The 2014 British BMX Series heads for the recently revamped Preston track for rounds four and five and with a strong field of British Cycling Olympic Academy and Development Programme riders in attendance, competition will be fierce.

The Preston track has recently benefitted from a £100,000 overhaul, bringing the London Road venue up to the standard to host two rounds of Britain’s premier domestic BMX racing series.

The track is home to Preston Pirates BMX Club, the grassroots Lancashire club that spawned Great Britain’s Kyle Evans, with the club co-promoting the event in association with the North Region BMX commission. 

Decoy BMX Club’s Dan McBride leads the overall elite men’s standings after three rounds, with 97.5 points, ahead of Manchester BMX Club’s Calum Strickland on 81.5 points.

McBride missed the first round in Manchester but a strong performance in Kent, where the rider won round two and finished third in round three, was enough to give him the top spot.

Third place overall and just four points behind Strickland lies fellow Manchester BMX Club rider Jacob Roberts, setting up an interesting tussle at the top of the table.   

The leading trio will face a tough challenge from British Cycling Olympic Development Programme rider Quillan Isidore.

Back to fine form after breaking his leg last year in Birmingham, 17-year-old Isidore took his first-ever elite victory at round three in Kent and will start in Preston alongside fellow development rider Paddy Sharrock.

However, all are likely to have to make way for British Cycling Olympic Academy Programme rider Tre Whyte, the Peckham Challengers BMX Club rider getting some valuable racing under his belt in Preston before heading to the UEC BMX European League the following weekend.

In the championship women’s class, Kent saw Blaine Ridge-Davis dominate proceedings with two wins to move her 25 points clear at the head of the standings ahead of British Cycling Olympic Development Programme rider Valerie Zebrokova.

The Peckham Challengers BMX Club rider is however absent from the Preston start list, giving Zebrokova opportunity to gain much-needed ground.

Zebrokova will have to watch her back though, with Ayesha McLelland just three points behind her after consistent performances in all three rounds. Former world-champion Joey Gough is close too, the 33-year-old just one point behind McLelland.

Likely to steal high-value placings from all the series contenders is the on-form British Cycling Academy Programme rider Charlotte Green. Riding for Cornwall BMX Club, Green is fresh off the back of a semi-final ride in the Papendal UCI BMX Supercross round and, like Whyte in the men’s category, has been selected to compete in the Euros in Klazienaveen, Netherlands from 31 May-1 June.

Racing begins at the London Road track at 12 noon with categories from six and under to 40+ veteran.