MOUNT Gambier mates Shane deJong and Callum Morrison will go head-to-head this weekend as the pair takes on the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship qualifier at Hastings Cunningham Reserve.
The international series pits BMX against mountain bike on an equal platform, with riders traversing berms, roller jumps, dog-legs and transfers around a short track.
Internationally known riders such as Bodi Turner and Mike Fenwick will tackle the track alongside some of the region’s best and brightest cycling competitors.
Regularly training on the new track, deJong said he looked forward to the event.
“For me personally, it will just be pretty cool to rock up and be part of an event that has so many great riders,” he said.
“Being involved with people that have raced Olympic events in the past I think is a pretty big thing, but I think the biggest thing for me is it brings so many different disciplines together.
“You have mountain bike and BMX riders as well as guys who ride at the skate park and even motocross riders that have BMX bikes in the shed coming out for a ride.”
Racing downhill mountain bikes since 2015, deJong said Turner was someone he looked up to in the cycling world.
“I remember watching him a few years ago in the Olympics and he came fifth in the world in that particular event,” he said.
“Ever since then I have kept up with watching his YouTube videos and things.
“It will be good to see him come down and relax on a little track like this and enjoy some time with the locals.”
Morrison, deJong and their mates have spent ample time at the facility, even timing themselves in preparation for the event.
“We did some rough timing and it is about 22 seconds a lap,” he said.
“I think the time between him (Turner) and myself probably is not going to be as great as what you would expect, but to see how much time he would be able to make up on a little track like that would be pretty unreal to see.
“Obviously he dedicates pretty much his whole life to training and going fast on a BMX bike so it will be interesting to see how much quicker he actually goes around the track compared to the rest of us.”
In addition to Morrison and other Limestone Coast racers, deJong will also face off against his brother, Justin.
They regularly compete against each other, but deJong said he was eager to see how they stack up in a different format.
“I do not have much expectation for myself against him, but it should be good to actually race against the clock and compare it rather than being next to each other,” he said.
“It will probably be a bit tamer – we cannot kill each other.”
A competitive downhill mountain bike racer throughout the country, Morrison said he looked forward to tackling a different discipline.
“It is just you against the clock out there,” he said.
“So whoever goes the fastest goes the fastest, which will be a different setting to what I am used to.
“I think some of the bigger names coming down will really put on a show for the crowd, but I am hoping to be the fastest local if I can.”
Morrison also praised the work of Mount Gambier City Council, Red Bull and Velosolutions after completing the new track in less than two months.
“They have done a really great job getting the track together for the event,” he said.
“Over 100 people are coming to Mount Gambier to race on the track which is great for the town.
“It is just a different kind of event than we ever see here, so I hope it will get more people excited about bikes and grow that community even bigger.”
The duo both agreed the track has also been a worthwhile tool to further their mountain bike skills.
The event will kick off at 12.30pm on Sunday, with women’s and men’s timed heats.
Riders will undertake two solo timed runs in an attempt to qualify for the knock-out heat finals, with the fastest eight women and 32 men to progress.
Riders will then battle it out with two competitors on track simultaneously while being timed individually, until the fastest are crowned.
The two winners receive an all-in paid trip to the world final.
The top four riders from each category will also have the opportunity to compete in the championship.
