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Report: National BMX Series Rounds 3 & 4
Full results, images and video from Rounds 3 and 4 of the British BMX Series, from Dagenham, Essex. Photographer Richard Robotham was there all weekend, developing a bad case of RSI on the shutter release, while videographer Corinne Walder pulled out all the stops to produce a mesmerising taste of the weekend, with interviews from top male and female riders and highlights of the elite men's and women's finals.
VIDEO
Dagenham British BMX National. from Shanaze Reade Series on Vimeo.
IMAGES
REPORT
In just over a year's time, the attention of the BMX world will be focused on London for the 2012 Olympic Games. London called much sooner for UK BMXers as the National Series descended on Dagenham for rounds 3 and 4.
Barking and Dagenham (BAD) BMX club had worked liked Trojans getting the track ready for the event, including sweeping off the whole track on Friday night after the deep, loose surface proved a concern to riders. The brushes and hoses came out and the orange army got the job done and with a rider count of 553 for Round 3 and 529 for Round 4, the track was ready.
Saturday
Blue skies and warm sunshine bathed the racers as day one got under way, with Marcus Bloomfield (Ultimate Pro BMX) once again stopping the clock in the fastest time for the Elite Men's Time Trial. The practice will do him good as he's scheduled to compete in the Papendal round of the UCI SX Series this coming weekend. Grant Hill (Haro) put in a strong showing, as did Kyle Evans. Grant rides to Insomnia by Faithless but finishes his lap before the intro! The majority of riders seem to favour hip hop, with Cal Strickland (Free Agent) bucking the trend with metal and Scott Waterhouse (Clark & Kent Contractors) a just plain scary tune...
Cruisers opened the motos with the mixed 9-12 class first off. Free Agent's Kim Baptista went perfect for the day in the grand prix format going 1-1-1-1 for the win. Jimmy Orena (Redman Rockstar) was equally impressive in 13-14 Cruisers with 4 points from 4 laps raced.
Jimmy's team-mate Cam Howard was another rider to tally the perfect 4 points in grand prix and earned the win in 15-16 Cruiser. Kieron Mcavoy (Clark & Kent Contractors) was in fine form in 17-29, winning ahead of Oliver Cutmore. Even more impressive is the fact that Kieron does double duty; racing Cruiser and Elite Men on 20".
Roy "Sutty" Sutton (Love Not Money - RSD Sports) didn't lose a lap all day and took his first, and his team's first, National win. 35-39 Cruiser is one tough class, every moto place is hard won and the final is always down to the wire. Redline's Alan Hill, Darren Reidy (SE Racing) Free Agent's Keith Bryceland, Mario Presi (Haro) and Martin Ogden all won a moto and all made the A Final. Hilly proved unbeatable though and took the win ahead of Reidy and Keith. Darren O'Brien crashed badly in his B Final and needed hospital treatment.
Whilst 35-39 is tough, 40-44 isn't exactly a picnic either; it's the biggest Cruiser class and stacked. Brett Archibald (ONE Bicycles) and Ian Sharp both went perfect through their motos with Clive Hawkins (Ultimate Pro BMX) getting a couple of wins too to set up an exciting Main. Richard Green was in the mix but the day belonged to Ian who took it ahead of Clive with Richard 3rd.
Keith Wilson (Dialled Bikes) was in fantastic form through the 45+ motos but the final was another matter and Nic Preece crossed the line first to add to his Round 2 win, with Tony Slater 2nd and Keith's team-mate Billy Stupple 3rd.
Cruiser racing for women has been split into two classes, with 17-29 and 30+ but both classes had a similar theme with one rider dominant in each. In the younger group EA Pure's Ria Goodman won the day whilst Kim Bent went unbeaten in 30+.
The Preston Pirates dominated the first 20" class of the day, with Rupert Twitchett, Finlay Todd and Rupert's brother Felix getting 1, 2 & 3 in 6 and Under boys. For the girls it was Team Bunneys/O'Neal rider Isabella Hurry who got the win. Ethan Duffy is an emerging talent and won 7 Boys, his first National win, whilst Redline's Emily Hutt was once again the class act in 7 Girls.
