The Shepparton BMX Track played host to thousands of visitors at the weekend for rounds of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup and BMX Australia National Series events.
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Almost 200 professional riders took part in the world cup rounds on Saturday and Sunday, with an estimated 3000 spectators - as well as the eyes of the BMX world - glued to the Goulburn Valley for the entirety of proceedings.
Although American Alise Willoughby had a monopoly on the elite women's events, the competition for victory in the men's rounds was as fierce as ever.
Niek Kimmann of the Netherlands snared success in the first round of action ahead of an all-Aussie podium consisting of Anthony Dean and Izaac Kennedy.
“It was good racing, warm day, hot weather and now it’s raining so it was a crazy day,” Dean told media as the heavens opened on the track just moments after the final.
“It’s a long track, very demanding so I’m just happy to finish with a second, even though I really wanted that win in front of a home crowd. Second place though, I am stoked with that.”
But American Connor Fields bounced back from a fourth place on day one to claim the crown on day two, beating Columbia's Carlos Alberto Ramirez Yepes and Switzerland's David Graf to the finishing line.
Dean had to settle for fourth himself in the second round, missing the start in the final but storming through the field from eighth to just miss a medal spot.
City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Seema Abdullah was excited about how Shepparton and its track performed on the world stage.
“The UCI BMX Supercross World Cup was an exciting opportunity to showcase all Greater Shepparton has to offer, including our world class BMX track as well as our accommodation, restaurants and eating establishments and locally-owned businesses,” she said.
“The ability to hold an international event here highlights the benefits of providing quality infrastructure within our region, with an estimated $1 million generated in our region’s economy.”
A Bikes and Bites festival was also held at Victoria Park Lake on Saturday evening to help celebrate the feast of cycling in the region.
“Thank you to our many local businesses who were involved in the festival and worked through the extraordinary weather to put on an amazing community event which brought so many people together,” Cr Abdullah said.
“We are thrilled with the thousands of visitors who attended the weekend’s festivities, and hope this event will further cement Greater Shepparton’s position as a major sporting and events destination of regional Australia.
“Congratulations to all the riders this weekend, especially to our Australian riders who placed within the top five. We hope to see you at this year’s Olympic Games.
“The feedback from the weekend has been extremely positive as Greater Shepparton was showcased right around the world and we hope the event's success will lead to more large-scale event opportunities for the region in the future.”
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