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Winter 2009

2010 Season Dates Inside

Winter Series kicks off nationwide

Chula Vista Tour with Liam Phillips

2009 Carnage to Champions

ADAM BRAZIL

James Tresman’s BRITISH BMX NUMBER ONE Season Review

“

I want to be in the Olympics

”

Out now...

Welcome

BMX TALK

HOT TOPIC Best Track in England?

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This Issue Welcome 15

Posted January 2010 dazreidy CREWE!!!!! tomg21 Burnham or Cheddar :)

Fastjake Taunton racethings Milton Keynes

6 7

DanielDavidGregory Cheddar sucks, got to be Crewe or Chesterfield after a good refurb dan1sbmx Cheddar!!! yes it’s a great track... if you can jump it! Burnham nah... last straight! Hernebay... if someone fixed it! I reckon Crewe, Braintree, Peterborough and obviously Hersden!

Photo: Abi Taylor

BURNHAM

CLOSE Taking the corner well at Coppull

MANC

HESTE

Idell Got to agree with you when I first went to Cheddar I didn’t get what all the hype was. digitaltransfer If we could get a new track I would have to agree Milton Keyneswould be the best rider turnout adzbrazil Crewe! definitely!

Riders ready for the Coppull cold James Tresman THE North Region Winter Series rolled into Coppull for Round 4 and Mid Lancs BMX Club had been working hard to ensure the track was in pristine condition. With 160 riders braving the cold, there was plenty of exciting action; in 12 Boys, the performance of the day was Spencer McLeod, finishing an excellent

2nd behind Preston’s Euan Hunt. Riccardo Mellor got 7th and Brandan Nolan got 8th making it a great day out for the young guns of Manchester. Valerie Zebrokova has been duelling it out with the boys in 13 Boys and got a solid 6th in Coppull, all good experience for the Summer seaon in 2010. Matthew “Factory” Saunders got 5th in 14 Boys, with his usual

Welcome to the first issue of raceBMX. As you can see, we are a newsmag dedicated to the sport of BMX and concentrate wholly on racing (no arty halfpipe shots here!). In this issue, we chat indepth with Junior Male NAtional and British champion Adam Brazil. We also have the season review from James Tresman, lookin at the nationals from Derby to Bournemouth. We also take a trip around the country getting the latest from the regional championships and the start of the winter series. All that plus updates from Liam Phillips, Stay Strong and British Cycling. So what are you waiting for? The Editor display of super smooth riding. When he actually hits 14, he’ll have more power to go along with the skills he has plenty of, but by then he’ll also probably be riding up too. 16+ has been the biggest class at these Regionals, with just shy of 40 riders having competed in at least one round. Coppull saw Manchester and Redline’s Jacob Roberts make it look all too easy taking a very impressive win in the A Final. Joe Davenport was also in good form but a crash put paid to his chances of making the A, so he settled for taking the B Final. To make it a clean sweep of finals, Ross Gill won the C. Payback saw Pete Hosker recover from a crash to take some well earned points, but he’ll be disappointed to have taken a dirt shower. Cal Strickland took all his motos by a mile but come final time lost out to fellow Elite rider Luke Tamblyn by the narrowist of margins. In 30-39 Cruiser, Andy Drelincourt put in another great performance to keep him on top of the standings for the Series. After braving the cold in Coppul, we look forward to some new year racing at Gold Coast in January.

News

raceBMX

update Support your head A winter warmer from the guys at THE. Brand new designs have been revealed for the Stay Strong 2010 helmet. The crisp, clean carbon helmet repeats Stay Strong Stephen Murray in a subtle tonal print and symbolises what this helmet really stands for! Pete and Toby at VSI Products have made this possible and it will be released in early 2010. Support Stay Strong in 2010 and represent the cause everytime yu hit the track and the deck! This will be available worldwide by normal THE distributors and stores and of course through our webshop. www.staystrong.co.uk

On the up STEPHEN was in hospital with pneumonia recently but the good news is he’s been back home for over a week now and has finally received his new chair which was long overdue. He seem’s really stoked with it as you can see as this new device will improve his independence as he is fully in control from his head piece which he controls with his head movements and also some voice commands. I won’t go into the cost details but I can tell you that you’d expect a BMW or Mercedes badge on the front for what these chairs go for and again it has been your support and donations to the Family Fund over the last 2 years that have made it possible for Stephen to have this improved comfort level and freedom to get about so thank you all again!

