Bike race thrills, Medal-winners, Xcitement for all!
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS COME TO HUNCOTE
TWO Olympic medal winners proved their class as the British BMX Championships came to Leicestershire.
Olympic gold medallist and world champion Bethany Shriever was joined by Olympic silver medallist Kye White, rising to the challenge and putting on a show where they both led from the first corner and comfortably held on to the front to win their respective elite categories and the titles of 2021 British BMX Champions.
Having recently returned from the Netherlands, where Bethany won the 2021 UCI BMX World Championships – making her the first British BMX cyclist to win both the Olympic gold and World Championship title in the same year – she wowed the spectators with her open and friendly manner and kind words for her fans.
“It was nice to come back here and see everyone and just appreciate everyone’s support because it has been absolutely incredible,” she said.
The racing took place at the Leicester Huncote Hornets track in Huncote, with groups coming from all parts of the country for the highlight of the racing calendar this year.
Club chairman Jan Freakley said: “I started the club just over 12 years ago working with the kids in the village. We lease the land off the council and got this built six years ago.”
Jan said about hosting the championships: “It’s the pinnacle of BMX racing in the UK, without a doubt.
“It’s a great sport. There is a lot of skill involved, but it is open to all ages.
“We have had a child of three at this club, who is now five and competes.
“The oldest competitor we have in the club is around 50 and there are 65 to 70-year-olds still competing.”
Like many clubs, Huncote Hornets has to raise its own money to keep afloat.
Jan said: “We get £5,000 from British Cycling to host the event for them, but the toilets cost £2,700 so it does not go very far.
“I think the sport is going to grow a lot. It has grown a lot since lockdown. We have had a massive influx of new riders, which is great to see.
“I think because of the Olympics and with Bethany on the female side we will get a lot more female riders, which I am looking forward to because we do not have enough.”
“I think it will go mad this year – I would like to think so. I am looking forward to the future.
“I hope British Cycling will fund more riders in the future. I know they are under all sorts of pressure to support other disciplines such as freestyle BMX.
“We have some incredible riders and with the right support could be the Kye Whites of the future.”
The championships included veteran and elite classes, junior men, and from six-year-olds upwards, all racing over two days. Huncote Hornets rider Freddy Leitch, eight, said: “I came to a party and my friends tried it out. I started riding and got the hang of it quite quickly.”
Freddy has been riding for two years and is in his first season competing.
He said he was nervous about riding in the competition, but enjoyed riding the tracks and going to different places.
He said: “Some tracks are smaller than this one, but as this is my track I hope to do well.”
Jo Burston, 59, of London, has been riding for about three years and got into it because her son wanted to race.
“He decided he didn’t want to race as he did not like the competitive side of it but I did so I just kept going,” she said.
“This is my first year of nationals. I did regionals in 2019 and this is my first Brits. I am excited, nervous, all the usual.”
The Sunday racing was split with a parade before the finals featuring each region putting on a display.
Hundreds of people lined up at the start gate and ran, walked, and danced around the track.
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