Photo Epic: Pump Track World Championships
The third ever Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships is wrapped up for another year. The event has come a long way since its beginnings in 2018 where we saw the first World Championships in Arkansas, a joint Velosolutions and Red Bull endeavour which would later become recognised as an official UCI event.
As with just about everything else in 2020, Covid royally f*cked last years event and so the 2019 winners, Tommy Zula and Payton Ridenour reigned World Champs for an additional year, meaning the riders that came up short two years prior in Bern were coming into this event even more determined to dethrone the running champs.
Photos and Words by Dan Griffiths.
Rider briefing with Olympic & UCI show caller, Max Cluer, before practice gets underway.
Tommy Zula's Airbourne rig gets the once over before Saturday practice.
There's a lot to get right on the pump track and the smallest of mistakes will cost you the win. Everybody was on track early Saturday morning getting things dialled in before the afternoon itinerary began.
There's some serious pump track talent coming out of the states... exhibit A, Cole Suetos, now the 14th fastest pump track racer in the world.
Exhibit B, the reigning champ, Tommy Zula.
Another one from across the pond, Collin Hudson, showing that even in the run up to World Champs there's still time for fun.
Riders travel from every corner of the Globe to take their shot at the World Title. Columbia's Miguel Calixto was on reserve for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and was racing in Lisbon last week alongside girlfriend, Vineta Pētersone; Latvian National Champ and Tokyo 2020 Olympian.
Morning practice over, next on the agenda as part of the Velosolutions rider experience... surfs up.
For most it was their first time on a surfboard so we chose to give Nazaré a miss this time around and settled for a slightly more mellow spot just down the coast.
With briefing finished and the riders now fully trained surfers it was time to catch some waves... still, you'd be forgiven for not setting your expectations too high.
I mean... I suppose you could call it character building.
If anything, it was a great bonding experience.
Successfully standing... Aiko Gommers would go on to achieve other great things come Sunday.
Merel Smulders showing that her talents extend beyond Tokyo 2020 bronze medals.
Khothalang Leuta takes a breather before another battle with the waves.
Regardless of performance, nobody on the gram has to know how well the actual surfing went.
Sign up... it's race day.
Nothing like the iconic Velosolutions red stripe and UCI rainbow to let you know it's time for business.
The riders line up for practice - one last chance to dial things in before the big show.
And we're underway - T-minus 2 hours to racing.
Overlooked by the humongous Vasco da Gama bridge, much to my disappointment it doesn't offer pedestrian access, so birds eye perspectives were off limits.
A reminder that just because it's race day that doesn't mean you can't bring the style too.
Mother to three daughters, Cory Coffey is killing it, balancing motherhood with her role on the USA Cycling National Team. Fun fact, in 2001, at the age of 19, she was the first woman to ever land a backflip in competition and has since won two World Championships in Freestyle BMX.
There were plenty of familiar faces over the weekend, Adrien Loron went home with P9.
Lunch break before the real work starts, Bon Appétite.
First up is qualifying for the round of 16.
Twenty odd minutes to set your best time and then pray you've made the cut.
If all goes to plan you're assigned one of sixteen plates and it's go time for the knockout rounds.
Observing Eddy Clerte throughout the week it was very clear he meant business. At just 23 years old, the level of professionalism that he gives to his racing is unmatched and if anybody was deserving of the stripes it had to be this guy, we were all rooting for him.
The Women are off. A slow lap to introduce the final 16 to the Portuguese crowd before the timed runs begin.
Racing was... intense.
The Women's final would come down to these two; 17 year old Aiko Gommers and reigning champ, Payton Ridenour.
16 women knocked down to 8 and it was time for the men to get underway.
German Philip Schaub showed early on in the field that he was one to watch.
Meanwhile Eddy was living up to expectations.
Mistakes on track knocked Tommy out of the competition earlier on than expected but he remained in good spirits.
Pump Track racing is some high intensity sh*t and unfortunately for Niels Bensink some serious cramp in the final 4 cost him his chance at a win.
We were gutted for him not make the big final but we did get to see a final lap from him to finish his World Champs experience with honour.
Down to the final two men and women, first up was the battle between Payton and Aiko.
Payton was looking really strong and would hope for a repeat of her 2019 victory.
But Aiko wasn't here to mess about and it was an intense battle that could certainly have gone either way.
At the finish just 0.350 seconds separated Gommers from Payton.
With the hard work out the way it was well earned victory lap for the new World Champ.
Sportsmanship at its finest, despite the obvious disappointment, Payton was stoked for Aiko.
The final race was about to get underway; Eddy Clerte would battle Philip Schaub for the title.
There was a tension in the air, we all knew what was at stake, it was laser focus for the last two riders.
Philip was up first, you could see the determination in his eyes, he left nothing on the track.
28.920 was his time but would it be enough?
Eddy has been plagued with bad luck in previous years... 2018 in Arkansas saw him slip a pedal in the finals run against Olympian, David Graf and at Bern in 2019 he popped his shoulder out the day before finals... he went on the next day to take 3rd. This final run would determine whether he went home disappointed... or World Champion.
Watching his run there was absolutely no doubt that he was here to win and yet he still sailed over the triple on the second straight like it was nothing... a huge hit that few were taking on even during practice.
It was an immaculate run.
Job done. Third time was the charm, two seconds up, Eddy crossed the line World Champion.
With whatever energy was left, he bolted straight into the arms of his dad, Mickael... after two years of disappointment, emotions were high.
Catch your breath, you've just won World Champs, it's interview time.
And stand for the National Anthem of Belgium... Aiko Gommers is united with the rainbow jersey.
The all important champagne showers, that's when you know it's real.
The top 3. For the women, it was Christa Von Niederhäusern in 3rd, Payton Ridenour 2nd and Aiko Gommers 1st. For the men, Thibault Dupont took 3rd, Philip Schaub 2nd and Eddy Clerte 1st.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2021 Pump Track World Champions, Aiko Gommers and Eddy Clerte.
Full results here.
Photos and Words by Dan Griffiths.
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It also says either long pant or knee guards, why Eddy ran none of them?
There aren't really that many mandatory rules:
* wheelsize 20"+
* 1 brake
* no clips
* no automatic transmissions, motors etc
* no pegs
* shirt, shoes mandatory
* helmet mandatory (fullface mandatory for the world finals)
Before I set up my 24" rigid I did consider a cheap race 20" BMX but, my aching back, old man reaction times an balance put me off :'D
- Slow down to be able to pedal between those rollers or
- Pedal in such an inefficient way, that you lose speed, compared to pumping.
"...the level of professionalism that he gives to his racing is unmatched and if anybody was deserving of the stripes it had to be this guy."
I'm not so sure that I agree that professionalism = deserving of a win. I do think Eddy earned his win, and massive congrats to him - he was consistent on track, pulling the triple, and ruthlessly fast. Something feels weird to me about him "deserving" the stripes though, and I can't put my finger on exactly what.
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Cant see how anybody would be able to look forward to competing w/him. Dudes a brick house.
Was this televised?
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www.instagram.com/p/CM42_ERniL0
Cool to see @Cole_Suetos getting some coverage. Great kid who loves riding his bike (he also crushes it on MTB)