Velosolutions 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier set for Redhead Beach in Lake Macquarie

AusCycling is excited to announce that a Velosolutions 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier will be staged in Lake Macquarie, New South Wales on May 17. 

Under UCI regulations, each member country is permitted to stage a Pump Track Qualifier event ahead of the annual World Championships, with the elite men and women winners invited to the Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championships. 

Accordingly, AusCycling has added the 2025 Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championship Qualifier to the schedule of the AusCycling BMX Racing National Series round in Lake Macquarie as one of 20 qualifiers around the world.

The qualifier will be held at nearby Redhead Beach, the spectacular location of the 2024 AusCycling Pump Track National Championships.

The 2025 Velosolutions UCI Pump Track World Championships will then be held in Monthey, Switzerland from September 5 as part of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

AusCycling will adjust the schedule of the qualifier in Lake Macquarie to ensure competitors can compete in both pump track and BMX racing competitions. 

AusCycling Executive General Manager of Sport Kipp Kaufmann said the addition to the schedule of the qualifier event reflects an important shift in the sport. 

“There is no doubt the popularity of pump track is booming globally. It’s safe, it’s fun, it’s open to BMX and mountain bike, and it’s accessible – new tracks are popping up all the time in suburban locations that are easy to get to and often in spectacular locations,” Kaufmann said. 

“This accessibility means it’s a gateway to other disciplines – not only BMX racing or mountain bike, but also BMX freestyle, slopestyle, flow, and downhill. And we know it’s an incredible spectator sport – the last two national championships in Australia have had an amazing atmosphere, with spectators lining the track. 

“While the discipline has uneasily bridged the gap between BMX and mountain bike in the past, the growing popularity of pump track means we see a future where the sport has its own unique identity, and adding these key dates to the calendar is step in that direction.” 

Australia also boasts the current men’s UCI Pump Track World Champion and silver medallist after Ryan Gilchrist and AJ Donald fought out an all-Aussie final in South Africa last November. 

Entries for the Velosolutions 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championship Qualifier at Redhead Beach in Lake Macquarie will open in March. 

As previously announced, the AusCycling Pump Track National Championships will now run in conjunction with the GWM BMX Racing National Championships, starting from the 2025 event in Macarthur this October.

Key dates: 

• May 17 - Redhead Beach, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales: Velosolutions 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championships Qualifier 
• September 5 - Monthey, Switzerland: Velosolutions 2025 UCI Pump Track World Championships 
• October 8 - Macarthur, New South Wales: 2025 AusCycling Pump Track National Championships

Feature picture: Dan Griffiths