Preview: Arenacross Echo Arena – Liverpool

The last stop for the 2013 Arenacross Championship is on Sunday afternoon at the Liverpool Echo Arena. And like the previous three rounds at O2 London, Odyssey Arena, Belfast and LG Arena, Birmingham – the crowds are expected to flock to the exciting mix of supercross and freestyle motocross.

All the local media attention has been on 10-year-old Rossi Beard, the 65 class rider from Preston, Lancashire. And deservedly so after dominating all three previous rounds he took the Championship with a round to spare.

Rossi told the Liverpool Echo: “It is going to be pretty important because I get to show my fans what I am like.

“I have already won the championship so I can do whatever I want on Sunday. I get into the flow and just do the jumps. I don’t really brag about it.

“My auntie from Spain is coming over to watch me as well as my friend and his dad.”

The young rider may have had his own way at the other rounds but other riders are looking to challenge for the top step on Sunday afternoon. Wheeldon Offroad Centre tweeted this week that Preston Williams has been practising hard at their excellent facilities.

Great to have the @axuk 65cc competitor, Preston Williams, with us here today. He’s 2nd in the Championship…… fb.me/20E6N5UVN

– Wheeldon Offroad (@wheeldonoffroad) February 5, 2013

Pro main

The 65 class main have been settled but the Pro main event title is still up for grabs.

Adam Chatfield (Buildbase Honda) won the first two rounds with South African, Neville Bradshaw hot on his back wheel. But a win from Jack Brunell in Birmingham last weekend opened the Chamionship back up.

No matter what happens in the Head-to-heads, the Buildbase Honda rider just needs to make sure he finishes in the top four for the Main event final – if he does that the Championship is all his. If he doesn’t then we’ll need to get the calculator out!

Eric Sorby has been sidelined through illness so Arenacross organisers (E22 Sports) have drafted in another super-fast Frenchie to take his place at Sunday afternoon’s Arenacross at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.

Romain Berthomé (centre) has a solid indoor pedigree and could cause a major upset as the series comes to a climax.

“I have been following over the internet what my French friends Eric Sorby and Cyrille Coulon were doing in the series and to be honest I realised that the UK riders are lot bigger competition than I was expecting,” says Romain. “The level there seems pretty high, their riding style is very aggressive and spectacular. I’m thrilled also because of the race track designs – at every round they put together a very challenging and spectacular track with some heavy whoops sections and huge jumps.

“I’m also really pleased that I will be part of the I-Fly Lanes Kawasaki team as they have in a very short period of time demonstrated their technical ability to build a very good bike. I really would like to thank Graham Harrison for the trust he’s placed in me. I will do my best this weekend in Liverpool to pay them back.”

Freestyle motocross

The best British FMX riders, Chris Birch, Dave Wiggins, Dan Whitby and Jamie Squibb will once again be making sure they wow the Liverpool crowd and they must be feeling it as this week Chris Birch commented on DBR’s Instagram account “this weekend will be bigger”

They will be joined by Norwegian freestyler Andre Villa and the Spanish sensation Chris Meyer – who at just 15-years-old will take on tricks that some more experienced freestylers would think twice about.

2013 Arenacross Series Standings