Pavel Podolský: Czechs know how to organize big races

In August, you hosted the European BMX Racing Cup in Venátky nad Jizerou for the third time. Looking back on the race weekend, how do you rate it?

Clearly the culmination of the organizational work of club members, parents and volunteers from all over Czech bicross, to whom many thanks are due. We have shown three times in a row that Czech bicross can organize excellent races at the international level.

How difficult is it to prepare such a large race from the point of view of organization, logistics, finance and personnel?

Challenging. The first European Cup two years ago was quite stressful, some essential things were solved on the fly to make it happen at all. This year we were already prepared for most situations, everyone in the team knows what to do and how, there is a lot of confidence that everything will go as it should. Financially, it's worse, the necessary investments in the track and facilities were barely covered by subsidies from previous years, this year we were unfortunately left without NSA support, so a big question mark hangs over the next years.

What has been the feedback from riders, clubs and fans? What did they most often praise and where would you see room for improvement?

Personally, I am very happy for the positive references to the profile and readiness of the track from the riders, every year we try to get feedback and improve what can realistically be improved. This year we also ran the entire refreshments ourselves and the people in the kiosk have my admiration, the feedback was maximum and the quality far surpasses anything I know from other European Cup races. And for example, in the marshalling yard or on the track, the EUC delegates have almost no work, because there our people organize it flawlessly. I believe that it will succeed in the same style in the spring.

Has hosting the European Cup brought any new opportunities to the club - for example, for further development of the track, cooperation with partners or children's interest in BMX?

In general, the organization of an international event makes both Czech bicross and Venice visible. Above all, it brought the club increased support from the city and the association, without which the organization would not be conceivable at all, and at the same time we have the opportunity to make our partners and sponsors more visible.

You also considered organizing the European Championship, but in the end it was abandoned. What was the main reason?

We have been thinking about the possibility of applying to host the ME for a long time, and it would actually be a great culmination of our efforts. Unfortunately, this requires planning for a horizon of five or more years, the request would be directed somewhere until 2030, it is not possible earlier, and we are not able to guarantee this financially or in terms of personnel.

What do you see as the biggest change for your club in recent years?

The modern era of bicross in Venice is not long, the first offspring have now grown into professional categories, and the family business is now a successful racing stable, with other riders growing up. The track and facilities try to keep up with them, mainly thanks to the dedication of the parents.

What do you personally enjoy and fulfill most about working with children and with the club?

I have it on several levels. The biggest reward for me with newbies is seeing them enjoy it. For more advanced guys, how they improve in all aspects. And with the older ones, I'm just fascinated by their speed and technical skills in controlling the bike, which they managed to achieve. The performances of today's adult male and female athletes never cease to amaze me. I'm glad to be a part of it.

In addition to the role of club leader and coach, you are also an occasional competitor. How do you manage to combine all these roles?

With a civilian job, it is very difficult in terms of time, luckily I have a fairly flexible job. In my view, it is almost impossible to talk about racing. Fortunately, it's not just me, the main organizer and administrator is my sister, the main builder and operator of the track is my dad, and I coach and kind of mess with everything.

You spend a large part of the year in the warmth of the ocean, where you surf. What brought you to surfing and what made it such a strong part of your life?

I actually started surfing at the same time that life brought me back to bicross after two decades. It wasn't a problem at first until Venice grew the way it did. Surfing is the thing that physically holds me together, but also a bit of an escape. I am a person who has two lives and I like both.

How do you assess the progress of Czech BMX Racing in recent years and where do you think its further development is headed?

With the arrival of the new commission, I don't know, eight years ago (?), Czech bicross got a new impulse, and basically David (former chairman of the BMX commission, editor's note) moved it technically and organizationally to the present. The quality of the races, the rider base, the organization, everything has grown by leaps and bounds. And I think it will be difficult to maintain it, it will depend on how we approach further changes.

Where do you see the biggest room for improvement - better infrastructure, youth work, financial support, or more media coverage?

In fact, now I think if we want to move forward, we're going to have to convince the bicross people, the riders, the parents, whoever has the guts, to go and start a bicross club in their town. On the pump track, on the small track, wherever there will be organized training, children from the neighborhood will come and start racing, a beautiful example is Milovice, which is only a short distance from Venice. Financial support for youth sports can be obtained, information for new coaches and club managers is being prepared. With new talent comes success, with success comes more support for professional bicross. The conditions for that are certainly there now.

What do you think would help BMX Racing be more talked about and get more public and media attention?

More BMX on TV, race stream and youtube channel is definitely the right direction. In today's "social" age, it would be necessary for all successful guys, especially from the older categories, to find a little "influencing" in themselves. Record, publish, share. Whether one lives it or not, it is the definition of the media present. It's actually something I should work on as well heading into Venice Bicross. The Czech Cycling Association has already embarked on that journey, it is on bicross to keep up the pace. For example, a series of short videos teaching BMX technique is something that could appeal to a wider cycling public, etc.

If you could change one thing about the home race system, what would it be?

Definitely supplement the race structure with small races, whether we call them derbies or otherwise. An afternoon race that does not force beginners to ride from the Giant Mountains to Šumava or the Jeseníky Mountains to Znojmo. Another level of racing primarily for new riders.

What shaped you personally the most in BMX and what values ​​do you try to pass on to younger riders?

For me it is responsibility, responsibility for my successes, failures, bad and good decisions. Bikros teaches you to make split-second decisions and take risks when you see an opportunity. Younger riders are then guided to be purposeful during training sessions. You have to work for success.