The Olympic cycle starts all over again this year. It's only 3 years now till Paris 2024 and preparation has started already. Australia's Izaac Kennedy has Paris in mind, and he will be there this time. But that means dedication to the training program, eating healthy and running the correct bike with the best bike parts. Read on to see what Izaac has in store for us this year.
Name: Izaac Kennedy
Age: 21
Hometown: Gold Coast, Australia
Sponsors: Speedco, LUXBMX, Knobby, Vans
Did 2021 turn out the way you wanted?
Izaac Kennedy: Well no it didn’t go how I wanted it to with dealing with an injury and not being selected for the Olympics but overall, it was still a solid year. I made the final at the UCI World's, a few USABMX podiums, finished the year off with another National title and got to travel the world racing my bike so still a lot positives to take from it.
Blue Ridge Nationals. Friday 28 January 2022. VA Horse Center - Lexington, VA
Pro Open results:
1) PATRICK COO 19 1 BELLFLOWER CA VELOCITY BIKE CO 16160667 562 NC
2) JONNIE VANCE 24 2 BALTIMORE MD SUPERCROSSBMX 16233320 30 NAT
3) CAMERON BRAMER 20 3 SOUTH PARK PA 18690164 456 NC
4) VICTOR BEHM 28 4 MAYSLANDING NJ 18410105 145 NC
NILE WILSON RODE A BMX AND JUMPED HOW HIGH?! by Olympic BMX Champion Beth Shriever.
Setting new goals for the new year is something most of us do. How can you better yourself? Is my training on point or is there someone out there who can teach me more? Is my equipment on point? Do I need to focus on Pumptracks? How do I do on the 8 meter hill? Where is the room for improvement? Mongoose's Payton ‘P-Nut’ Ridenour has tasted what Elite Racing is like and is now building on being stronger in 2022.
Name: Payton ‘P-Nut’ Ridenour
Age: 19
Hometown: Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA
Sponsors: Mongoose, FLY, Shimano, WD-40, EVS, USA BMX Foundation, ODI, Tioga, E6, Onyx, Answer, Oakley, Socksmith, Potter Racing, HRP Designs.
Did 2021 turn out the way you wanted?
Payton Ridenour: The 2021 season definitely turned out the way I wanted! My coach Arielle Martin-Verhaaren and I set some big goals at the beginning of the season. My main focus was to qualify for the
Being a BMX veteran doesn't mean you do not have to prepare for the upcoming season. Elke Vanhoof has been around for many years and her 2022 training has already started. How can you better yourself? Is the training schedule on point? Has the carbon bike arrived yet? Will it make a difference? Do I need to focus on Pumptracks? How do I do on the 8 meter hill? Elke explains in the interview below.
Name: Elke Vanhoof
Age: 30
Setting new goals for the new year is something most of us do. How can you better yourself? Is my training on point or is there someone out there who can teach me more? Is my equipment on point? Do I need a fresh start at a new company? Today we're checking in with Sylvain André, W3 in 2019, W2 in 2021 and his sights set on the W1 plate at this year's UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Nantes, France.
Name: ANDRE
Age: 29
Hometown: Cavaillon, South Of France
Sponsors: Commencal, Armée de champions. Michelin, DIG Tracks, 6D helmets, Five Gloves, Tangent , HT Pedals, Beauty Sané
Did 2021 turn out the way you wanted?
Sylvain André: Yes and no. I was hoping for a little better at the Olympics. Even if 2nd at the World's sounds (and is) amazing, I would be down to re race that lap and try to tbone Niek [Kimmann] somewhere. French champion, 2nd at the World's and 4th at the Olympics, I am not going to complain; at all.
With the start of the new year, are you always looking to become a faster racer?
Interview with Kamren Larsen about the last season and how he feels about the upcoming season, also get to know a little more about him!
The opportunity was too good.
"Before meeting Sylvain, there had never been any question of returning to BMX, but within a few days everything had changed. We chatted, shared our stories and decided it was on, nice, let’s go! It's not complicated, it's just real life. One where nothing is ever set in stone, where our job is to dream and make people dream." - Max [Commencal].
When we offered him to race the 4X World Championships in Val di Sole in 2021 on a COMMENCAL, his response and his motivation should have alerted us about his personality. We could have understood that this meeting could not be a coincidence.
Name: Vincent Pelluard
Age: 31
Hometown: Medellín, Colombia
Sponsors: GW, Shimano, Under armour, NoLogo, Box, Promax, Izumi, California Extreme, YCF, Cycles Evasion, Michelin, Ice Fast, Renthal…
Did 2021 turn out the way you wanted?
Vincent Pelluard: Not really, it was way better, haha. I was looking for my first UCI World Cup final to make to the Olympics and I finally made 5 finals, 1 podium and made it to the Olympics and some others good results…
First race of 2022, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.