A local BMX racer has won a world championship.
Alex Tougas, 15, who had already taken Canadian and American championships, and now won a world title in Auckland, New Zealand.
Tougas is a sponsored amateur rider who competes across the United States. He has gone from provincial champ, to national champ, to world champ.
The races were fraught with crashes – in the men’s 30-and-over class, half of the field crashed. In three of the men’s finals, most of the field hit the tarmac in the first turn.
Tougas avoided that peril. In his race, six of eight starters went down in the first turn, but he avoided the pileup.
Tougas has been riding since before he was even three years of age, and joined Ridge Meadows BMX at the age of seven.
“He just loves riding, and spends all his ttime at the track,” said his father Marc, whose younger son Ryan, 11, is also top-ranked in Canada in his age group.
He said Alex’ goal is to make Team Canada, and ride in the new Olympic BMX competition.