The Making of the Qashqai Urban Challenge stop in Madrid

The preparations for the Qashqai Urban Challenge are getting more and more detailed. For the street stop in Madrid (Spain), Jeff Lenosky is joining the course design team of the Qashqai Urban Challenge. Jeff showed up in Spain early Saturday and by Sunday morning he was back on a flight to New Jersey with a head full of ideas for the Madrid course. It only took course designer and pro rider Jeff Lenosky a few hours to determine that the area sitting in the shadows of the Picasso building, located in Downtown Madrid, would be the perfect site for the Qashqai Urban Challenge "Street" event. Jeff gave us the inside scoop on what the Madrid course will look like and what it will take for the riders to stand as the most urbanproof on the podium in Spain. "The street course is going to feature super-sized versions of obstacles you would find on a ‘normal’ street ride, instead of putting skatepark obstacles in a city and calling it a street event," said Lenosky. The urban area of Madrid, which will become the playground for the riders, contains a lot of existing obstacles and architecture for any street rider to enjoy. Jeff Lenosky and his team of builders will simply be enhancing its street-worthiness with various obstacles and creative ramp placement. This course will also be unique because there will be no dirt on the course, whatsoever. The riders will be in Madrid, Spain for the street stop of the Qashqai Urban Challenge on May 18th/19th. This course should be a spectacle for everyone attending, and it will be interesting to see which riders the judges will crown the top competitors for the day. "I'm hoping that the course allows for a tight competition and plays to everybody’s strengths instead of leaving anyone out. There is a lot of tech stuff for the tech guys and lots of big stuff for the big hit guys. With so many line options on this course everyone should have a chance to shine," states Lenosky. The Qashqai Urban Challenge will hit five cities in five different European countries, starting on May 4th/5th in Newcastle. Afterwards, the urban freeride tour will hit Milan on May 11th/12th before it stops in Madrid on May 18/19th. From Spain the tour will move on to Germany for the 4th stop on May 25th/26th before ending in Paris on June 22nd/23rd with a huge spectacle. www.nissan-qashqaichallenge.com