On Friday 30th June, Scott Beaumont lined up on the gate in Val Di Sole, Italy for the 2023 4X ProTour race at this iconic venue.

The track in Val Di Sole, as always, was immaculate. The preparation that the team there had done on the track was incredible and we were excited to get out there.

Riding as well as he ever has, fresh off the back of taking the double win in British 4X Series last weekend, Scott was here to win.

The week started with a drive over to Italy. Arriving on Tuesday night, the team set up the team area on Wednesday morning and then went to check out the track. With a few great changes, it looked amazing and Scott was excited for practice to start on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the organisers asked Scott and a few others to test the track ahead of official practice on Thursday. Fresh floodlights had been placed on the track so lighting needed to be tested ahead of the event starting. The track was riding brilliant. The best it has ever been. Scott hit all the jumps and looked extremely comfortable out there.

Thursday rolled around and it was qualifying day. Currently ranked number 3 in the 4X ProTour World Rankings, Scott would qualify as the third rider from the end. 4X is a brutal sport. Just a single lap determines the top 32 riders to qualify. If you crash, make a mistake or have a technical problem, your race is over before it has even started. It is a pressure cooker for the riders.

Scott was focused and as he left the start and looked on point. He looked perfect on track – as good as he ever has. Fast, smooth and precise. Crossing the finish line, he had the third fastest time. With just two riders to go, Scott was assured of at least 5th in qualifying. Tomas Slavik put down an awesome lap and he took the fastest time, but current 4X ProTour overall leader Gustaw Dadela couldn’t beat Scott’s time. So we placed 4th for the night and the team were happy with that result.

Friday Night – 4X ProTour Round 3:

It was time to start racing on Friday night. With thousands of fans rolling into the venue to watch the 4X, the sun set, floodlights came on and everything was ready.

After the first hour of practice for Scott, it wasn’t the best preparation. A big crash on his second run left him with multiple cuts, gashes and bruises. With his kit ripped, it was a full change, straighten the bike out and there was just enough time to grab 2 practice starts. In the second one as he was pulling off the track he was hit by another rider which snapped 7 spokes in his back wheel and bent his rear mech. So it was onto his spare bike for racing. Thankfully he had 10 minutes where he could sit down, calm down and regroup.. At 21.00 it was go time.

Scott lined up for his first round on gate 1. He made a perfect start and led the race from start to finish. It was a great start to the evening and settled all our nerves. Onto the quarter final and again he had gate 1. He made it work perfectly and took the lead into turn 1 – again leading from start to finish, thankfully clear of a big crash that happened behind hime.

In the semi final, Scott took gate 2. He made a great start and went into turn 1 in 2nd. Scott rode an incredibly smart race, carrying speed but defending in the passing places. He crossed the line in 2nd and we were all stoked to make another final.

In the final, it was the top 4 qualifiers – surprisingly quite a rare thing. Scott – having qualified 4th had the final pick so was left with gate 3. The gate dropped and Scott got the initial lead but couldn’t get across. In turn 1 he was then ridden a little wide and slipped back to third. He was being hounded by the rider in fourth all the way and was defending all his lines, not carrying speed. In the rocks, unfortunately it came unglued and Scott was pushed back to 4th. 

In the finish area Scott said:

“That was one of the best 4X races I have ever raced in. The crowd were incredible. The track was perfect. I am proud of how I rode all night and whilst I am disappointed with 4th in the final, I have gained some valuable points for the overall title. 2 weeks and we go again in JBC.”

Whilst that is correct, our next 4X ProTour race is in 2 weeks, we had more pressing matters. The race finished at 23.00 on Friday night. The team were up at 04.00 and on the road, driving back across Europe with a 20 hour drive, arriving in Gosport late Saturday night. On Sunday Scott raced round 6 of the 2023 BMX National Series. Full report from the mid week!

Finally we want to thank all out team partners and sponsors. Without you this incredible performance would not have been possible. We have the best sponsors and an incredible presence at the events. 

We are forever thankful for the opportunities you give us and want to sincerely thank you all.

