Rising BMX talent Jared Hill travelled to Benátky, Czech Republic, with the British Cycling team to contest the final two rounds of the UEC BMX European Cup Series.
Fresh from a strong performance at the British Championships just two weeks earlier, Hill arrived with quiet confidence, but he soon discovered the Benátky track offered a stern test even for seasoned professionals.
International BMX tracks are built with both a five-metre and an eight-metre start hill, with the latter reserved for Championship Men and Women.
Riders in these categories are also required to tackle the daunting “pro straight” on the second section, a technical challenge that separates the very best.
Competing in his first year in the Junior Men’s class, Hill has approached each new pro straight with a mixture of caution, determination and maturity.
Saturday’s racing brought both drama and reward. After a mistake on the pro straight, Hill was forced into the Last Chance Qualifier to stay in contention.
He responded superbly, advancing through the 1/8 finals and quarter-finals, before staging a remarkable fightback in his semi-final.
Recovering from the back of the pack, Hill snatched fourth place to book his spot in the final. Despite contact in the opening corner costing him momentum, he crossed the line in sixth.
Sunday’s racing proved less fortunate. A crash ended Hill’s run early, but the weekend as a whole marked another important step in his development.
With three European Cup finals reached from a possible four in his debut Junior season, Hill has already shown he belongs among Europe’s best.
As the season winds down, attention now turns to winter training.
