The Matchup: Dave Mirra vs. Dennis McCoy

The Event: Bicycle Stunt Vert

The Time: Tuesday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. PT

The Question: Can Dennis McCoy end Dave Mirra's gold rush in the halfpipe?

Dave Mirra, left, and Dennis McCoy put on an electrifying display of bike vert riding a year ago at the X Games. Mirra won gold. McCoy settled for silver.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Let the battle resume.

The eagerly anticipated bicycle stunt vert rematch between Dave Mirra and Dennis McCoy is on. There was some doubt about McCoy's health following a wrist injury suffered in street practice on Friday. But McCoy tested his jammed right wrist in vert practice on Sunday and deemed himself ready to engage Mirra in Round 2.

Oh boy, Tuesday's going to be fun.

Round 1 of Mirra vs. McCoy was in San Diego a year ago. Mirra and McCoy put on a vert exhibition at the X Games that still has those in the sport buzzing as this year's competition draws near. Mirra took the gold with a perfect run and "flare" for the dramatic. McCoy took silver despite landing an amazing 900 that climaxed his electrifying run.

It was McCoy's second straight silver to Mirra's gold. Mirra is a three-time gold medalist in X Games vert and won his fourth gold in street Saturday -- a competition McCoy was forced to withdraw from because of his injury.

Not to be able to challenge Mirra on the X Games street was tough on McCoy, but he knew he couldn't handle the pounding of the street course. He also didn't want to risk missing the vert rematch which loomed on the horizon.

"I had no choice. It was difficult to make that call to (sport organizer) Matt (Hoffman) that morning to let him know I couldn't ride," McCoy said Sunday. "I sat by the phone for probably two minutes saying, 'I don't want to make this call.' I went out in the morning and couldn't even bunny hop, so I knew there was no way I could ride. But there is always that part in you that says you can ride.

"My wrist felt great (Sunday), except for two or three times when I landed really low (in the halfpipe). It hurt pretty bad, but I'll ride."

The vert should be less stressful on the wrist since landings come on a vertical angle. McCoy said the two roll-ins on each wall will also help, since he won't have to jar his wrist by jumping into the halfpipe at the start of each run.

So with his health no longer a question mark, McCoy is devising ways to claim that elusive gold in vert. Many felt he won last year's contest at the X Games when he landed that 900 to complete his final run. But Mirra came through with one of his patented runs that included several 540s, tail whips and an incredible flare back flip to end his run.

Does McCoy have another run like the one in '98 in him for San Francisco?

"To be honest, the way I rode last year I know it's going to be hard for me to ride better than last year," McCoy admitted. "There are some new tricks I hope to do this year. But I'd much rather be able to mail in my runs from last year and watch the comp. (But) everybody has a lot of tricks and it all comes down to who rides well that day." That rider at the X Games has been Mirra. He owns a record nine medals -- two silvers to go along with his seven golds -- and hasn't lost an X Games event since Hoffman beat him in vert back in 1996.

But despite his gold rush at the Games, Mirra understands he has to earn his marks just like everyone else in the halfpipe.

"I've got a whole new event now. I'm starting over," Mirra said. "You've got to take every event one at a time. You can't take anything for granted. You can't be too psyched on one event and then try to ride another one. I've got to concentrate just as hard, if not harder, on (vert)."

He also isn't sold on McCoy's wrist injury holding DMC back one bit come competition day.

"Dennis may be a little banged up, but once his time starts he forgets about pain and rides big," Mirra said. "You never know about Dennis. I wouldn't be surprised to see him do (a 900) again."

Ding. Ding.