REDDITCH rider Scott Beaumont booked his place in the 2019 UCI BMX World Championships after a thrilling finale to the 2018 season.
Beaumont has shown his form and pedigree in finishing seventh in the mountain bike World 4X Championships and then winning the national 4X title, but there was little for room for error in the final round of the 12-part National BMX Series held at Huncote in Leicestershire.
The 40-year-old was only racing in his sixth round so he needed a strong performance to seal his place in the World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, next July and he duly delivered with second place in both Saturday’s final and Sunday’s grand final.
After finishing first, second and third in the three qualifying races, he was wary of the bumping and barging in the final, so opted for an outside gate to get a clean run on the start straight with the ability to carry good speed into turn one.
“The gate dropped and I made my best start of the day,” he said. “There was a huge drag race to turn one and I almost got there, but entered the turn level for the lead. Pushed wide, I fell back into third but then made a clean move into second. I reeled in the leader somewhat, but at the finish I couldn’t quite make up the extra ground.”
On Sunday, Beaumont won all three qualifying races to give him the vital choice of gate for the grand final.
“Going for gate one, I wanted to lead the race into turn one and get away from trouble, but frustratingly my gate wasn’t perfect dropping down and I was up against it in fourth,” he explained.
“With a powerful first straight though, I fought into the lead in turn one. From there, I rode a solid lap until the final straight. I was still in the lead, but it was tight.
“On the final manual between jumps seven and eight I bumped the landing, losing a little speed and had to jump higher on the final jump. It was all it took and as I crossed the line it was a photo finish. By just a couple of thousandths of a second, I was beaten at the finish and ended up second.”
Despite the bittersweet ending to an amazing 2018, Beaumont is already looking ahead to 2019.
“It’s time to dream big about my chances on both 4X and BMX in 2019,” he said.
“ I want to thank all of my team partners and sponsors for their incredible help and support with the best parts and products throughout the 2018 season. I simply couldn’t do it without you!”
* Scott Beaumont is an ambassador for leading sports nutrition brand USN, which has just launched its brand new lifestyle range, USN Trust. For more, visit www.usn.co.uk.