Photo: Take Two

Stay Strong

PRIDE Derby gets another national

It’s a date for the 2010 national series Rebecca Ransom

Venues and dates have been set for the 2010 national series. With twelve rounds set over six double-header weekends, 2010 is set to be a busy year for BMX riders across the country. But some venues have caused a stir amoung BMX riders, with some personal favourites overlooked for the coming series. Crewe has notably been left off the selected list, with any experienced rider telling you it could easily be the best track in Britain. 2009 National series winner Adam Brazil put it in his number one spot and was looking

forward to a national race there in 2010. After a successful event at the end of 2009, Bournemouth has also been snubbed, with British Cycling favouring neighbour club Gosport for a summer session. Extensive work is to be carried out at Gosport to prepare it for a national race, with assurance that the trip down south will be worth it. To make the selection process even more bizarre, Birmingham BMX Club have been awarded the season finale, without having a track built yet. This could give

them enough time to add the finishing touches, but their first event will be of National size? Scary! Cheddar has once again made its way onto the calendar of events not once but twice. With rounds one and two there in April, we return mid September to hold the British Championships, they could have given someone else a chance. An exciting year for British BMX, with the Olympics getting closer we need to encourage more people to take part in the sport and support it at all levels.

British National BMX Series 2010 Round 7 & 8 Manchester 2-4 July

Round 3 & 4 Derby 14-16 May

Round 11 & 12 Birmingham 27-29 August

Round 5 & 6 Braintree 11-13 June

Round 1 & 2 Cheddar 23-25 April

Round 9 & 10 Gosport 6-8 August

British Championshps Cheddar 18-19 September

News

raceBMX

Crewe host 2010 Grands CHESHIRE Ghost Riders are proud to announce that the Bob Field Memorial Grands will return in 2010 at the track based in Crewe. There will be races in all categories, with numbers permitting, including novice races on Saturday as part of a BMX fun day. Expert races will take place the following day with over 16s able to compete for the Bob Field Memorial Trophy. The track at Crewe is renowned across the BMX community as being one of the best in Britain. Overlooked in the National Series 2010 selection, now is your chance to experience the track race day style. All riders will have to register and pay before the event takes place, allowing organisers to know what’s coming. Pre-race moto sheets will be posted online so riders travelling on Sunday can see when they will be racing. But for those who want to make a weekend of it, camping will be available for the whole weekend.

Photo: Cheshire Ghost Riders

Rebecca Ransom

CREWE Another grand day out to come The event will take place on August 21st and 22nd with the setup the same as 2009. Entry fees are £10 with £5 going to charity in memory of Bob Fields. Put this race day in your diary now because you don’t want to miss it!

Photo: Take Two

Race Reade Track

FAIL Old School at British Champs 2009

Old Skool expelled!

FANS Shanaze with Cheshire riders AT the 2009 Bob Field Grands, the track in Crewe was renamed The Shanaze Reade Track. It was a fitting tribute to the Olympic star as she was inaugurated into the the Cheshire Council hall of fame. Shanaze has been visiting the track in Crewe since she was

10, but now a 20 year old World Champion, she still comes back to Tipkinder Park every month. She brings her brother along, who also loves BMX. Hopefully, Shanaze can be an inspiration to members of Cheshire Ghost Riders to become world BMX champions.

Rebecca Ransom

BRITISH Cycling has decided to drop Old School category from the British Championships. The race has received mixed response from regions in 2009, leading to British Cycling removing it form the end of season Championship event. At the October BMX Commission meeting, it was said

Old School races were more successful when run as charity events. Some BMX riders have disagreed with this decision and expressed their anger on the forum BMXTalk. Moley, North Region says Old School was not the smallest Brits class, and receives strong support from the north.

Regional

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Pirates rule down at Portreath track The Duchy Pirates played host to the South West Club Championships at The Track at Portreath. The weather turned blustery and drizzly for the day but that didn’t stop the 207 entries having a good day with some excellent racing. Visiting riders came from as far afield as Norwich and Harworth and they certainly added interest to the races by taking some of the trophies from the SW riders albeit the coveted “SW1” plates went to the first rider from within the Region. 52 Novice riders took part and Novice 6 and Under fell to Jack Nation with Cornwall’s Finlay Keogh taking the 7-9s. Burnham’s Curtis Pickard took 10-12s with Duchy Pirates’ Nicky Stevens securing 13-15s and David James the 16+ group. The MTB category went the way of Duchy’s Sean Herman after defending holder, and The-Track owner, Steve Tonkin crashed out in three of his races. Another Duchy rider, Ben Clarkson, took the Cruiser 15 & Under title whilst Bideford’s Brian Jury took the 16-24 group. Burnham’s Clive Hawkins gained himself the spoils in Cruiser 25-39 holding off the attentions of Duchy’s Chris Cummin, both riders having won all their motos during the afternoon. Visiting Norwich rider Ady Warden ‘stormtroopered’ the Cruiser 40+ group after seeing arch-rival Dave Herman coming together with Ian Wherry and both going down on the first jump in the A final. Ady took the trophy

