Ooooh we're back! Extremely hyped for the weekly upload again. This week we went BMX racing with 2 of the most talented ladies to ever paddle on a bike. Elke Vanhoof who's a multiple belgian champ and 2x olympian. And then there's Aiko Gommers who's an upcoming supertalent and world champion in pumptrack. The only problem is: we're both pretty damn scared of bikes because of bad experiences haha.
Being a BMX veteran doesn't mean you do not have to prepare for the upcoming season. Elke Vanhoof has been around for many years and her 2022 training has already started. How can you better yourself? Is the training schedule on point? Has the carbon bike arrived yet? Will it make a difference? Do I need to focus on Pumptracks? How do I do on the 8 meter hill? Elke explains in the interview below.
Name: Elke Vanhoof
Age: 30
Name: Elke Vanhoof
Sponsors: Belgian Defence, Belgian national team, Gear2win, Pure BMX, Bitworkz, Polar, Fysioshop, Normatec, Doubdle, Zulu, 6D helmets, Aktive-8, fietsstickers.be, Naqi, Blackroll, Watt bike.
Mechanic: Brad Greenwood, Gear2win
When's the last time you raced your BMX bike?
Elke Vanhoof: UCI BMX SX World Cup Rockhill 2019
So the bike is still fresh and ready for more?
Elke Vanhoof: For now I still have the 2019 bike, I crashed in Verona March 2019 and because of the
Belgium's Elke Vanhoof is an Athlete at the Belgian Defence and part of the Belgian team. After an injury plagued 2017, bad luck happened again at Papendal last weekend when she broke her collarbone in an unfortunate crash. Elke's bike of choice is the Pure V5 XL, a bike that will be waiting for her when it's time to get back to the grind. We checked in with Elke to see what parts she runs that makes her so fast.
Name: Elke Vanhoof
Sponsors: gear2win - oakley Optiek van Gorp - Polar - Calculated nutrision - Energy lab - Watt bike - QNT nutrition - Upgrade
Mechanic: Brad Greenwood Gear2win BMX Shop
How long have you been riding the frame that you are currently on?
Elke Vanhoof: From the beginning of the season.
Do you experiment much with geometry/size of your frame, stem, bars?
Elke Vanhoof: We did a bit of experimenting. But in the season it's better to keep the same stuff.
My Rio: Elke Vanhoof: "It was an a credible feeling to be part of the Belgian Olympic Team"
Name: Vanhoof Elke
Number in Rio: 91
Country: Belgium
Result: 6th
"The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part; the important thing in Life is not triumph, but the struggle; the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.