Last weekend, rounds 4 & 5 of the 2023 Schwalbe British 4X Series took place at Shredhill in Gloucestershire. This iconic track with the most amazing views has a huge history as being one of the best 4X race tracks in the UK. This weekend it did not disappoint providing edge of your seat racing in every lap.

A cornerstone of the British 4X Series for many years, Shredhill is fast, flowing and always a favourite for riders and spectators. With fun jumps, high berms and split lines on the track, racing is always amazing. With the sun shining all weekend, the scene was set for a great weekend of racing.

Saturday – Round 4:

Scott got on track for the first time for practice on Saturday morning to get his lines dialled and get ready for racing. All was going great and he looked fast. However. It is worth mentioning now that he has tonsillitis…… However. He looked good and was always thinking about the bigger picture as we move through the series. 

The British 4X Series uses the moto system for qualification which means Scott would race 3 qualifying races against different riders to qualify through to the knockout rounds.

Racing got underway at 12.00. Scott rode flawless and took 3 convincing wins in his motos. He looked great on track and was laying down some seriously fast laps. Admittedly at the finish line, he was hanging, but he was making it work.

In the final, Scott chose gate 1. Saving his best till last, Scott made a perfect start and checked out. Laying down a perfect lap and pulling a big lead, Scott raced past the team pit area nodding and already celebrating before the finish line. With a big whip over the finish jump, he punched the air with delight as he took the win.

“I could not be any happier. A perfect race day doesn’t come along too often but we have been able to nail it today. Thank you to everyone for their support. We go again tomorrow”.

Sunday – Round 5:

Sunday morning arrived and again we were greeted by blue skies. The track was even better than Saturday and was running really fast.

In the motos, Scott didn’t have it all his own way. Taking a second in motos 1 and 2, with passes galore and a pair of seconds, he rode a great last moto to win. The crowds were cheering as the Elite riders had brought their A game to round 5 and the racing was incredible.

Onto the final. Scott chose gate 1. It hadn’t been the favoured gate all day as the first turn high low move from gate 4 had been working so well.

Scott made his best gate of the weekend and then proceeded to catch the other riders off guard in turn 1. Instead of hugging the inside, he shot to the outside and then railed turn 1. The high low move that had caught riders out all day was now cancelled out. However the action shifted to turn 2 as a rider dived inside of Boom Boom. He carried so much speed around the outside berm that on the exit, with cm’s to spare he shot onto the third straight in the lead. From here it was all about hitting the marks and riding a clean lap. Scott crossed the line with a big lead and was ecstatic.

“That was one of the most incredible British 4X Series races ever. We are so lucky to be able to do this amazing sport. Thank you to all my sponsors, the series organisers and British Cycling. The British 4X team for putting this race on and finally the crowd for cheering us all on in that final. It was intense but the crowd made it incredible.”

Now the team are already on route to Val Di Sole in Italy for round 3 of the 2023 4X ProTour which takes place this Friday night. Then the team will drive back across Europe on Saturday so that Scott can race in round 6 of the British BMX Series on Sunday in Gosport. It’s certainly a busy week, but Scott is riding great and we are ready for it.

We look forward to reporting back next week from the hectic week ahead.

The third round of the 2023 4X ProTour took place at Dobrany Bikepark in Czech Republic yesterday. With big crowds watching all weekend, this race is certainly here to stay on the ProTour. The track was huge. Big jumps, high speed and a real challenge for all the riders.

Scott arrived at the track on Thursday and was excited to ride the track on Friday for the first official practice session.

On Friday, riders had 3 hours to get to grips with this crazy track. It took Scott most of the session to really dial in the track. It was huge and a lot to work on to get up to speed and dial the tyre choice in. By the end of the session though, Scott was certainly looking quick and we were focused on a great result on Saturday.

Qualifying and the race took place on Saturday, so riders had to be ready for a full day of action. Seeded number 3 into this event, so he would go third from the end. Scott made a great start and put together a great run. He crossed the line in 3rd position. He was happy and felt good going into racing as the team immediately leapt into action getting the race bike prepared for the racing.