with Exeter’s Steve Jenks taking the “SW1” plate. Exeter’s Rachel Brooks romped away with the Ladies 20+ category. In Expert 6 & Under it was Cornwall’s ‘pocket rocket’ Ashley England who crossed the line first and in Expert 7 Duchy’s Harry Fernihough was triumphant. Visiting from Royston, Daniel Blanche won Expert 9s but it was Cornwall’s Daniel Commons-Lomax who took the plate. Another visitor, Ben Turner from Harworth took Expert 10 but Burnham’s CJ Tye was awarded the plate. Duchy rider Scott Dominguez took Expert 11 and Cornwall’s Tyler Caddy secured Expert 12s. Another Duchy rider winning the day was Sheldon Johns in Expert 13 and another visi-

tor, Bradley Minns from Harworth upset the Expert 14s by beating Cornwall’s Dan Davis. James Clark from Burnham took a clean sweep of wins in Expert 16 and Duchy’s Ben Clarkson did likewise in Expert 17+. Bideford’s Michael Smart looked good all day and won all his races beating club mate Sam Hommell in the A Final. Honours in the Female classes went to Cornwall’s Megan Wherry in 7-9s, Decoy’s Emily Green in 10-12s and Duchy’s Georgia Rase in 16+. An interesting meeting,especially the way the visiting riders took to the track, well run by the relatively new Duchy Pirates Club and the track, with it’s two recently tarmaced berms, riding well despite the headwind on the first and third straights.

TOO CLOSE: South West riders come close to carnage on The Track

Photo: Pat Caddy

Alan Humphreys

Rebecca Ransom

WELSH sportsmen Ashley Ransom,16, has reached the number one spot in the South West England BMX League. Representing Wales in the Male 16 category, Ashley beat off the English competition to gain the top position. It was a tough season, racing nine rounds on tracks across the South West of England, but Ashley clinched the title at the last meet in Bath securing an 8-point lead. To add to this success, Ashley also finished 13th in the British National BMX Series and 12th at the British

BMX Championships in Cheddar. Ashley trains at Parc Bryn Bach BMX track in Tredegar as well as attending velodrome and road sessions in the South Wales area. “I am really happy with my results and hope to go to Europe next year to race and maybe head for the World Championships soon” Ashley has also signed a new sponsorship deal with Bristol based team ITM Racing. His first race with the new team will be in the winter series in Bristol, and will hopefully be the start to another successful year.

Photo: Take Two

Welsh rider conquers English league

STAR Ashley in Burnham

raceBMX

Photo: Julian Allen

Regional

CHAMPIONS East Anglia’s Joe Read-Millard, Tom Stokes and Sydney Allen

EAST Anglian BMX Championships are traditionally the last summer regional race of the season. The 42 travelling riders were treated to a glorious summers day at the Sloughbottom Park BMX track in Norwich. The team had worked hard to get their track in tip top condition for some quality racing with the best racers in East Anglia producing a fantastic show. The “micro warriors” of the sport started the day. Owen Vaughan in his first visit to Norwich won the B final and Luke Shriever battled hard to take second on the podium. Braintree riders were unstoppable. Seven year olds Tom Stokes and Joe Read-Millard traded places, and had some exciting track battles. Come final time, Tom took the win, Joe in second closely followed by Sydney Allen in third. Archie George rode his first race away from Braintree and finished fifth. Three Braintree riders were up in 8 year old boys with Jake Newton taking the B final. Oliver Rowe had an inconsistent day finishing fifth in A with Charlie O’Grady involved in the action to finish a convincing third. Noah Shriever flew the flag for Braintree in 9 year old boys in his first ever BMX race, taking the third place trophy. The 10 year old boys were the most competitive class of the day. Four Braintree riders raced with Evan Sorrel finishing seventh.