The 8 year old Boys class is both big (33 riders) and full of future stars. The skills of some of these guys need to be seen to be believed! Keon Smith-McDermott (Sharp/Full Speed BMX) got the win in front of Intense Route 55 team-mates Ethan Craik and Alex Brookes. Kobi Joyce (Big Daddy/Avent UK) got the win for the new team in 9 Boys ahead of Ryan Brookes (Intense Route 55) with Free Agent's Matt Harman third. That class is another large one (32) full of talent. Assuming they all maintain their interest in BMX we'll have a great crop of talented riders in time for the 2024 Olympic Games...
Ellie Jo Chappell (Fine Lines Racing) was the best of the bunch in the mini-Shanaze Reade class (9-10 Girls) beating Darcie Taylor into 2nd with Elissa Bradford (Bunneys/O'Neal) 3rd. Sharp/Full Speed BMX's pocket rocket Ross Cullen and MD Racing's Josh Coppin both won all their motos setting up a thrilling final. When the gate dropped it was Ross who led the way with Josh 2nd and namesake Josh Peters (EA Pure) 3rd. More young racers, more talent and a bright future.
Gideon Orena (Redman Rockstar) missed his first moto but still made the main by winning his other two. A great ride in the final saw him take the win ahead of EA Pure's Ethan Vernon. Peckham club-mates Katurah Davidson and Blaine Ridge-Davis had a fantastic battle in 11-12 Girls with Katurah edging Blaine for the win. They each ride a pastel coloured bike (one blue, one pink) so are easy to spot. That plus the fact they're both usually elbow to elbow out front too.
Haydon Green (MD Racing) looked strong in winning 12 Boys, with T & J Racing's Eddie Moore 2nd and Aaron Dalleywater (EA Pure) 3rd. Ben Carnill (Bunneys/O'Neal) was the boy to beat in 13's, ahead of Big Daddy/Avent's Lee Golder and Robert Jesson (Intense Route 55.) 13-14 Girls has some seriously skilled riders, with Redline's Valerie Zebrokova gaining confidence every round (helped no doubt by some wins under her belt) and she was in fine form taking the win ahead of another improving rider, Stay Strong's Molly Dobson. EA Pure's Lauren Stack was third.
Paddy Sharrock (EA Pure) has always been smooth and now he's developing some power to compliment it nicely, he took the win in a fast 14's class with Jack Clarke (Fine Lines Racing) no slouch in 2nd and Owen Baxter (Big Daddy/Avent) 3rd. Redman Rockstar's Jimmy Orena may need a new set of superlatives to go with reports on his riding. Fast doesn't cut it. He rounded the first berm like a rocket on a scalectrix track and took a convincing win in 15's with Dialled Bikes rider Jordan Hatcher 2nd and Taylor Andrews 3rd. Thrilling.
Not to be outdone, Jimmy's sister Angelica (Redman Rockstar) took the win in 15-16 Girls edging Bethany Campbell and Bethan Hallett (T & J Racing.) Mike Hawker (Edwardes) has long had the talent to get the wins and got a richly deserved one in 16's over Redman Rockstar pair Cam Howard and George Warner.
17-24 is lightning quick and the competition was given an extra boost by Shanaze Reade joining the action. She caused a stir by racing on a GT but no announcements were made about sponsorship. The win went to Redline's Andy Clucas, who came close last year but didn't make the top step. The Round 3 win was his third so far in this campaign ahead of Jason Fay (T & J Racing) and Tom Palmer (JR Bicycles.com) Shanaze finished 8th.
