February 9/12 21:31 pm - Cycling BC Announces BMX World Cup

Posted by Editoress on 02/9/12
 

Cycling British Columbia is pleased to announce that the Union Cycliste Internationale has awarded our organization the rights to host the final round of the 2012 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Series. This exciting race series will see the best BMX riders in the world at the Abbotsford BMX Track September 14-15 for breathtaking sporting action.  This will be the first time that Canada hosts a BMX World Cup.

The UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in Abbotsford will feature the best female and male BMX riders from over 30 different countries; many of whom will have competed the month prior at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  The World Cup uses the same Olympic format and offers a total prize purse of $150,000. Supercross BMX garnered significant television ratings when the sport made debut as an Olympic event at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.  The UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series is broadcast around the globe to millions of viewers.

A UCI Supercross World Cup requires the use of an Olympic standard BMX track, something that until recently did not exist in Canada. That was until B2ten, a private sector group that invests in the success of Canadian athletes on the world stage, agreed to provide a substantial portion of the funding to build an Olympic standard start hill at the Abbotsford BMX track.

Keith Ryan, Chief Executive Officer for Cycling BC, commented, “Securing the rights to host this great event was made possible because of the amazing financial support received from B2ten. Cycling BC and the Abbotsford BMX Club shared a vision to build an Olympic standard facility that could meet the needs of local BMX riders as well as support the development of current and future Olympians. Importantly, the City of Abbotsford has a great passion for sport and has been very supportive of BMX in their community, so we also had a great location for an Olympic track. In reality though we were a few years away from realizing that vision until B2ten came onboard.”

Canadian BMX fans will have the opportunity see Canadian Tory Nyhaug compete in a World Cup on home soil for the first time. Nyhaug, who hails from Coquitlam, finished the 2011 season ranked fifth overall in the 2011 UCI World Cup Series.

“BMX races are often won by the smallest of margins with their outcomes, determined by the athlete who best combines the fastest start sprint with technical skill, upper body strength and a healthy dose of daring," said B2ten’s Miller.  “Tory Nyhaug is a fine example of a young talent on the cusp of stepping up with the very best in the world.”

The bid for this event was also supported by a sport-hosting grant provided by the Government of British Columbia. “Cycling BC has been a fantastic partner with the Province in making sure B.C. families have access to safe and high-quality sporting opportunities like the World Cup BMX,” said Ida Chong, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. “The Province provided $5,000 through Hosting BC because sport helps build local economies and encourages our youth to become active.”

“This successful World Cup bid could not have been achieved without the support of the Provincial Government and we remain very appreciative of their ongoing commitment to the sport of cycling,” said Wayne Pomario, President of Cycling BC. “This event will help promote participation in BMX racing in Abbotsford as well as at our other affiliated tracks in Surrey, Maple Ridge, North Vancouver and Kamloops."

“We are thrilled to have Canada host its first ever World Cup in BMX,” said Greg Mathieu, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Cycling Association. “We congratulate Cycling BC on their successful bid."

“We are certainly very excited to bring the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup finals to Canada for the first time and Abbotsford will be a great host,” said Johan Lindstrom, CEO of Global SX Events Inc (GSX), who oversees the general management of the UCI (International Cycling Union) BMX Supercross World Cup. “With the Abbotsford BMX Supercross being the first major BMX event after the Olympic Games, we expect a fantastic showdown between the very best as well as great interest from media and fans around the world,” continued Lindstrom.

Courtesy Cycling BC