Charley puts the angel on top of the Junior Women tree

The top four was a battle with Josh Legrove, Shane Redgewell and George Moret trading places. With points tallied it was George who wound up second on the podium, Josh in third and Shane settled for fourth. Lee Golder dominated 11 year old boys with Shane Pavitt following him home making it a Braintree one-two. Another Braintree double for 15 year olds. Dexter Addington smoothed his way around the track to finish second, but he couldn’t catch up with Chris Potter. Birthday boy Leon Dixon had a hard days racing forced to settle for fourth in 16 year olds, team mate Oliver Cutmore worked his magic on the track to finish second. Super fast 17 and over class saw a real national quality field. Three Braintree riders hit the track with Joe Kennedy finishing fifteenth, Jake Ward in tenth and British number two Matty Kirk in seventh. Club coach Julian Allen continued his Brits success taking the win in Masters. Stu Dixon finished third and won the £10 holeshot prize. Paul “Iron Man” Shriever finished eighth in his first ever Masters. The B final was an all Braintree affair, won by Mark Read-Millard closely followed by Neil Addington. Tim Machin also rode in, missing out on the final, but took home the money in the last straight manual competition.

Charlotte Green won the Junior Women National Series at just 15, we caught up with her in Bournemouth. Congratulations Charley! What has been the best moment of the 2009 Nationals for you? Thank you! The best moment has probably been racing US pro Stephanie Barragan here at Bournemouth. Did you find that intimidating? No! It was the most fun I’ve had in ages, I really enjoyed having someone really good to chase and she was really

Braintree keep a hold on the EA top spot Julian Allen

For the girls 10-12, Bethany Shriever and Kelsey Dixon put on a fantastic show and finished second and third. Dee Williams fought hard to take second in 25 and over ladies. Cruiser class Lee Golder took third in the 12 and unders. Toby Bearne followed up his second place at the British Championships with another second at the EA Championships in the 13-15 year olds, closely followed by club mate Ryan East in third. Oliver Cutmore took home another trophy for second in the 16-29 year old class, and Lee East settled for third. Another second and third for Braintree’s Paul Sorrel and Kevin Rayner returning after a 23 year break ended a fantastic days racing. With 24 individual trophy winners, Braintree retained the prestigious East Anglian BMX Club Championships trophy for another year.

nice to talk to. I would like to see if I could beat her sometime in the future! What are your goals for next year? I would love to go to the worlds in South Africa and I would like to go to some more Euro rounds. If I go to the European Champs again, then I would like to improve on European #6. Thanks for your time, any thank you’s? Thanks to my mum and dad, and to the guys at Alan’s BMX/Shimano DXR and also to all my friends! Thanks for the support throughout the year!

Out now...

The Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries brings together the creative disciplines within the University of Glamorgan, including Design, Media & Communication and Drama & Music. This diverse, multidisciplinary grouping supports a rich cultural and scholarly environment, and provides specialist and hybrid undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes. The faculty has a number of world-class visiting professors from a variety of disciplines. This advisory board, headed by industrial designer, Professor Nick Butler OBE, is made up of actor Daniel Evans, composer Karl Jenkins, animator Robin Lyons, film director Marc Evans and theatre director Terry Hands. Our campus, ATRiuM, is situated in central Cardiff. This specially-designed building contains cutting edge technologies and industry-standard facilities, enabling like-minded individuals from a broad range of subject areas to work together in an environment geared to sharing expertise across the creative disciplines.

Interview

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Photo: Adam Brazil

race What about Europe? BMX I went to Belgium for rounds nine and ten in the 17-24 category and raced Cheddar for thirteen and fourteen in the Junior category. I did the 17-24 because it was the first euro round I did for a while, and it’s a bit of a trek going over to Belgium and I didn’t want to come away with nothing out of it. I got to the semis the first day and fourth in the final on the second day. At Cheddar, because it was in England and not so far to travel, I decided to step up into Junior. Slightly disappointing, I did really well in my motos, but didn’t get passed my quarterfinals on any of the days. In Europe, everybody’s’ standard is a lot better, when you go abroad to the other tracks, you can really tell why. They’ve got such bigger tracks, such better tracks, more technical tracks for all the rider’s to get better. It always seems better run; in Europe everyone seems to be big on BMX, whereas England is still developing. race And world domination? BMX There’s some really good American guys and girls and Australians as well. It’s a step from National, to European continent then to the World stage where everybody is together it obviously gets harder. With more competition, more people at the same level and more fighting.

