Yu Shoji wins the UCI BMX Freestyle Flatland Final

Once again, Japan stood out as the dominant nation in the flat, but the young Julien Baran was able to pull off a masterclass and climb onto the podium.

The 2024 FISE UCI BMX Flatland Final was notably marked by Matthias Dandois's moving farewell to the Montpellier crowd. A large crowd attended the last dance of the French rider, a 10-time world champion, and this year again, the crowd turned out to cheer on the world's best riders and witness the victory of Yu Shoji, already the winner of the two previous editions.

After an intense week of extreme sports, FISE 2025 concluded with the men's BMX freestyle flatland final, the first UCI World Cup round of the season.

While the sun had been shining throughout the week, rain made an appearance at this final competition, delaying the event.

Fortunately, the crowd was able to count on MC Raphaël Chiquet, who has more than one talent. In addition to being a BMX flatland legend, Raphaël is also a singer and set the flatland arena ablaze with his latest hit while waiting for the competition to resume.

Japan has traditionally been the dominant BMX flatland nation, and once again, the Japanese forces made the difference.

Despite this, the young Frenchman Julien Baran managed to secure his place on the podium. A task made all the more challenging by the fact that the competition was stopped just before his run. A mishap that could have disturbed the young rider, but he embarked on a thrilling run under the watchful eye of his mentor, Matthias Dandois. 

PRO'S WORD (RAPH-MC):

“In the finals, we often have serious competitors who can claim the title and who crumble under pressure. This was particularly the case with Alex Jumelin, and it also worked less well with Jigen than during the semifinals.”

“We were hugely surprised to have a Frenchman on the podium; it's completely deserved. Julien really stepped up his game compared to the qualifications and the semifinals. He added even more difficult tricks and routines. He fully deserved his second place.”

“Yu Katagiri undoubtedly performed the hardest routine of the contest, but he crashed quite a bit, which prevented him from taking first place or even second place. But he's clearly at a higher level.”

“Yu Shoji, energetic riding, combos similar to what he's done in other years, but with some new features, including a cross-foot inside halfpacker that he hadn't done in competition in my knowledge”

“When you win the FISE three times, you become a legend. He must be one of the few, along with Matthias and maybe Alex too.”

On what made the difference for Yu Shoji

“He made the fewest mistakes and he performed long, varied, and extremely hard sequences.”

About Julien

“Julien always stayed focused. Julien is ready to win big competitions. He has the technical background, the attitude, and the mentality. We'll surely see him on many podiums and even wins in the years to come.”

“Innovation in big-mountain riding, a great atmosphere, long live flatland.”