Birmingham’s Perry Park will host rounds eight and nine of the 2014 British BMX Series from 2-3 August and with just three rounds remaining it’s all to play for in the elite men’s and championship women’s standings.
Decoy BMX Club’s Dan McBride leads the elite men’s rankings on 281.5 points, a win in round six putting daylight between himself and second placed Jacob Roberts, the Manchester BMX Club rider on 227 points.
But with a potential 54 points available in each of the remaining rounds, 2013 British champion McBride will need to maintain his impressive run of form if he is to take the 2014 series title.
Masters world champion Kelvin Batey is in third with 214 points thanks to consistent finishing in all but the opening round, with Manchester BMX Club’s Calum Strickland just eight points behind in fourth.
All four are on the start list for Perry Park, along with 15-year-old British Cycling Olympic Development Programme rider Paddy Sharrock, who took second in the final at round six.
Competition is fierce at the top of the championship women’s class, with Norwich Flyer’s Joey Gough occupying the top spot on 294.5 points, just seven points ahead of British Cycling Olympic Academy Programme rider Valerie Zebrokova of Manchester BMX Club.
Gough took two second places in Derby behind Abbie Taylor to maintain her slim advantage with Zebrokova taking a brace of third places to keep her challenge on track.
Ayesha McLelland took fourth in Derby to consolidate her third place in the rankings but is absent from the Birmingham start list, denting her chances of staying in the title fight.
However with Abbie Taylor and Charlotte Green both scheduled to start, the series leaders may find themselves racing for the third step of the podium.
Taylor lies in fourth in the table a whisker behind McLelland and a repeat of her performance in Derby could see her challenge for the series title.
Motos begin at noon on Saturday and 10am on Sunday. Following Birmingham the British BMX Series concludes with round 10 at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester from 13-14 September.