Adam Brazil The Junior British and National Champion tells Rebecca Ransom what’s next in his world domination plans.

RESH from his success at the British Championships in Cheddar and riding high on his British National Junior Champion 2009 title, Adam Brazil talks about how he got from his Wednesday night club races in Bristol to the top of his game. He also shares his views on what is happening now on the British BMX scene and how to make your mark in a very competitive sport. Sat beside his club track in Burnham at the end of the season, Adam still doesn’t let his achievements go to his head.

race Junior British and National BMX Champion, how does it feel? I won the British National Series this year, which is obviously a great achievement because it’s over the whole ten rounds, I won seven of those ten rounds which I’m really, really happy with. My proudest one was Manchester because I knew that if on the first day I won, I had pretty much sealed the title, so that one meant a lot. Then the British Champs then also, is pretty big for me because it’s a one-off event. I just felt if I could win the Brits, it sort of proved I was good enough to win the National series as well. Couple of really good races this year for me.

race Back to Britain, what’s the best BMX track you’ve ridden in the UK? My personal favourite is Cheddar without a doubt, I really like it. There’s a steep start hill and not a big sprint to the first jump. From that the jumps just flow. Another good track that I rode this year is Crewe. It’s a new track and I think they are trying to get a national there next year. It’s perfectly made, everything just seems to fit and be right up there. A really good track. race And what about your backyard BMX trail? That was quite random actually. I was going to do sprints and a woman on bike stopped me and said do I realize they’re trying to build a track in the field, right behind my house in Little Stoke Hansel. They were building a pump track, so I helped her choose the best quotes and track design from the three that they got. I advised them on the maintenance it would need, like floodlights and fencing. I’d love to build tracks in every single open space there is! race Taking you back to Bristol, is BMX that where it all began? Yes, I started BMX right at the end of 2002 in Bristol on their Wednesday

Interview

Im out in Chula Vista, California. The flight was pretty good as we had exit row seats again so the leg room wasn’t a problem. Anyway, drove from L.A to San Diego, found the hotel, built up the bikes and took a little ride before heading to dinner. I had some Clam Chowder but it wasn’t as good as JB’s local in Monterey! I headed over to the track and it didn’t disappoint. Pretty much perfect in every way! I won’t bore you with trying to describe it, as I simply wont do it justice!

PODIUM Standing tall with the Juniors

the Olympics, I want to be in the Olympics. I got invited to the Olympic Academy selection day. I just want to keep going, I’m happy. I’m working with a good coach and want to get the most out of the sport that I can. I’m not going to be naive, I just want to do my best.

race Any tips on training? BMX Just enjoy riding. When you first start you don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself. You’ll get better at your own rate, you can’t expect too much from yourself. Keep practicing the things you can do and you’ll get better. You should put all your training into perspective and plan. You need to be organized and set days aside so you don’t over train. You need to be fresh and make the most of each session.

race Where do you want to be in ten BMX years time? If Uni goes well, I could be in any sort of job in sport. If the BMX goes good, a dream would be to move out to the States because that is where it’s renowned for being big. There’s the dream and then the reality of getting a job, maybe with British Cycling as a coach that’s dream but from another angle.

Photo: Take Two

race What does the British BMX BMX scene need? race How is British Cycling helping We need a Supercross track that they BMX with making BMX better? race on around the world. I’m not saying we should race on it, but it would be good Since the induction to the Olympics, British Cycling went big for riders who want to step up “BMX is in the to the next level to see what on recruiting through all the ranks from elite down. it’s actually like. I think tracks Olympics, I It took people a while to want to be in generally need to get better. We need to bring everyone we can believe it was going to the Olympics” into the sport, more popularity, work. I was on one of the first talent team selection more races, more competition; camps, I didn’t get through people are going to get better. but I couldn’t see what was so good about it. But as years have gone on, and after Beijing I think it’s stepped up pretty well. Since Grant White has been introduced as the new coach, you can see Marcus Bloomfield has got so much better producing good results around the world. Liam (Phillips) is again improving all the time. The Olympic Academy also let’s Dan Whyte and Luke Tamblyn do it full time now. It’s expanded and got a lot better.

