Can A Mountain Biker Ride BMX | Blake's Race Day

Welcome back, you beautiful people. Previously on Can a Mountain Biker Race BMX, I got coached on gate starts, jumps, pumps, manuals, all that preparation for this big day. It's race day, people. Boom, right. Let's go get ready. It's raining. It's race day. I've got my race jersey on. I've tucked it in with extra aerodynamics. I'm going to go do my first practice. I've got a transponder on, so I'm going to do one lap register, and then we're good to race. How's the practice? Not been on it yet. How was your first roller? Well, first today. Yesterday was on it. All right. Practice is going well. First gate, I was a bit skeptical. Came out super late. My reactions were totally out. I just done another one. I found it was all right. It was all right. Up against a guy who's on a 26-inch jump bike, which is cool, but it's quite scary having eight, like seven dudes around you, dropping in, sprinting. I need to learn the manual still. That's what I'm going to do now. Crash practice, not crash. Anyway, race time. Let's go. How does BMX racing work? At a race meeting, riders will take part in a series of races to decide the winner. Each race features eight riders competing in a battle to be first across the line. The format of a race meeting gets a bit complicated. Each rider will take part in three heat races known as motos. Riders score points depending on where they finish. The 32 riders with the highest points after their heats make it through to the quarterfinals, four races of eight riders. The top four riders of each quarterfinal goes through to the semifinals, two races of eight riders. The top four riders of those semifinals will make it through to the A-finals to get the ultimate winner, final race of eight riders. That was good. All right. Oh, dude, that was, wow. I just went balls to the wall. I was just like, I'm in amongst it. I cut across. I clipped a guy's bar. I was in the second rollers. I clipped. I didn't do any manuals. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't want to mess up. I jumped that one flat. I got first. I took someone. The guy, really old guy on a shiny chrome bike. He's not really old, but he came in. He was in the whole shot. He went high, and it was all about the high-low, the low-high. I went low to her. No? Anyway, I took him on the inside, jumped next to him, pump, pump, the third straight. Flipping brilliant. Over there, pedal on the tabletop. Didn't overjump. I got second, but he's actually a really good BMX racer, that guy. I'm having a cup of tea. I've had two rolls of wine gums. I've had a Kit Kat, a cup of tea because it's a bit chilly. This is my third moto now. I got first to second. I am in the finals, like in the A finals, which is great, but that means I will be against all the fast dudes of the whole night. Cool. That tea sat there. I think I drank the tea too late. Tea burps. Tactics in the next one. I'm in gate two now for moto three. I think it's just power out the gate as fast as I can because they're all going to be quite fast in there. Just hug the inside. I've been given some tips on the second berm. I'm going too high. On the third berm, I went really high. I'm going to hug the inside on the second berm a lot more and bring out that manual technique. That's my technique. Come racing, one race each for their own. I'm just going to hurt someone. Yorkshire teas for champions. Blake, how's it going? It's going well. First moto, nerve-wracking, but I think I've boosted my confidence because I got first in that one. Then the second one, I got into it because you said the first one is a bit stressful. On a full gate as well. Yes, full gate. I've not tried that before ever in my life. I got second. I feel like I'm sandbagging it right now because then I got second again, but there is some fast dude from Bath. His name's Grant. Okay, well, it's all to play for now. You've got the final. Have you got fourth pick? Third or fourth pick, I don't know what I've got. I'll find out. I think I'm going to go mid. I'm going in the middle, I guess. In the middle or lane eight for the double or quiz. No, we haven't spoken about finals. What do I do? Just flat out. Well, it's one off, isn't it now? It's all to play for. Just go for it. Go for it. Keep those lines tight on the berms. Yes, that's what I'm going to do. Save a bit for that last corner. Yes. Pedal on the table. I did do that on a few of them. Yes. Right. Nice one, coach. Well, final time. That's still semi-finals. Louis, you scared the **** out of me, mate. You were like, is that you? I'm like, oh my God, and there's no one in the pens. I was like, no, it's still semis. Cup of tea time. Cup of tea, cup of tea. Blake, you've raced BMX tonight. You started off in BMX. Have you enjoyed this evening? I've absolutely loved it. Will you be coming back for more? Yes. Yes. I will be, yes. He's got his fingers crossed in his back pocket. How do you find these tracks? Are they simple compared to- relatively simple compared to the stuff you do? Yes, it's different. I'd say simple, but it's rapid. It's about technique, and that's why I'm not nailing that much. Oh, you look mint out there to me. What about the fitness? Is the fitness the same? This is explosive. It's totally different. Mine's more endurance. This is explosive power. Finally, what's your Instagram? You've got to give the guys your Instagram because they're going to be wanting to see you ride tonight. They're going to want to be joining in on the fun. It's atzimblake. There you have it, atzimblake. Please give your hands together. He's coming tonight, and he's taken on some of our best riders in the South, and he's looked very, very good at it. Ladies and gentlemen, Blake Sampson. Thank you. Thank you. That was too good. Hey, that was it. I've got a third. Messed up on the last turn and went super high, and it came screaming down in the inside. What happens? Wow. That was a bit of wobble, wobble, and wobble, wobble, and I went too high. Well, reaction time. We're going to work on reaction time on the gate. Corner one, wow, you were a bit high there, weren't you? Very high. Tony is like snake hips anyway. The speed on the track, the power you've got, it's great. Yes, it's just got to work on technique. Yes. How are you feeling? Good. Yes? Yes, good. I want to do it again. Thank you. I just went too high there, and I saw him just come. I was like, I'm going too high because I wobbled on the third straight. Got you. Yes. Well, the last corner, yes, you did a classic high level. Thank you very much. On that note, thank you very much to John and Bournemouth BMX Club for lending me the bike, giving me the opportunity to do this, training and coaching me. I think I got the bug. I want to do it again. Good. Well, we'll see you at track time. Thank you very much. Well done. Cheers. It's so easy to get your blinkers on. If you're into mountain biking, you got your blinkers on, take them off, look at other sports because BMX is one hell of a sport to play. So good. See you later. Cup of tea again.