Kelvin Batey kills it in Holland

 

2014 UCI BMX World Championships – Rotterdam, Holland

 

 

Photo: Jerry Landrum – bmxmania.com

 

 

Ireland’s Kelvin Batey (33) travelled to the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships with high expectations. A year of training all leading up to this event in Rotterdam where Kelvin would not only race in the Masters class but also the 30-34 year old Cruiser class.

 

Every year the Masters class gets harder as new riders reach the minimum age requirement of 30 years. This year Kelvin not only had to deal with Argentina’s Cristian Becerine, the number 1 USA BMX Vet Pro, but also Denmark’s Olympian, Morten Therkildsen. Not an easy field to navigate!

 

Kelvin’s Masters challenge got off to a perfect start with three perfect laps in the moto’s resulting in three wins. In the semi Kelvin went into the big sweeping first berm level with Becerine but came out in second where he sat comfortably for the rest of the lap, easing up on the final straight.

 

 

Photo: Simon Murphy

 

Master Moto’s – Kelvin Batey, World Number 2 – 2014

 

Master Semi Final – Kelvin Batey, World Number 2 – 2014

 

 

Second place in the semi final put Kelvin in gate 4 for the final with Becerine in gate 2 and Therkildsen in gate 5 beside Kelvin. With such a short first straight the advantage was firmly in Bercerine’s court.

 

The Argentinian got a brilliant gate giving him the holeshot at turn one. Kelvin came out in second and after a slight bobble on a jump sat in behind Becerine until the third straight where he opened up and took first place by the end of the straight but got checked in turn three, which killed both Kelvin’s and Becerine’s speed. That left the gate open for Therkildsen, who was behind by a significant distance, to whip by both of them on the last straight taking the title. Kelvin managed to regain momentum to take the silver medal on the line with Becerine in third. The Masters had been all about these three.

 

 

 Master Final – Kelvin Batey, World Number 2 – 2014

 

Photo: Simon Murphy

 

After the final Kelvin responded with ” It’s been a great year wearing the stripes and it’s been one of the proudest things I’ve ever done in my life. Silver medal this year after a great race and beaten by my long time friend and someone I really respect, Morten Therkildsen, congrats mate you deserve it. Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and the support I have had at this championship.”

 

It’s our opinion that Kelvin was visibly the fastest rider on the day, he is definitely faster now than he was in New Zealand 2013 when he won the Masters title but it’s the tiniest little things that happen in the frantic 30 seconds that can change everything.

 

 

Photo: Jerry Landrum – bmxmania.com

 

Photo: Jerry Landrum – bmxmania.com

 

 

 Masters Award Ceremony

 

On the Friday Kelvin hopped on to a borrowed Cruiser for the first time this year, swapping all the parts he could from his bike on to it, stating that he was ‘going to ride it like a 20″ ‘. And that’s just what he did, not dropping a lap all day in the moto’s, quarters and semi. A class above! In the final our man did not get the best of gates but by half way down the first straight he was level and being the only rider to jump the big triples going into turn one put him out front. From there he was gone and cruised to victory and his second World Championship title in as many years. Kelvin Batey, World number 1, again.

 

One week, two bikes, two medals. Brilliant.

 

 

 30-34 Cruiser Moto’s –  Kelvin Batey World number 1 – 2014

 

 30-34 Cruiser Final –  Kelvin Batey World number 1 – 2014

 

 Kelvin interviewed right after winning.

 

 

Kelvin will be back next year to reclaim his Masters title at BMX Zolder in Belgium. But what are Kelvin’s plans post Belgium? Well this is where it gets really interesting … an extended period off work, serious full time training and a return to the SX Series with an eye on Olympic qualification for Rio 2016 when the World Championships roll into Medellin, Colombia … “Its the last piece of my career that’s missing so I want to fully go for it this time“. Start planning, we’re going to Brazil …

 

 

You can download the Masters Results HERE

 

You can download the Cruiser Results HERE

 

Photo: Simon Murphy

 

 

 Photo: Get Racing