The adrenalin junkies of cycling will come out to play this weekend as round one of the British BMX series gets underway at the Manchester Velodrome.
Britain’s finest BMX talent will be on display for a near sell-out crowd, with Great Britain’s Liam Phillips – the current world champion – among them.
This weekend’s action kicks off the ten round series, which will tour the country before returning to Manchester for the final contest in September and Event Development Officer, Richard Clarkson, believes the home crowd is in for a treat.
“This weekend is a great opportunity for the people of Manchester to see some of the world’s fastest BMX riders on their own doorstep,” he told MM.
“BMX is fast and furious and it is certainly not for the faint-hearted, especially watching the people riding this track here in Manchester, as we have an 8-metre ramp and a 5-metre ramp.
“There is nothing else like it as a sport and as a spectacle it will be a premier event for the whole weekend.”
Riders from around the world will be competing at the prestigious event, including the 2013 elite men’s BMX runner up, Tory Nyhaug from Canada and Quentin Caleyron from France, who came fifth in the same event.
The willingness of athletes to take part in the event is owed in no small part to the sterling reputation of the Manchester Velodrome, according to Clarkson.
“It is used as the National Cycling Centre and of course riders from all over the world also come to use the facility,” he said.
“After people use it once they are hooked, it is a world class venue.”
Star of the British team, Phillips, will be joined in the competition by compatriots Kyle Evans and Tre Whyte as well as women’s riders Abbie Taylor and Charlotte Green.
All five competitors will use the event to prepare for the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup which takes place next month and is also being held at the Velodrome.
Clarkson was full of praise for the British team and encouraged fans to come along to witness first-hand the bright future of British BMX.
“Great Britain has got a fantastic team,” he told MM. “So anyone who comes to watch this weekend will be supporting some of the best riders Britain has had for a long, long time.
“It (British BMX) is going to go from strength to strength and this weekend will lay a marker down as to where we are at.”
For more information about the event click here.
Images courtesy of Adam.J.W.C., via WikiCommons, with thanks.