CHEDDAR Leading the way at the Brits

Photo: Liam Phillips

Photo: Take Two

Liam Phillips in Chula Vista, CA

Night Club races. I did the last six week block and just got hooked. I did my first proper regional series in 2003, and I did a National in Bristol because it’s my home track. Since 2004 I’ve raced all the National series, so from then it has been the development to get to this stage.

race Can you see yourself in Team BMX GB in 2012? It’s the big thing at the moment, BMX is in

raceBMX

CHAMPION Clinching the 2009 title

WOW Chula Vista track

Saturday’s racing was ran under floodlights so that was a first for a lot of people. Exciting times. Practice went really well and ran without a hitch. The track is super fast and flows real nice. The second straight caught me out a few times as the first step-up is a little easier than I expected so I need to hit it a few more times tomorrow. A few guys came up short on the berm jump snapping bikes and forks... not pretty. Timetrials also ran under floodlights and it looked crazy. Really good to see a BMX race look so professional! I had a good lap but was a little disappointed to see my time wasn’t that great, qualified through in 28th. Things didn’t exactly go to plan after I crashed in my first moto and hurt my wrist. After thinking it through I decided to sit out the following races as it would be a real big ask to transfer through the moto with an 8th in the first round. Racing continued and I sat on the sidelines with Martijn who was also injured. Bloomy was on fire and rode an awesome quarter and semi to make the final, only to hit the gate and finish up 8th. Willoughby continued his form from South Africa and gave Strombergs a good race, with Maris finishing on top. Supercross, floodlights, huge crowd...best race this year. When I got back to the UK I went straight to the Hospital. X-rays showed I had a radial fracture and fractured 5th metacarpel. I then went to see a hand and wrist specialist and had an MRI and thankfully no damage had been done to the surrounding ligaments. I had a rigid fibreglass cast fitted for the next 6 weeks and my season had finished early.

raceBMX

Derby to Bournemouth: Carnage & Champions

National

Photo: Take Two

James Tresman reflects on the 2009 National BMX series

When the gate dropped on the 2009 National BMX Series way back in April, the final rounds seemed a long way off. The Beijing Olympics had thrust BMX racing into the spotlight and 2012 seemed to loom large over the race scene. A lot of eyes were focused on 2009 to see if Olympic recognition had boosted the numbers taking part in domestic competition. As with all things BMX racing, the 2009 Nationals had excitement, drama, controversy, crashes and some amazing action. From the long Derby track in April, to the final rounds in Bournemouth, via the sunshine of Burnham, the rain of Peterborough and the new track in Manchester, some new faces emerged and some familiar ones returned. Dale Holmes mad a couple of visits to his native soil resplendent in his rainbow jersey, and left with victories at Derby and Peterborough in 19+. The Talent Team lived up to its billing, with riders like Tre Whyte and Kyle Evans looking very impressive throughout the season, and we

Photo: Take Two

660 riders. 24 classes. 10 rounds. 5 tracks. 1 amazing season!

saw the emergence of ‘The Firm’ in the shape of Free Agent/Route 55, with Jack Hall and his teammates dominating 15-16 Boys. Jenny Noble stood head and shoulders above the other racers in 10-12 Girls, on and off the bike. Although this class saw Lauren Stack take a win at Peterborough and newcomer Valerie Zebrokova performing well, neither could catch Jenny who admitted that she relishes the time when she’ll really have to fight for wins. In 13-15 Girls, newcomer Ayesha McLelland announced herself as a force to be reckoned with for the future, with a string of victories and the National Title, she was pushed hard by Amelia Silvestre, who won the opening rounds in Derby, and Izzy Ferrada, showing the future is bright for girls in the UK. At the top of the tree is the Junior Women class and atop the highest branch of all is Charlotte Green. “Charley” is only 15 but has speed and skills and beat a good group of racers including Haro’s Lauren Smith, who took a win at Derby, EA/Pure’s Ria Goodman, winner of two rounds and Dialled Bikes Factory Team rider Emily James. 2009 saw Charlotte win the National Championship for the second year in a row.

