Cycling: Pump tracks are becoming increasingly popular. Joost Wichman, 4X World Champion 2013, created the Pump Battle series at the beginning of the year and last weekend crowned a Dutch pump track champion for the first time.
A large number of riders from a wide variety of disciplines competed for the first national championship title last weekend on the largest pump track to date. With BMX Olympians and 4X World Champion Joost Wichman, the starting field was top-class and there were extremely close fights for entry into the next round.
In the men's final, BMXer Raymond van de Biezen beat Wichman by just 0,019 seconds to grab gold. Freestyle BMXer Denice Hopman won the women's race against downhiller Elke Rutten. Helle Bokelmann showed how it's done in the U14 talent class and won.
“We are developing a new discipline, but we also want to do something for society. At every Pump Battle event we also organize a Kids Pump Track Jam. It's time for the kids to get off the couch, put down their computer games and start exercising. Pump tracks are fun and easy to skate, bike, scooter. Kids meet other kids and get tips from the pros. We see it regularly: once they start riding the tracks, they don't stop. It's fun for the kids and it's great for our sport.", according to Wichman.