Telford BMX riders set for US championship
Five riders from a Telford BMX club are celebrating after qualifying for the 2020 UCI BMX World Championship in America.
Wrekin Riders BMX Club coach and chairman Kieran Edwards, along with his members Chelsey Barnett, aged 12, Erin Marsh, aged 10, Eddie Smallman, aged 10, and Peyton Collier, aged nine, have all qualified for the main event to be held in Houston, Texas in May.
The riders all train at the national standard floodlit club track on Duce Drive in Dawley and have travelled across the UK during 2019 in the British BMX Series.
Their results have seen them finish in the top 14 in their age categories meaning they have been selected for the Worlds.
Edwards from Donnington and Chelsey from Doseley, both travelled to Belgium for this year’s World Championships but it will be the first time Eddie from Lawley, Erin from Cookley, Kidderminster and Peyton from Wellington have qualified.
The news comes just a few months after Erin took the British number 8 title at the British BMX Series in Derby.
Kieran also runs the national race team UCC VGC BMX Race Team of which Chelsey and Eddie are members of.
Edwards said: “Every one of the riders who qualified have worked extremely hard over the year. It has been a joy to watch them train hard and develop so much in a short space of time.
“They all deserve their place and they have been offered an opportunity to now ride at the Worlds at Houston which is brilliant.”
Passion
Eddie decided to ride two bikes during this year’s national series - a 20 inch and a Cruiser - which resulted in him qualifying on his Cruiser bike.
The families are now saving in a bid to make the trip to Texas in what is an Olympic year and will see riders who they share tracks with across the UK represent Team GB.
“It has been an amazing year for Wrekin Riders - we have run the Telford & Council Let’s Get Telford Active sessions after being successful in a grant application and we have also won support from the Wellington Rotary for a clubhouse and a toilet block.
“We have seen hundreds of new faces come through the gates and try out BMX racing for the first time.
“We are a small, solely voluntary run not for profit club where everyone shares the same passion. Seeing the children and the adults getting fit and having fun through a sport which takes them all over the world is amazing,” Mr Edwards added.
Many of the club riders are also preparing to tour Europe in the European rounds next year and also race in the European Championships at Dessel in July.
These races will be enjoyed on top of the Midlands Regional Series and the HSBC British BMX Series.
The Telford-based club is waiting to find out if they will be hosting two rounds of the British BMX Series in 2020. The club has previously hosted the national races last year and in 2016.
To find out more about the club follow them on Facebook @Wrekinriders.
