4X

By Scott Beaumont

It is a shame that the 4X World Championships in Mont Sainte Anne marked the last race of 2010. In the final corner Tomas Slavik made a clean pass on Jared Graves to take the rainbow jersey back to Czech Republic. It was a fantastic display of 4X racing at its finest. You can be sure that Graves has been at home during the off–season doing all in his power to regain that jersey in 2011. I think this year’s 4X World Cup is set to be the best yet, and particularly a battle between these two guys.

Out of the six World Cup rounds in 2010, there were three different male and four different female winners, which shows that 4X is not as predictable as some people think. It is action packed and always throws up surprises in every race. With the new season about to start, here are some predictions for the 2011 contenders.

So what makes the difference in 4X? The answer is hard work and dedication.

Hard work and dedication – let’s start with Jared Graves. The 2010 World Cup Champion has filled the shoes left behind by Eric Carter, Brian Lopes and Michael Prokop as the current king of 4X racing. Think of 4X and the name everyone will say is Graves. Jared has worked harder than anyone to become the most powerful, determined and fluid rider out there. He loves 4X and has concentrated solely on it for the past few seasons. However, his shock Twitter comments over winter threw 4X haters into overdrive when he announced 2011 was going to be the last year he would concentrate on 4X before going back to downhill.

This was ammunition for forum heroes to say 4X was in trouble and that Graves leaving confirmed that. However the truth is far from this. Jared is the most talented bicycle racer in the world. He has won everything in 4X: the World Cup, World Championships and he was in the first ever Olympic BMX final. The one thing he hasn’t done is win a World Cup Downhill race. I was at Angel Fire a few years back when he finished second to Greg Minnaar by a fraction of a second and he looked truly gutted. If my hunch is right, he is leaving 4X to focus on winning a DH World Cup race to make his CV for BMX, 4X and DH complete. If I’m right, look out Downhill men in 2012 because Graves will be training harder than you all.

Then of course we come to Tomas Slavik, the 2010 World Champion, part of the RSP team which have become famous for three things: 1. The first ever 4X only UCI team, 2. The party animals and 3. 2010 4X team champions. I’ll come on to the RSP team in a moment, but Tomas Slavik represents everything that the name RSP has become famous for…‘Ride Sleep Party’. This guy is up at 6.30am every day training and riding bikes. After that he will be at any party at the races, then after being the last man out of the club will go to bed and sleep. He has so much energy it is unreal. After a fantastic 2010, where he made every final except in Fort William, he crowned his season by winning the World Championships in dramatic style. He will be strong in 2011 and the main contender to Graves’ World Cup dominance for sure, but the question remains, has he got enough to deal it out to Graves over the full season? If anyone can, I think Slavik can.

Joost ‘The Boost’ Wichman has been a friend of mine for more than 20 years. We raced BMX together from a young age and he has become a fierce 4X racer in the past few years. The ‘captain’ of RSP he leads the team with experience and confidence. There is no doubt that when team RSP train together in practice, it is a show for the spectators as they push super hard and fight to beat each other, testing out racing lines. Joost went without a win in 2010, something that will play on his mind, but he has been practicing with the Dutch national BMX team all winter in the South of France in a bid to put that right in 2011. Expect Joost to be fit and strong from round 1 in Pietermaritzburg.

Whilst we are talking of RSP, Michael Marosi and Jurg Meier are the other two riders who make up the four rider team. Michael Marosi has raced 4X since the beginning. A rider who is smart, tactical, yet fearless, finally reached his lifelong goal in 2010 when he won his first World Cup. The celebrations that ensued reminded everyone just what a magical feeling it is for a rider to win his first World Cup. In torrential rain the entire RSP team slid down the finish area on their stomachs, covered head to toe in mud to celebrate. A display which showed the joy from Marosi and the support of his team. For me it was the best moment of the 2010 World Cup and a result which will continue to give Marosi confidence in 2011.

Roger Rinderknecht was the other World Cup winner in 2010 at the track which always provides the best racing action of all venues, Val di Sole in Italy. Roger qualified fastest, yet in the final just could not beat Graves to the first turn. He stayed close and went in hard in turn two to take the lead and ultimately win the race. I thought it was the best move of 2010. A really hard pass, but not dirty. It took everything Roger had to beat the king and he got the job done…just. Roger is the nicest guy on the World Cup. A perfectionist, who simply makes the current rough 4X tracks look smooth on his BMC. A true professional, whom I have so much respect for. Always a threat for the win and 2011 could be his year to take the title.

Michael Prokop is the machine of 4X. The former World Champion finished in the top three at every World cup last year except for one. He can beat Graves. If you want ‘reliable’, place your money here and bet each way. He didn’t win in 2010, but he was close, and close in 4X means he needs to gain 1% over winter. He will be ready, and as a former 4X World Champion, he knows how to win. Always a threat, and always serious. The machine has a chance in 2011. A serious chance.

A quick mention has to go to Rafa Alvarez. The Spaniard broke is femur at the first BMX supercross in Madrid in March last year and missed the whole 2010 season. There is no tougher competitor out there. He is big, powerful and someone that you do not want to be fighting in a turn! If his rehab has been good look out for him as the spoiler at any track.

The rest of the contenders are always close and usually shine at a couple of World Cups per year but have trouble linking a whole season together. Romain Saladini, Johannes Fischbach, Kamil Tatarkovic, Guido Tschugg, David Graf, Lucas Mechura and myself (Scott Beaumont) can all perform and beat anyone on their day. However they have been unable to do it consistently. Have any of them changed anything fundamental in their winter training that will get them in contention at every round?

The women’s class was fantastic in 2010 with Anneke Beerten, Jana Horakova, Anita Molcik and Fionn Griffiths all winning a round. Molcik took the overall crown in 2010 by winning the final round in Windham as Anneke was left in turn one on the ground. It was fantastic that this World Cup came down to the very last race and with it all on the line Anita pulled through. She is fearless and likes big jumps. Watch for her to always send it before others in practice.

Anneke has a similar story to Jared Graves for 2011. This will be her last year racing just 4X. However she will not be going to DH in 2012, but instead XC. This will be for similar reasons to Graves. I suspect that when Jill Kintner left 4X in 2009, Anneke lost her most fierce rival. At that point she was searching for the challenge and in 2012 she will go full time to XC. Be sure to enjoy watching her jump 50 foot doubles and gate faster than a lot of men in 2011. A legend of 4X.

Jana Horakova began 2010 in stunning style winning the first round at Houffalize and the third round in Fort William before jumping back on the 20” for the summer. If she decides to contest a whole season then she could easily win the 2011 World Cup series. She has some major commitments with the Czech BMX federation though so it will all depend on date clashes for her.

Look out for Fionn Griffiths, Romana Labounkova and Katy Curd as they can always upset the formbooks.

South Africa is long and fast. It will be a completely new track at Fort William, the awesome Guido Tschugg Leogang track, the Worlds track will be used in MSA, a fresh, natural Windham track and for me the best track of all, at Val di Sole, Italy. These are the venues for 2011. Each one is very different and offers a completely new challenge to the riders.

Remember to expect the unexpected in 4X. See you on the start gate, April 22nd in Pietermaritzburg.