By Mikayla van Loon
Over 400 BMX riders are expected to descend on Lilydale’s state of the art track tomorrow, Saturday 21 January, as stage five of the Eastern Region’s Track Attack gets underway.
“We have about 390 registered entries and on top of that, we have our professional riders who are allowed to register on the day. We expect probably 20 or 30 of those as well,” Lilydale BMX Club secretary Rob Fallon said.
“So there will be over 400 riders and the youngest of them will be three and the oldest rider is mid 50s.”
From professional riders like Olympian Bodi Turner to those just getting involved to have fun and a family day out, Rob said Track Attack really caters to everyone’s ability and skill.
Coming into its 21st year, Track Attack has become a huge scale event across six different eastern region clubs including Lilydale, Knox, Park Orchards, Casey, Frankston and Eastfield that draws international and interstate riders each year.
Rob said to have the ability to compete in the same location as some of the best riders not only in Australia but in the world is such an inspiration for all involved in the sport.
“You can be five years old, even here at Lilydale, and you’re lining up at the gate and next to you will be like Max Cairns who’s the national champion and Max will look down and go ‘hey, buddy’. There’s a humility about BMX.
“There’s no pride that excludes people because you’re only as good as your last race…We say to the kids, it doesn’t matter how fast you are, it’s just amazing you get out there and get over the finish line fast but safely.”
Some of the best up and coming riders from Lilydale are also preparing to showcase their skills at their home course on Saturday, with the likes of Connor Fallon, Ollie Rose and Jack Falkingham taking to the track.
“So Lilydale will have around about 35 entries, which is a bit of a record I think for our own event and that’s mini wheelers, all the way up to the older age group,” Rob said.
For one of Lilydale’s youngest coaches Connor, who races competitively in the 17-24 Men’s age group and has dabbled in the Superclass competition, riding at Lilydale always has an at home advantage.
“It’s one of the fastest if not the fastest flowing tracks in Victoria as well. So the top riders are probably hitting close to 45km an hour around the track, so much that you can smell the rubber as they go around the corners or get a gust of wind as they come round,” he said.
But more importantly, it’s always a show of sportsmanship between competitors, no matter their level of skill that Connor really appreciates about the sport.
“After every race, no matter what, even if you shoved one of the guys off the track or whatever. Everyone waits at the end of the lap fist pumps each other and stuff like that,” Connor said.
“It smiles when you’re up on the hill. As soon as that gate drops all friendships go out the window for that 40 seconds and nobody holds any grudges or anything like that. It’s all just racing.”
Events like Track Attack, Lilydale club president Belinda O’Grady said, really shows how accessible and inclusive BMX is and puts a spotlight on the sport.
“There’s so many people who have no idea what BMX racing is…there’s so many levels of competitions, it doesn’t have to be this big, it can be club racing on a Wednesday night where there’s 30 entries or 80 or 100, it really is all levels,” she said.
Track Attack gets underway with practice sessions at 8am before competitors begin racing at 10.45am, starting with the mini wheelers.
The Lilydale BMX track is located at 145 Anderson Street.