Racing went well for Scott winning his early heats and moving through to the semi finals. Scott now found himself on gate 2 and a good start would be essential. He was clearly in the mood. He made a great start and battled down the first straight. After a bump and a bang Scott settled into 2nd. He was under some pressure in the lower corners but he rode them perfect and took the qualifying spot into the final.

In the final, Scott had gate 2. The gate dropped and Scott got pinched but he made a great move in turn 1 and dived inside. A bump later and he was in 3rd. He used every trick he has to get into 2nd, hounding him all the way but he could not make it past. Across the line he finished 3rd. A solid day and another podium result which has moved him into 3rd overall in the World Series.

In the finish area Scott said: 

“I can’t believe it. I am so annoyed with myself. I had the speed in the final and I messed up. It’s on me. I just couldn’t find a way past and I am absolutely gutted. There’s nothing else to say. This one got away and it stings pretty bad.”

The result, although disappointing for Scott, was a fantastic race. Just imagine being so consistently fast that you are that annoyed finishing 3rd in a World Championship event……. This result now moves him up to 3rd overall in the 2023 4X ProTour overall rankings. His consistency with podiums at every race so far is paying off. There are 2 rounds left and he is certainly fighting for the overall title.

The next round is at the end of June at the teams favourite track Val Di Sole in Italy. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Thank you to all our team partners for your support in 2023.

All images by Charles Robertson

Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2023 Schwalbe British 4X Series took place in Falmouth, Cornwall last weekend. After a great start to the season in 4X and BMX, team rider Scott Beaumont, was feeling good and he was looking for another couple of podiums.

A strong 5th last week at 4X ProTour in Germany was seriously impressive and coming into this weekend he wanted to continue this form.

Arriving on Friday Scott began his weekend with a practice session on the track. Over the years this track has been very good to Scott and straight away he looked comfortable.

Saturday – Round 2:

The weather was perfect and Scott was clearly in the mood. A good practice session and some gates that looked perfect and he was ready to race.

In his 3 qualifying races, he took the holeshot in two of them and simply checked out. In the other moto he made a big mistake on the start straight and finished 3rd. He was looking good and focused for the semi final. In the semi final he chose gate 2. Again made a great start but got squeezed on the first turn. He went on to finish 2nd and sealed his final place.

Onto the final. He chose gate 3. The beeps went and Scott fired out of the gate. Into turn 1 it was tight but Scott got shuffled back to 3rd. Then he moved to 2nd, back to 3rd and then into 2nd again. He set off in pursuit but across the finish line it was close, but Scott finished 2nd.

Sunday – Round 6:

Sunday and again we woke to blue skies and a perfect day for racing. The track had a few changes for Sundays race which would really spice up the racing. 

The same format for Sunday with 3 qualifying races to start the day. Scott was leading his first moto but made a huge mistake and crashed out. He remounted to finish 3rd. He then went on to win his next 2 races comfortably.

In the semi final Scott made a good gate but got pushed wide in turn 1. He slotted into 2nd but then slipped back to 3rd. On the pro line straight, Scott powered back into 2nd. In the final turn things got tight again and across the finish line it was a photo finish, but Scott just got the nod, to finish 2nd and move to the final.

Into the final and Scott chose gate 3.His strategy was to lead from the start, but if he didn’t to dive inside in turn 1. He made a good gate and powered down the first straight. But then a veteran move, he braked and dived inside. He moved into 2nd and then the lead, but then was repassed. He sat in 2nd and tailed all the way to the finish line but couldn’t make a pass. It was 2nd again for Scott.

“I felt great on the bike all weekend and I am always happy to land on the podium. We took some good points this weekend as we focus on the overall title. Now it’s home and a quick turnaround as we head to Czech Republic for round 2 of the 2023 4X ProTour next weekend.”

The teams next event will be round 2 of the 2023 4X ProTour in Dobrany, Czech Republic on Saturday 3rd June.

Thank you again to all our sponsors for your support in 2023.

Here’s our film from round 1 of the 2023 4X ProTour held at IXS DirtMasters in Winterberg, Germany.

Enjoy: