Two local bicycle riders closing in on third goal

Two local bicycle riders closing in on third goal

Oct 20, 2001

KYLE AND CHELSEY GALYON of Cortez proudly stand by all their awards they have won lately while competing in several American Bicycle Association BMX races throughout the region. They have already won Colorado State titles. They have participated and placed in several other prestigious races.

STAFF REPORT

With 10 weeks left in the Bicycle Moto-Cross season, two Cortez racers are hoping to capture two more titles.

Kyle and Chelsey Galyon have spent all year racing in two classes in the American Bicycle Association with the hopes of becoming the Colorado State champions, Colorado District I champions, and finish among the top eight at the Redline Cup Finals. As of Sept. 23, two out of three goals recently became a reality for these two riders.

Both competed in the Colorado State Championship Finals in Fort Collins on Sept. 16. Chelsey, who races in the 10 Girl Class and the 10-Under Girl Cruiser Class, came home as the state champ in both classes. Kyle also captued the state championship in the 13 Expert Class and the 13 Cruiser Class.

The following weekend, the two siblings were racing in the United States Open and the Redline Cup Finals at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. In the U.S. Open, Chelsey only raced in the 10-U Girl Cruiser Class and finished fourth. Kyle placed second in the 13 Cruiser Class and first in the 13 Expert Class.

The Redline Cup Finals were held on Sept. 23. The Redlien Cup Final is an invitation-only race. To get invited, racers have got to finish fourth or better at the Redline Qualifier. The Redline Cup is separated into three regions with Colorado being one of 15 states in the Central Region. The Colorado qualifier was held in Grand Junction back in July. At that event, Chelsey finished seventh in the 10 Girl Class and took fifth despite crashing in the U-10 Girl Cruiser class. Kyle was in third in the 13 Cruiser Class before he and another rider collided. He got up and finished the race in seventh.

The eight riders in the 13 Expert Class were very close from start to finish. Kyle crossed the finished in fifth.

The Colorado District I Championships are the titles Kyle and Chelsey are still chasing. The District Championships are determined by total points earned from Jan. 1-Dec. 15. When the points were last posted, Chelsey was in second place in the Girls Cruiser. She was ahead up on her next challenger by 809 points. In the Girls Class, she had a 3,679-point lead. Kyle has a 2,400-point lead in the Cruiser Class and a 2,171-point lead in the other class. With some races still left, they could both reach their third goal.

The local official BMX track is near completion. Concrete pads are being readied for the hardware starting equipment. If all goes as planned and if the weather cooperates, an official BMX race could be held in Cortez before the end of the season. The new track is located right off Empire Street near Parque de Vida.