursday, 28 February while practicing in Japan.