Niels Bensink | Gearing up for the 2023 UCI Pump Track World Championships
Follow Niels Bensink on Instagram
Photos by Niels Bensink / Moonhead Media
Niels Bensink | Gearing up for the 2023 UCI Pump Track World Championships
Follow Niels Bensink on Instagram
Photos by Niels Bensink / Moonhead Media
The 2023 UCI Pump Track World Championships are less than a week away and the 2022 Men’s World Champion, Niels Bensink, is gearing up for his defence of the UCI rainbow stripes. He’ll be shredding Austria’s Area 47 indoor Velosolutions creation on his brand-new alloy Meybo HSX … fitted with OS20 wheels. Unlike the prototype frame he won on last year in Chile, the 2024 bike is a ‘standard’ frame that is ‘compatible’ with OS20. We believe it’s the exact same geometry as the Carbon version of the frame we see ripping up tracks at the UCI BMX Racing World Cups. Niels put it like this … ‘Yes, this is the normal 20” inch HSX frame but with some minor changes to fit the OS20 wheels. It has the same design and geometry as the carbon frame. In my opinion this is such a great feature to have because you can switch set ups between different tracks or to suit your riding style, and even ride a mullet if you wish. The main reason for me to opt for the bigger wheels two years ago was the smaller gap to the 26” wheels I am so used to. Only then I found out how much faster the bike rolls once it’s up to speed. It also rides a lot more comfortable which saves energy.’ Niel’s did let us know he’s been testing the option of riding ‘mullet’ (OS20 in front, 20” rear wheel), but won’t commit to whether we’ll see this next weekend in Austria.
If you follow Niels on social media, and you should, you will have seen him riding a lot of MTB on pump tracks so we were glad to see him with a new BMX for the event, answering the age old question … what’s quicker around a pump track, a MTB or BMX? ‘I feel a lot better on the BMX this time as last year the first time I rode it in 4 months was the first day of practice’, Niels told us. ‘My BMX is definitely a racing machine that wants to go fast every lap. On my dirt jumper I can play around a bit more with a little bit more room for error. Both have their benefits and disadvantages. But when it comes to asphalt racing, I’ll stick to the BMX!’
This week will be Niels first time to ride the Velosolutions track in Area 47, but like everyone one else who has seen the videos from the venue he is impressed, ‘it looks like a dope set up’, he remarked, but he does think it will present some new challenges, ‘I think it’s a complete different track that requires different skills, a different strategy and more precision. Cornering will be the name of the game this year which I am really excited about. A mountain bike background might be an advantage this year. The lap times will be half of what they were last year so I am curious to see what the gaps will be like’.
Meybo HSX 2024 Alloy Edition Frame XXXL
(OS20 and 20” Compatible with Fixed Rear End and Chain Guide)
SD Components X Carbon Forks, OS20 Compatible
Prototype Carbon OS20 SD Component Rims
SD Sniper Pro Hubs
Vee Tire Co Speedbooster OS20 x 1.85 Front and Rear
Box One Oversized Chromoly 8” Bars
Box One Oversized Top Load Stem 53mm
Box One x ODI Lock-On Grips
Box Two Integrated Headset
Shimano XT Flat Mount Disc Brake with 120mm Disc
Box One Carbon Seat
Box One Quick Release Clamp
Beringer E2 Elite Cranks 175mm
SD Components Bottom Bracket
HT Components AE05 Flat Pedals
Box Components Two 46-18T Chainring
KMC Z1eHX Chain
Mechanic: Willie Meijer
Meybo HSX 2024 Alloy Edition Frame XXXL
(OS20 and 20” Compatible with Fixed Rear End and Chain Guide)
SD Components X Carbon Forks, OS20 Compatible
Prototype Carbon OS20 SD Component Rims
SD Sniper Pro Hubs
Vee Tire Co Speedbooster OS20 x 1.85 Front and Rear
Box One Oversized Chromoly 8” Bars
Box One Oversized Top Load Stem 53mm
Box One x ODI Lock-On Grips
Box Two Integrated Headset
Shimano XT Flat Mount Disc Brake with 120mm Disc
Box One Carbon Seat
Box One Quick Release Clamp
Beringer E2 Elite Cranks 175mm
SD Components Bottom Bracket
HT Components AE05 Flat Pedals
Box Components Two 46-18T Chainring
KMC Z1eHX Chain
Mechanic: Willie Meijer
Since the inception of the Pump Track World Championships, the skill level has exploded in both the men’s and women’s classes, with some riders arguably becoming specialists in the discipline, making winning the stripes more difficult with every passing year. When pressed on his confidence levels, the reigning World Champion seems quietly optimistic while recognising the mammoth task ahead, ‘I don’t know how I am feeling to be honest. I know what I’m capable of and I’ve done it before but at the same time I see the rise in popularity of Pump Track racing and the value of the rainbow jersey to everyone else. It seems like all of us have stepped up our game once more and with not a lot of opportunities every year to race your competitors it’s hard to gauge where you stand. I feel like we are in for some very tight racing that’s for sure’. When it comes to the lap times, the vector that will ultimately decide the new World Champion, Niels is surprisingly not overly concerned about them, ‘For me the times mean not much. You can be fast early, but it doesn’t mean you win the race. It’s my 5th World Champs and I trust my experience so I will go with the flow and do what I’ve been doing every year which is ticking off clean laps wasting no energy. In the end I’m a huge fan of the sport and all the riders so I will watch everybody closely as a super fan’ … Niels knows it will take a lot more that the ability to post fast times this weekend to life the trophy. The Pump Track World Championships is ultimately a war of attrition … where experience, strategy and cunning may be just as important as raw speed and skill … we can’t wait to see what happens in Austria this weekend.
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