2007 has been a great year for Rhône-Alpes region. Indeed after organizing the 2007 European Championships in Romans-sur-Isère, it was now the first two rounds of the 2008 European Championships during the 12th St Etienne indoor. With now twelve times and the end of the Tours Indoor, St Etienne brings the BMX lovers together at the beginning of the season, although this year there have been already two rounds of the French cup in Trégueux and in Besançon in September and in October because of the Olympic schedule.

As it is the European Championships,  we will focus on the official categories,  i.e. Junior, elite categories, which try hard to get points for the 2008 European Championships but also for the ranking for Beijing Olympic games qualification. There were two rounds, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday.

JUNIOR WOMEN
The French rider Eva Ailloud won both rounds to start with the championships. Member of the Pôle National of Aix en Provence after several years in Bourges, the pilot from Mours gets off to a flying start. A regularity and a reality that last for several years and that put Eva on the top of the riders of her generation. Same thing for Manon Valentino who's now riding for St Etienne's club and who took the second place twice this week-end. A pilot regularly in the finals, with a good way of riding and that finished just before Gaëlle Charpentier, another French rider. The pilot from La Chapelle finished on the 3rd  and 4th position as the Belgian Elke Vanhoff. Joyce Seesing, rival of the French riders and repeatedly international champion in challenge categories can't do better than 5th both days. Let's wait for the next rounds...
the satisfaction of the week end comes from Magalie Arnoux who rode two finals and nod to Cassandre Brousse who went to the final on Sunday.



JUNIOR MEN
The Swiss Junior world champion is now riding elite category and lets the European Championships open. Naturally, the local Vincent Pelluard was the favorite in this category. However, the male championships are often very open and that was the case this week-end: the Latvian Tom Skutjins won on Saturday whereas the Dutch boss  Jelle Van Gorkom won Sunday's round. Vincent Pelluard rode both finals and keeps being on the way to the podium or even the victory in the general ranking. Joris Daudet, Florian Duhamel, Nicolas Aboudai et Jordan Lajmi were all finalists what confirms the potential of our French relief. Also true if we have a look on the minime and cadet categories. In the finals, it's really open with the Latvian, the Czech (who impressed a lot in Junior category in Romans last year) but also Dutch and Danes.





ELITE WOMEN
such a pleasure to see most of the world finalists of Canada here in the Loire, such as the world champion  Shanaze Reade who won on Saturday but had to face difficulties on Sunday with the victory of Laetitia Le Corguille. Laetitia reassures us after she crashed during her training a few days before. Once more, the French riders were numerous in the finals and we can say that the national potential is rather impressive and quite homogeneous:  Aurélia Don, 3rd on Saturday and th only female to jump before the second turn, Cyrielle Convert 2nd then 5th of the finals (world 4th, don't forget it even if we often focus on other riders).  Anne-Caroline Chausson took the 4th  then the 2nd places and showed much determination to come back to the first positions in both finals. Cecile Lazzarotto and Magalie Pottier were also finalists both days with a podium for Magalie on Sunday. Note that, for her first year in elite women -as Magalie Pottier, Romana Labounkova was in final on Saturday. It was quite difficult for the other racers to take part of the finals as most of French riders already did.



ELITE MEN
the beginning of the 2008 European championships was also the return the 2007 champion thomas Allier, hurt for the worlds. Not 100 percent ready yet, he had to face some difficulties on the start he's gonna be ready for an eventual new European champion title (the 5th, what would be unique in 20''). The two men of the week end were first the South African Sifiso Nhlapo (first then second) who makes less and less mistakes on the tracks, what shows how hard he has been working since Romans, all the more since the track was very hard technically speaking. Then Yvan Lapraz (2nd then 6th) who impressed with its combativeness for his first year in elite category. The Two Latvian guys Arturs Matisons and Maris Strombergs, successful in France as he won both rounds in Romans, are both powerful, fast and extremely regular pilots and have been favorites and leaders for four years. Even if thomas Allier is the European title-holder, the Latvian guys will be hard to defeat.

Except Latvian guys, on Saturday everything seemed to be favorable for the Dutch riders and for French guys on Sunday with three finalists: Pablo Gutierrez, Thomas Hamon et Moana Moo Caille, who is more and more easy in elite category. Note the final of Damien Godet on Saturday. A very open European championships what shows that the Olympic Games race is now launched. Especially this season with the progress of all nations, leaders as well as ''small'' nations such as Spain, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Switzerland...

CHALLENGE CATEGORIES
in parallel with the European championships, challenge categories were also racing. Massive participation of the French riders (naturally). Let's tell some results and stuffs...

• Good week-end for Cavaillon's club with its two ''favos''.Indeed  Sylvain André, in cadets, won both cruiser and 20'' race while Adrien Demaria won the cruiser race and took the second place in 20''.  Denis Teullet is back on the podium in cadet cruiser.
  
  
• Thomas Jouve won a new victory in an international event since his title at the worlds in Bercy.
  
  
• The level of the foreign girls is very high, especially in cadet category with the victory of Merle Van Bethem or else in minime category with the finals of two Italian girls...
  
  
• good-level race in the 25-29 with Galindo, Bontemps, Quémard and a very powerful and fast Cédric Frapessauce
  
  
• in 30 and over, victory of  Samy Jahidi. A final, and a very good result, for  Luc Khoeler who's now riding for Evasion and is over 40... david Alavoine won in cruiser but crashed in 20'' on Sunday but no big hurt.
  
  
• Bastien Merle, hurt, prefered  staying in the stands,
  
  
• Ludovic Le Bonniec confirms the progress he made after the first two rounds of the French cup and a 'super' Tom allignet also went to final in minime category. Baptiste David also won both races.
  
  
• Victory of a St Etienne's rider in cruiser with Romain Saladini as well as in woman 17 and over with Catherine Soukaze now riding this category and who won her first victory in this class.
  
  
  THE WINGS
• A tribute to Christophe Lévêque, Thomas Allier et Florent Boutte made them the stars of  the opening ceremony. Nice to see these three French legends together.
• Another tribute to André « Papy Dédé » Véré who has been in the prestart for many years and has decided to retire
• Marco dell'isola (english rider) was selling wrist bands and stickers to gather funds to help Stephen Murray, famous dirter who crashed and hurt himself seriously several months ago.

Next meeting earlier in the year 2008 for 3rd and 4th rounds of the European championship in Zwolle on 12 and 13 January.