Olympics hero and Shepparton local Brett Lancaster has spoken of his pride ahead of the 2026 BMX National Championships
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Olympics hero Brett Lancaster has spoken excitedly as Shepparton prepares to play host to the 2026 BMX National Championships - which is set to be worth up to $7 million to the region.
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An estimated 4000 victors are expected to frequent the Shepparton BMX Club for one of the true garland events in the sport’s calendar.
Some 1400 riders will descend on the Goulburn Valley between April 13 and April 19 for events spanning 20-inch and Cruiser classes, ranging from entry-level participation to elite professional competition.
Securing hosting duties for the spectacle represents a major coup for the Greater Shepparton Region, especially following the controversy over the decision of the Victorian State Government to cancel plans for regional Victoria to stage the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Although former Victoria Premier Dan Andrews pulled the plug on the latter proposal back in 2023, Shepparton having been awarded the hosting duties for the BMX National Championships will have gone some way to softening the blow felt by many in the region after that divisive call.
Plans had been in place for the city to stage the BMX racing and the road cycling time trials at the Commonwealth Games, which would have taken place this month - had those proposals not been shelved.
Nearly three years on from that debacle, upgrades have since taken place at Shepparton BMX Club as part of the commitment of the Victorian Government to invest $2.3bn in infrastructure in regional areas of the state in spite of the collapse of the Commonwealth Games.
The improvements at Shepparton BMX Track and Cycling Precinct were completed last April and were unveiled at a special ceremony which saw the Minister for Community Sport, the Hon. Ros Spence, in attendance.
Shepparton Cycling Club President Brett Lancaster welcomed the upgrades as he spoke with optimism about the impact that the improvement efforts at his own club.
“The old lights were very outdated and we had to hire other lights when we had our annual Christmas carnival late into the night,” he said, describing the challenges the club faced before the regeneration works were undertaken.
“As one example, that meant there were massive costs for us financially and, in terms of safety, the upgrades bring us up to a really good standard now.
“When we run a carnival, we now know we have ticked every box.
“Not just for me as president of the club, the council did a great job in executing everything and making it all happen.
“It was awesome to see it all come together with local companies so it’s been really good to see it all unfold.
“That whole area in the Sporting Precinct in north Shepparton is looking better and better every day.”
With the city of Shepparton having provided him with the springboard to an Olympic gold medal, two World Championship golds and a Commonwealth gold, Lancaster is well-placed to give his verdict on how the BMX spectacle could prove inspire the next generation to take up cycling.
“I was in the velodrome as a teenager back in the ‘90s when they did an upgrade and that was big for us back then,” he said.
“It was massive and Ian Maher - who was club president back then and has just been inducted into the Victorian Cycling Hall of Fame - orchestrated the club and the way it was then.
“I definitely had so much support and I’ll never forget it, ever.
“There was a lot of people around then who helped.”
Brett Lancaster is a major champion of his hometown of Shepparton following his impressive career
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“If you don’t know what this means for the region, as a local, you need to get down there because you’re going to see some of the world’s best there racing.
“The financial gains it brings to the community that week is mind-blowing - with all the accommodation and things.”
The former Tour de France cyclist revealed that the championships have been projected to be worth between an estimated $5-7 million to the region.
After the shelving of plans for Shepparton to host events at the Commonwealth Games, Lancaster is excited for the city to finally get this moment to show what it can do on the world stage.
“I think that it’s a world-class track and it means that we can aim high and go for more top end international events in the future,” he said of the upgraded at Shepparton BMX Track and Cycling Precinct venue.
“BMX people say what an amazing job that the events team at the council do - so big, big credit to them.”
Moreover, Mayor of Greater Shepparton Shane Sali spoke to the Shepparton News about the prospect of the BMX National Championships heading to the region.
He expressed his excitement ahead of welcoming thousands of visitors and competitors to the city.
“One thing we do really well in Shepparton is host sports events, so if you look at events that you would want to be hosting, BMX would be right up there,” he said.
“So we were super stoked to have that announcement that the championships will take place [in Shepparton] - it’s a really fast-paced and exciting event with a strong audience both from an Australian and global perspective.”
