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Area 47 hosted the LCQ for the 2023 UCI Pump Track World Championships. The indoor pump track facility will welcome the qualified riders from all over the world on 18 November. The Last Chance Qualifier was the last opportunity to be part of the event in 10 days' time. It was a pretty stacked field of riders for the LCQ and a massive thanks to the riders that already secured their tickets to the UCI World Final for taking it easy today.

Tanguy GRANDJEAN and Kristína NOVÁKOVÁ took the win in their respective categories in solid form to line up on November 18th for the big showdown. Fastest times for the day belonged to UCI World Champ Christa von Niederhaeusern in 13.985 and Tristan Borel in 12.749 secs.

"Have a nice weekend!" Tom v.d. Bogaard said when I left Area 51 today. It's Monday, and the week has just started. It's not even a bank holiday so Tom's confusion that it was Monday and not the weekend was just right. BMX competitions normally don't take place on a Monday morning/afternoon but since the park is closed for visitors on Monday, it opens up an opportunity to hold a contest for the pros and those who could get a day off work or school. The deadline for UCI's Nation ranking that is used for quota places to make it into the Olympic Qualifier Series is December 5th. Now that we're at it, an other C1 competition will take place on Monday December 4th, exactly, right before the deadline. So those riders looking to add some more UCI ranking points to their name still have a chance and should mark December 4th on their calendar. Luckily Indy Kramer signed up last minute in order to give Kim Lea Müller at least a little bit of competition. With Area 51 being Indy's local park, the 15 years old Dutch rider knows every inch of it. The tricks she brought were no-handers, X-ups on hips, box jumps and into the wall as well as T-bogs and cancans. The flow she has certainly helps as she makes it look good. Kim however is a top contender from Germany and with her tailwhip over the spine she confirmed first place in Eindhoven.

With riders from Costa Rica, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic and The Netherlands, the Monday morning Men Park comp was an international affaire. Orlando Amsing, Jose Quedada and Fabian Müller missed the 8-final cut where riders from Belgium/Czech/Germany and Netherlands

battled for the prize money, bragging rights and points. 8th place went to Gerrit van Opdenbosch (BEL) with 7th for Levi Weidmann who didn't manage to pull a clean run but did bar bar 720's, braspin fronties and trucks like it was nothing. Levi always sends it but paid the price in today's final. A quick check-up showed nothing was broken so he'll be back in action shortly. 6th place went to Czech National Champion Mikulas Rehorik who flair whipped, 3-double whipped and also dec-8'd over the spine. It's an indication on the level these days. Wilhelm Kittler is a new talent (18) from Halberstadt Germany. He's got moves so watch out. Kenneth Tancré put all effort in completing run number 2 and ended up with 4th place, just missing out on the podium. Tom Clemens rides Area51 a lot, but so do the other two riders who ended up on spot 1 and 2. Tom's young and hungry and showed what he's got. It didn't matter it was Monday. 3rd place for the German. When the clock starts for a 60 second run you never know what to expect from Paul Thoelen. Next to the flowy style, height and style, the German also brought barspin, seatgrabs, flairs and even the no-handed backflip which he normally only unpacks at World Cups. It worked though as Paultje Pils scored a 2nd place in Eindhoven. First place: Tom van den Bogaard. After Levi's crash in his second run and completing a great first run Tom called it a day. The gamble that his first run would seal the deal for a win is a gamble that worked out fine as Tom grabbed first place at Area 51, his local park.

BdJ

Men Park:
1 Tom VAN DEN BOGAARD 27 NED   200.00 UCI Ranking Points
2 Paul THÖLEN 25 GER                       160.00
3 Tom CLEMENS 18 GER                    130.00
4 Kenneth TANCRE 28 BEL                 110.00
5 Hans Wilhelm KITTLER 19 GER        90.00
6 Mikuláš ŘEHOŘÍK 20 CZE                 70.00
7 Levi WEIDMANN 23 NED                  50.00
8 Gerrit VAN OPDENBOSCH 23 BEL   30.00
9 Fabian MÜLLER 19 GER                    20.00
10 Jose QUESADA FONSECA 23 CRC 10.00

Women Park:
1 Kim Lea MÜLLER 21 GER  200.00 UCI Ranking Points
2 Indy KRÄMER 15 NED        160.00

Pics by Bart de Jong / @fatbmx