Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier

Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier | Texas and Canada 2022

What a weekend in the UCI Red Bull Pump Track World Championship qualifiers world. The show rolled into both Paris, Texas and Langford, Canada … and the BMX riders put on a show! Four first place podiums for the sport, big wheels can’t hide the fact that Niels Bensink is a BMX rider … plus he had already qualified for the November Worlds finals in Chile on his real bike.

Red Bull Pump Track Qualifier Paris Texas - Stephen Smith

USA: Paris, Texas

Photos Stephen Smith

A steady stream of heavy hitters rolled into Paris, Texas, for the Worlds qualifier on the 15,000 square foot Velosolutions creation at the Love Civic Centre. The Reno sisters as well as former World Champion in the sport, Payton Ridenour, came looking for a ticket to Chile … all three with plenty of Red Bull Pump Track experience, all three where in Lisbon, Portugal for 2021 for the Worlds finals, all three want to be at the 2022 finals. Alec Bob was also in Texas, he was also at the 2021 Lisbon finals.

The women’s event was a burner, every fast time that Ridenour clocked, was quickly surpassed by Shealen Reno on her new, and very purple, carbon Supercross. Shealen took the top qualifying spot.

The ‘Big Final’ pitted both Shealen and Payton in one final showdown. By the halfway mark it was too close to tell who was in the lead, but the second half of the lap was Payton’s … super focussed and mistake free, she took the win and the all-expense paid ticket to the finals by just 0.205 of a second.

The men’s class had an immediate favourite in Alec Bob who had placed second to Tommy Zula at the first USA Qualifier in Gaston County, NC. The field of challengers were deep though, and this would come down to some hard work from Alec. The 2021 finals here came down to Bob and Andersen Amakye, and once again they would qualify one and two in the timed runs.

In the ‘Big Finals’ Amakye faced Alec in a repeat battle from 2021 for the top spot and the amazing transfer lines and style that Amakye had in practice was going to have to translate to his fastest run of the day if he was to take down Alec for the ticket to the finals. At the halfway it was anyone’s race and by the finish line Amakye had laid down his fastest time of the day. Alec had a slower time than his timed qualifying run, but it was still good enough to take the win overall … Chile here we come!

Women:

1. Payton Ridenour

2. Shealen Reno

3. Jacelyn Reno

4. Rylie Elkin

Men:

1. Alec Bob

2. Amakye Anderson

3. Grant Lampson

4. Robbie Spanyard

Canada: Langford

Photos Berkley Vopnfjörð

Close to the City of Victoria, the host Velosolutions pump track is situated in Langford’s beautiful Lunn Bike Park … and BMX showed up again. Fresh from her win at the Papendal UCI World Cup, Molly Simpson was in town. As was Dutch native, Niels Bensink who is now living in Canada. Niels had previously secured his ticket to the Worlds finals at the recent Belgium qualifier but was here to prove he could do it on his MTB, as well as his BMX. Two qualifiers for Niels, two very wet events … he’s got to be used to the rain now though. He took the top spot in the qualifying rounds, setting the fastest times all day, and with a winning time of 18.885, he was making a little two-wheel size history in the process. Does Niels get to bring a friend to Chile now, or does that ticket filter down to Ryan Gilchrist who finished the event in second place?

Red Bull Pump Track Qualifier Langford Canada - Berkley Vopnfjörð

Simpson’s rival on the day was Teigen Pascual, another BMX racer. We believe this was the first time for both at a Red Bull Pump Track World Championship qualifier. Despite the weather Molly recorded a blistering time, the fastest time of the day, with a 21.429 lap, against Teigen’s 22.069. Molly left Langford with the valuable ticket to Santiago, Chile, which is quickly starting to look like the place to be this November!