The countdown is now on for the 2017 European BMX Championships that will be held in Bordeaux (France) from 14 to 16 July.
This year the continental race will be again a high level event that will take place in the magnificent setting of the ‘Place des Quinconces’, right in the center of Bordeaux.
It will in fact be a very special edition as the 1’750 athletes, representing 26 countries, will compete in races for the categories Cruisers, Challenge and Championship (juniors and elite). Concerning the Championship classes four titles are scheduled: Juniors (Men and Women) and Elite (Men and Women).
An impressive line up of riders is expected with the three first ranked in each category of the 2017 European Cup and all top class athletes.
In the Elite category, the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London gold medallist, Maris Strombergs. The Latvian rider also winner of two Elite World Championships will be racing against the winners of the last two rainbow titles: the current World Champion, Joris Daudet and the Dutch rider Niek Kimmann, world gold medallist in 2015, the winner of the 2017 UEC BMX European Cup, Kyle Evans (Great Britain) and the young Frenchman, Mathis Ragot who is making his debut in this category after winning the Juniors continental title last year in Verona (Italy).
Kevin van der Groenendaal (Netherlands), who has had an excellent season and is at the top of the UCI Ranking also thanks to his success in the 2017 UEC BMX European Cup, will be the man to beat in the Juniors category.
In the Elite Women’s category, the German, Sarah Sailer will have to defend her 2016 title and race against the other Dutch rider Laura Smulders, leader of the UCI ranking, the Russian, Yaroslava Bondarenko and the Dane, Simone Christensen, still strong contenders in big events, as well as the Dutch duo Ruby Huisman and Merel Smulders, winners last year of the Juniors world title and European title. In the Juniors, after her success in the 2017 UEC BMX European cup final ranking, the Latvian, Vineta Petersone and the British rider, Bethany Shriever will be among the favourites.
David Lappartient, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: «We are about to experience a historic edition of the European BMX Championships in Bordeaux, in a unique setting. We will witness a top level event in keeping with tradition in a discipline that we strongly believe in and have always invested in. The huge success of the full live streaming of the ten UEC BMX European Cup rounds, the live TV coverage of the Men and Women Elite races in Bordeaux, thanks to the agreement with the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and the ever increasing interest from insiders and others and in terms of those practising the sport, are the best proof that BMX still has significant growth opportunities. I would like to thank the City of Bordeaux for its welcome, the organising committee of the Stade Bordelais ASPTT BMX lead by its President, Bruno Ripault and the French Cycling Federation. The great spectacle and dynamism of races taking place in the fascinating backdrop of the ‘Place des Quinconces’, that will host the French Championships the week before, will make it a unique and unforgettable edition of the European BMX Championships».
Info 2017 BMX European Championships, Bordeaux (Fra) - #EuroBMX17 – click here