Masters saw Matt Barnard of Gunslinger/ Rockstar romp away with the National Championship, but he had a tougher time than his seven victories would suggest. SE’s David Ives was always up there, and Paul Cope, returning to racing after a decade and a half off, would have significantly reduced Matt’s victory tally if bad luck hadn’t intervened several times in A Finals. Copey got the win in the penultimate round to get the monkey off his back and celebrate his signing for Free Agent. On the big rigs, 30-39 saw some incredible action as always, with Jai Kemp blessed with an embarrassment of riches as both SE and Redline Team Manager. Alan Hill took the National Championship for Redline, with wins in seven rounds, with the SE pairing of Darren “Speedy” Reidy and TJ “Bomber” Baldwin taking the other three rounds between them. Claire Morrison made a welcome return to racing in 25+ Ladies at Bournemouth, doing the double. The title went to Nicola Spiers of the new Gosport club, giving them another National Champion alongside Ayesha. In Elite, Marcus Bloomfield was blisteringly fast and grabbed some key wins, and Liam Phillips, the 2008 Olympian proved he’s no

National

Photo: Take Two

raceBMX

CARNAGE Batey hits the deck in Derby

3 AMIGOS Tough at the top in 16 boys

Photo: Abi Talor

Photo: Take Two

slouch either with a win in Derby and another ahead of visiting US Pro Danny Caluag in the final round. Kelvin Batey was looking to make a statement after missing out on Olympic selection the previous year, despite having been BC’s poster boy for British BMX in recent years and being a major reason there was a spot for a British male rider in Beijing. His disqualification in the final in round 1 at Derby set the tone for an up and down year for the Free Agent/Route 55 rider. After starting June with a pair of wins at Peterborough, a nightmare time at the Cheddar Euro rounds later in the month meant that Kelvin was riding hurt for the rest of the season. After leaving most of the skin off his back in the land of cheese, Kelvin battled on and proved that if there’s passion and determination, you can never count a rider out. In the end, things finished on a high, with a pair of third places at Bournemouth cementing his position as 2009 National Champion. Another year over, with comebacks for some old school riders and some new guys turning up to see what this new Olympic sport has to offer. We look forward to 2010 and the return of national racing which can only get bigger and better as 2012 draws closer.

MASTER Copey leads in Manchester

James caught up with Kelvin in Bournemouth,as he was crowned Elite National Champion 2009. With a rough start, he completed all ten rounds.

Congratulations! How does it feel to have the title? Thanks! It feels great to have the title again after not racing a full National Series since 2005. Ever since being the rider who started out in a green kit and bullet helmet I always wanted to be the Elite Champion in the UK and to have done it again is a good achievement. How do went My first

you feel your season overall? main focus was the National at Derby all the way through the winter as, after feeling like quitting the sport last year, I wanted to come

back and race hard. I laid it all on the line in that main and even though I got DQ’d, rightly or wrongly, it didn’t really matter as that was a real good feeling coming over the line 1st which in my mind made carrying on racing worthwhile. The next aim for me was the Cheddar Euro race where I just wanted to get in the main in the Irish colours. The crash I had a couple of days before the race put paid to that as I was in real pain that weekend, which lasted all the way through until just about a week before this weekend. Any thoughts towards next year? I haven’t really thought what I’m going to do next year as there’s a lot of things going on in my life right now that I’m happy with so it’s all about weighing stuff up. This was always going to be a year to take a bit of a step back after years and years of full on training and racing but it’s also given me a chance to enjoy life a bit more and I have! Racing is and always will be in my blood but once I get my shoulder operation out of the way, two days after the Brits and talk with the Irish Federation about any support they could help me

Photo: Take Two

Kelvin Batey: Free Agent takes Route 55 to the top

DERBY The crucial first round

with then I’ll make my mind up as to where my BMX career will go next. Any last words to close out the 2009 season? Thanks to everyone for the amazing support this year, to be on the gate with so many people behind you is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes that I get in my life. BMX is in my blood and always will be.

reviewDVD

The Brits are here! AT last the long awaited British championship 2009 DVD has been released, and what a corker! We can now watch again and aging Bomber Baldwin snapping his frame (and fingers) and the close finish line ties leading to the diffrerence in champion and runner up. Priced at only £5 it’s definitely worth every penny. With multi-camera angles of all the quarter, semi and finals you feel like your right there in the action. The Cheddar track looks world class on film and with impressive graphics between races, this Brits memorabilia is one to keep. On the downsde, I would have liked to see some interviews with the winners, and losers. Some insight how the event was prepared would have been interesting as a DVD extra, but you can’t fault the quality! Another DVD for the collection, now let’s start on the 2010 season?

