Warrnambool to host 2021 BMX state series' opener at Lake Pertobe

The Allansford-based Bell will compete at the Victorian BMX State Series' opener at Warrnambool's Lake Pertobe complex on Sunday.

His three eldest sons - Liam, 11, Cameron, 10, and Caleb, 7, - will also race.

Youngest son Tyler, 5, appears likely to follow them into racing in coming years.

"I've come back after a 30-year retirement. It doesn't feel so good," Clinton, who will compete in the 40-44 age group category, joked.

"I've done two races and I think I've done trained five times on the track."

Clinton said he followed his children back into the sport.

"They had a bit of interest 12 months or so ago and never really stuck with it and they were keen to come and have a look again," he said.

"They were keen this time around. Three of them do it and my littlest one is getting quite keen now as well.

"We come down and the kids ride around for three hours on a Saturday so I thought 'if we're going to sit around, I might as well get a bike and whip around'.

"I love it. It's great fun, especially with the kids too. The (Warrnambool BMX) club is amazing at the moment too, there's a lot of new people."

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Liam said his dad was the only one to have a crash so far. "I've only had one spill, that was big enough," Clinton said.

"You don't quite bounce back as well as you do when you're younger. I have to dial it back a bit and ride at my ability instead."

Clinton said his sons were "loving it" and were adjusting to the racing pace.

"They are loving it. It is a big learning curve; there's a lot of kids who have been riding for quite a while," he said.

"Time on the bike is all it is. As long as they're enjoying it, that's the main thing."

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Clinton said state series round would present another challenge.

"It is going to be a good eye-opener with the amount of people who are going to be here and the quality of riders," he said.

"There's a lot of riders in the club who are at a high level as well so it will be good to see how they go mixed in with the big fields."

Club president Darren Mollenoyux said Warrnambool was originally meant to host round three.

"Rounds one and two were supposed to be in Shepparton the week after we got out of (the five-day coronavirus lockdown)," he said.

The number of riders was capped at 400 - an figure the club reached.

Thirty-five Warrnambool members will race. The competition runs from 10.30am to 3pm and caters for people from two years old to those aged 50-plus.

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