25-29 is a physical class, these guys aren't afraid to use a hefty portion of elbow to hold their position! T & J's Michael Smart survived the battle for the win, with Shaun Fry 2nd and Lee Carrick 3rd. Masters is intense, any class which has three riders with the W on their plates is tough but add three more with 1's and it gets crazy. World Champ Marco Dell'Isola (Stay Strong) got the job done ahead of reigning National Series Champ Alan Hill (Redline) and Redman Rockstar's Zoltan Buday.
Veterans has seen Pete Power return to racing this year and amaze the crowds with his seemingly effortless speed. Richard Green pushed him very close with some superb riding of his own, but sensing his rival was gaining in the last berm, Pete pumped faster and got the gap he needed for the win. Incredible skills!
Junior Men is hard to predict in terms of results as all the riders have the talent to do well, what is predictable is the sheer speed these guys tear round a BMX track! Haro's Dan Pullen got a well deserved win with Dialled Bikes phenomenon Quillan Isidore (riding up two classes!) 2nd and Ben Clarkson looking ominously fast in 3rd.
EA Pure's Charlotte Green got the victory in Championship Women but was pushed hard all the way by great riding from team-mate Ria Goodman with Redline's Ayesha McLelland also impressing in 3rd.
The eagerly anticipated Elite Men final saw a line up of Kyle Evans, Cal Strickland (Free Agent), Scott Waterhouse (Clark & Kent Contractors), Grant Hill (Haro), Gabor Deli, EA Pure's Dan McBride, Tre Whyte and Marcus Bloomfield (Ultimate Pro BMX.) Marcus had the snap but was pushed very hard by a determined Grant, shoulder to shoulder down the second straight until Marcus edged in front and stayed clear to the line. Dan was close in 3rd with excellent riding from Tre netting him 4th. Kyle was 5th, Cal 6th, Gabor 7th and Scott 8th.
Sunday
Apart from the briefest of showers, blue skies were again the order of the day for Round 4, but Mother Nature had a trick up her sleeve in the form of a nasty crosswind that caught many riders out, some with awful consequences. There were several crashes including Free Agent's Keith Bryceland who dislocated his shoulder.
The track had produced close racing on Saturday, but with the wind it meant many more races were decided on the last straight, some only at the line!
First up were the big rigs with little riders, with Kim Baptista once again taking 9-12 and Jimmy Orena 13-14. Cam Howard proved double duty isn't a disadvantage with his results and once again topped the day in 15-16. Kieron Mcavoy put his Elite skills to good use and made it two Cruiser wins for the weekend ahead of Oli Cutmore and Josh Souto in 17-29. Dave Ives (SE Racing) put his 20" bike away for Sunday and came out to play on his Cruiser, battling Roy Sutton in 30-34 and getting the win.
35-39 was again taken by Alan Hill, with Darren Reidy 2nd and Martin Ogden 3rd. The class is full of talent and in theory anyone could take it, but Hilly has remained the top dog with consistent performances at each round. 40-44 finished in the same order as Round 3, with Ian Sharp smooth and in control with the win, Clive Hawkins 2nd and Richard Green 3rd. 45+ was a thriller, with the finalists blasting round the track with seemingly no regard for the wind or their own safety. Nic Preece got the win to make it a double in Daggers.
Women's Cruiser went the way of the form book, with neither Ria Goodman in 17-29 or Kim Bent in 30+ beatable by their rivals.
Back on 20" and the youngest riders on track; 6 and Under. Rupert Twitchett was once again the top of the tree, getting the win to double for the weekend. Chloe Yates beat Round 3 winner Isabella Hurry into 2nd in the girls class. In 7's Ethan Duffy gave his dad Jamie a hard time by leaving it until a few cranks from the finish line to edge ahead of William Goode for the win. Emily Hutt ruled the roost again in 7-8 Girls, comfortably winning every lap of the day.
In 8's Alex Brookes was looking a cert for a high place but a crash saw him cross the line 8th. The win went to club-mate Keon Smith McDermott with Ethan Craik second. 9's saw better luck for Alex's older brother Ryan with 2nd, but the win went to Matt Harman who put in a great ride. Imogen Hill put in a great ride of her own with a win in 9-10 Girls, with Darcie Taylor again second and previous day's winner Ellie Jo Chappell 3rd.
