With the ice cross downhill season opener only days away, even the walls of Quebec City's iconic Citadelle fortress couldn't hide Canada's own Scott Croxall – the reigning World Champion – from three previous titleholders looking to re-capture the crown.
Before beginning his title defense with the season kick-off at Red Bull Crashed Ice in Quebec City this weekend, Croxall took in a historic site that's symbolic of defensive efforts: the iconic Citadelle of Quebec fortress. But he wasn't alone. Already seeking ways to breach his defenses were a trio of former world titleholders who are keen to earn a second World Championship themselves: Austria's Marco Dallago, who triumphed in 2014, Switzerland's Derek Wedge (2013) and Germany's Martin Niefnecker (2010).
The Red Bull Crashed Ice event on November 27–28 marks a record 10 years of ice cross downhill in Quebec City, more than any other location worldwide. Dallago, Wedge and Niefnecker were hot on Croxall's heels everywhere he went, from the majestic Parliament Building, which is the stunning backdrop for the starting gates, right down to the finish 460 meters later at the Citadelle, a National Historic Site of Canada that dates back to the 1600s and today is home to guards of the Royal 22e Regiment. Towering over it all, as always, is the Chateau Frontenac that dominates the Quebec City skyline.
Quebec City is just the beginning of a global 10-race calendar that will be the biggest in the history of the fast, physical and tactical sport. Whether the three former ice cross downhill champions – or anyone in the 64-man field – can create his own changing of the guard by dethroning Croxall remains to be seen, but what happens in the provincial capital this weekend will surely set the stage for the rest of the action-packed season.
The tenth year of Red Bull Crashed Ice in Quebec City opens with team competition on Friday followed by women's and men's events on Saturday.
Watch Red Bull Crashed Ice Quebec City LIVE!
Broadcast: We will stream the competition from Round of 32 LIVE on redbullcrashedice.com and on Red Bull TV. Red Bull TV is available on connected TVs, gaming consoles, mobile devices and more. For a full list of supported devices visit about.redbull.tv.
Note that the live webcast is geo-blocked in the US due to an exclusive broadcast deal with FOX Sports.
Start Times: 8.30pm EST on November 28 / 2.30am CET on November 29
Video on Demand: The VoD will be available in the US only after the event will be aired on Fox Sports 1 (Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 9:30 am EST). In all other countries, the VoD will be available a few minutes after the event on redbullcrashedice.com and Red Bull TV.
TV: The main event will also broadcast live on several TV stations around the globe. Please check local listings for details.
Live Results: For real-time results and standings visit redbullcrashedice.com/results