Order online taketwovideo.co.uk

Photo: Take Two

Get back to basics, it will take you further

News

raceBMX

Hawks land in Uganda as their bikes take off Photo: Hayes Hawks

WINNERS The guys in Uganda showing off their Hawks t-shirts

Rebecca Ransom HAWKS BMX Club have been spreading cycling joy across the world, even after their own recent misfortunes. They have been helping youngsters in Uganda to get into BMX racing. After their first ever BMX race, these boys hold their trophies high whilst proudly wearing some Hawks BMX gear. Whilst back in Hayes the club has suffered a burglary where over £8,000 worth of race specific BMX bikes were stolen from the club bunker. Scott Dix of Hawks BMX sent packages of t-shirts and trophies to Uganda through a friend at British Airways Cargo. Shortly he hopes to get out there and help set-up a track that will benefit the youngsters and improve

How do I get on the part Talent Team? Where do I start? Here’s the British Cycling basic guide and some hints and tips on what the selectors are looking for in a BMX rider. Talent Team selection happens in October. Application forms appear on the British Cycling website around September. To qualify for a place on the Talent Team you don’t have to be the perfect rider the programme is all about development and improving. What you need is the right attitude and some basic skills of BMX racing. If you’ve not got those skills then practice until you are confident. That practice can be alone or with the support of a British Cycling BMX Club, the structure of which is currently undergoing changes to help deliver riders onto the Talent Team.

their BMX skills. With no track at present and practice sessions held in the Kampala stadium car park, it is a real achievement to hold an event there. Scott has now called upon the BMX community to donate old race bikes and safety gear to the Ugandan community. Back at the club in England the hunt continues for the Hayes bikes as police continue with their investigation. People of the BMX community have been urged to check ebay and the classified adds for BMX race bikes, with Intense pro, micro minis, Redline and some pro Haros missing. These items will appeal mostly to BMX racers, so they would lookout of place down t your ocal skate used for half-pipe tricks. Visit hawksbmx.co.uk for information on how to help with both causes.

Talent Team Tips

Watch the best BMX riders and compare them against video of yourself. If you were a young footballer you’d be studying the Premiership - BMX is no different and video is one of our biggest tools of review. Use flat pedals. Making the core skills look easy is a way to impress on selection camps. Remember that you don’t always need a BMX track to become a better BMX rider. Use the gym as a tool for your success, but never forget you’re a bike rider first. Know what you want to achieve - we look for those who have ambitions in line with our own.

Diary

raceBMX

Riders Ready Watch the Date

2009/2010 Winter Series

North Series

11 October Preston 8 November Crewe 29 November Bradford 13 December Mid Lancs 31 January Gold Coast 21 February Manchester 7 March Fearnville 21 March Hartlepool East Anglia Series 25 October Braintree 15 November Peterborough 13 December Royston 17 January Codham Park 21 February Norwich 14 March Ipswich

South Series

8 November Gosport 17 January Andover 7 February Dagenham 7 March Bournemouth 28 March Bexhill

South West Series

24 October Tiverton 15 November Exeter 13 December Bristol 17 January Burnham 31 January Duchy 14 February Decoy 28 February Bideford 14 March Bath

2010 British Nationals

BMX Series

23 - 25 April Cheddar, South West 14 - 16 May Derby, Midlands 11 - 13 June Braintree, East Anglia 2 - 4 July Manchester, North 6 - 8 August Gosport, South 27 - 29 August Birmngham, Midlands

Photo: Take Two

Scribble them down, turn up with your bike and race!

LAST Left behind in Derby

British BMX Championships 18 & 19 September Cheddar, South West

2009/2010 UEC Series

European Indoor Events 12 & 13 December St Etienne, France 23 & 24 January Kortrijk, Belgium 30 & 31 January Caen, France

2010 UCI World Series

BMX Supercross

26 & 27 March Madrid, Spain 7 & 8 May Copenhagen, Denmark 25 & 26 June Europe (TBC) 10 & 11 September Chula Vista (TBC) 8 & 9 October Frejus (TBC)

BMX World Championships European Series

27 July - 1 August Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

3 & 4 April Besancon, France 1 & 2 May Perugia, Italy 22 & 23 May Weiterstadt, Germany 5 & 6 June Valkenswaard, Netherlands 19 & 20 June Klatovy, Czech 9,10 & 11 July Sandnes, Norway

2010 Summer Series

Photo: Take Two

South West Series

GLOOMY Bideford in the 2009 summer regionals

4 April Tiverton 18 April Cheddar 2 May Duchy 30 May Exeter 6/20 June Burnham (TBC) 27 June Bristol 25 July Cornwall 1 August Bideford 15 August Decoy 5 September Bath All dates subject to change