Ross Cullen is making a habit of winning Nationals, he always has a smile on his face off the track too! 2nd place in 10's went to Nathan Wood with Josh Peters 3rd. Gideon Orena is another rider who's no stranger to the top step of the podium, again taking the win in 11's ahead of Ethan Vernon and Euan Hunt. 11-12 Girls was an absolute thriller, with the girls from Peckham at it again; Katurah Davidson and Blaine Ridge Davis had yet another close fight, with them shoulder to shoulder down the third straight and all the way to the line. A fantastic ride from both, with Blaine turning the tables from the previous day and taking the win.
In 12's George Moret took a popular win in his hi-vis yellow top, a great result to beat Harley Taylor into 2nd. Ben Armitage took 3rd. In 13-14 Girls Valerie Zebrokova and Lauren Stack were having a battle royale down the third straight with Val trying to go inside, a clash of wheels brought both girls down and Free Agent's Alesi Tye was well placed to take advantage and powered home for the win. ONE's Jenny Noble took second. No such drama in 15-16 Girls with Angelica Orena again winning ahead of Beth Campbell. In 13's Robert Jesson had some awesome pull and got the win, with Daigoro Fortune an excellent 2nd and Tom Novis 3rd.
Paddy Sharrock didn't lose a lap all day, taking another win in 14's, Jack Clarke got the runner up spot and Jake Power finished a brilliant 3rd, speed and skill run deep in that family! Jimmy Orena. Winner. That's pretty much it for 15's, as Jimmy rode another great final for the win, with Brad Spick 2nd and Callum Wing 3rd. 16's saw Round 3 winner Mike Hawker 3rd, beaten by a great ride from Reece Hoggart with Cam Howard 2nd, a fine result to go with his Cruiser win.
17-24 was another drama filled race, close racing at eye-watering speed with no-one certain who the winner would be until the line! Mark Maddox proved his form continues to improve on 20", he's long been a success on Cruisers but the small bike suits him just as well. Andy Clucas took second to cement his overall lead with Tom Palmer 3rd.
Michael Smart was pushed hard by Mike Pinnock in 25-29, both winning 2 laps in the grand prix format, but a 4th and 2nd to go with it gave Smart the edge over Pinnock's 4th and 5th. Almost like who had the best hand in poker. Except with tough physical racing thrown in for good measure.
Masters saw a great fight between Zoltan Buday and Alan Hill, with Hilly taking it. Vets saw a repeat for Pete, as Power took it again ahead of Richard Green. Jack Hall (ONE Bicycles) got a richly deserved win in Junior Men, but watch out for runner up Quillan Isidore who again placed 2nd, he's a rare talent, even amongst such illustrious company. Dan Pullen was 3rd.
Championship was a fantastic battle all the way to the line, with Ayesha McLelland pipping Charlotte Green to the post for a brilliant win. Ria Goodman was again in the mix with 3rd.
The only changes to the Elite Men line up for Sunday's main were Curtis Manaton (Ultimate Pro BMX) and Jordan Hayes (EA Pure) replacing Cal Strickland and Gabor Deli on the gate. Marcus had again been the man to beat through motos but unclipped on the first straight leaving him seemingly well out of it in 8th. Kyle Evans took full advantage and put the hammer down, leading Grant Hill at warp speed round the track.. Behind though, Bloomy was putting in a ride for the ages, with a stunning move in the second berm taking him from last to mid pack. He ran out of track though and Kyle proved too fast, taking a fantastic first win at Elite level, with Grant 2nd. Tre Whyte continued his good weekend with 3rd and Bloomy an amazing 4th. Dan McBride was 5th, Jordan 6th, Curtis 7th and Scott Waterhouse 8th.
The next rounds of the National Series are at Braintree, winner of last year's Best National award on the first weekend in July, see you there!
