UCI BMX Racing Elite Men’s World Championship History (2021–Present): Full Recap & Final Results

UCI BMX Racing Elite Men World Championship Results (2021–2026)

This is part 4 of a 4 part BMX Racing Men’s Elite history series:

Part 1: 1996-2000 UCI World Championship Men’s Elite Results
Part 2: 2001-2010 UCI World Championship Men’s Elite Results
Part 3: 2011-2020 UCI World Championship Men’s Elite Results
Part 4: 2021-Present UCI World Championship Men’s Elite Results

2021 – Papendal, Netherlands 🇳🇱

Final Results (Elite Men’s Top 8):

1. Niek Kimmann (Netherlands) – World Champion

2. Sylvain André (France)

3. David Graf (Switzerland)

4. Twan van Gendt (Netherlands)

5. Romain Mahieu (France)

6. Arthur Pilard (France)

7. Connor Fields (USA) (injured in semi)

8. Ivo van der Putten (Netherlands) (injured in semi)

Summary: After the lost year of 2020, the 2021 World Championships were highly anticipated, and Dutch star Niek Kimmann rose to the occasion on home soil at Papendal. Kimmann powered to victory in front of an enthusiastic (albeit limited, due to COVID restrictions) home crowd, securing his second Elite Men’s world title. France’s Sylvain André claimed silver – his third Worlds medal in four editions – and Swiss veteran David Graf earned a fairy-tale bronze in what he announced would be his final race before retirement. The Papendal track, essentially the Dutch national training track and one of the world’s best, gave the riders a familiar, fast course with big jumps and a challenging first turn. The final was somewhat depleted by dramatic semi-finals: reigning Olympic champion Connor Fields crashed out in a horrific semi crash (just weeks before he would be injured again in Tokyo), and Dutchman Ivo van der Putten broke his collarbone in the other semi. Nonetheless, the final showcased European dominance, with six Europeans in the gate and Kimmann leading a Dutch team that put two riders in the top-4. Kimmann’s win completed a perfect lead-in to the Tokyo Olympics (which took place just days later, where he also took gold). For Graf, the bronze was a career-capping moment, giving Switzerland its first Elite Men’s medal since 2015 and ending his long career on a high. The 2021 Worlds proved to be a preview of the Olympic final: the top two in Papendal (Kimmann and André) would both stand on the Olympic podium shortly after.

🎥 Video: Elite Men’s Final – 2021 World Championships (YouTube)

2022 – Nantes, France 🇫🇷

Final Results (Elite Men’s Top 8):

1. Simon Marquart (Switzerland) – World Champion

2. Kye Whyte (Great Britain)

3. Joris Daudet (France)

4. Sylvain André (France)

5. Twan van Gendt (Netherlands)

6. Arthur Pilard (France)

7. Camilo Gutiérrez (Peru)

8. Jeremy Rencurel (France) (DNF – crashed in final)

🎥 Video: Elite Men’s Final – 2022 World Championships (YouTube)

Summary: The 2022 World Championships in Nantes, France delivered plenty of hometown drama and a first-time champion in Simon Marquart. The Swiss rider had steadily improved over recent years and in Nantes everything clicked – Marquart grabbed the holeshot in the final and never faltered, earning Switzerland’s first-ever Elite Men’s BMX world title.

The wildly partisan French crowd (the event was held indoors at Nantes’ Parc des Expositions) had mixed emotions: French favourite Joris Daudet finished third, taking bronze, while Great Britain’s Kye Whyte – the reigning Olympic silver medallist – swooped in for silver. Whyte’s medal was the first Elite Men’s podium for Great Britain since Liam Phillips in 2013.

France had an astonishing four riders in the final (Daudet, André, Pilard, Rencurel), but early in the lap Jeremy Rencurel crashed out, dashing French hopes for a home champion. Marquart’s victory was a bit of an upset – he beat multiple Olympic medallists and former world champs – but it capped a season where he had been consistently at the top of the field.

The tight indoor track in Nantes favoured strong starters and bike handlers, and Marquart (a former mountain biker) showed both qualities in spades. This championship also saw Peru’s Camilo Gutiérrez make the final (7th place), which was the first time a Peruvian rider had ever gone that far – a milestone for South American BMX. Marquart’s win continued the trend of new champions and underlined that in BMX’s elite ranks, the competition was as deep as ever.

2023 – Glasgow, UK (Super Worlds) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Final Results (Elite Men’s Top 8):

1. Romain Mahieu (France) – World Champion

2. Arthur Pilard (France)

3. Joris Daudet (France)

4. Sylvain André (France)

5. Izaac Kennedy (Australia)

6. Simon Marquart (Switzerland)

7. Carlos Ramírez (Colombia)

8. Kye Whyte (Great Britain) (DNF – crashed in final)

Summary: The 2023 World Championships, held in Glasgow as part of the UCI’s first “Super Worlds” (combining all cycling disciplines), were utterly dominated by Team France. In an extraordinary French podium sweep, Romain Mahieu rode to the win, followed by teammates Arthur Pilard and Joris Daudet.

Mahieu, long considered a talented but unlucky rider (he had never before medaled at Worlds), put it all together on Glasgow’s supercross track at Kelvingrove Park – taking the holeshot from lane 8 and leading a French train across the line. The French sweep in Elite Men was unprecedented in BMX history and underscored France’s depth (this feat was achieved even without 2021 champ Daudet winning – he got bronze behind Pilard).

The final might have been even more French if Sylvain André hadn’t unclipped at the gate; still, he recovered to finish 4th, meaning France took the top four positions. The only non-French riders in the main were Australia’s young star Izaac Kennedy (5th), defending champ Simon Marquart (6th), Colombia’s ever-consistent Carlos Ramírez (7th), and Great Britain’s Kye Whyte. Unfortunately for the home crowd, Kye Whyte crashed out spectacularly on the second straight while pushing for a medal, ending British hopes in the final.

Mahieu’s victory marked France’s first Elite Men’s title since 2018, and doing it with a clean sweep made it even sweeter on Scottish soil. This Worlds will be remembered for French supremacy and for being part of a larger festival of cycling in Glasgow, where BMX Racing took center stage for a day and delivered high drama.

2024 – Rock Hill, USA 🇺🇸

Final Results (Elite Men’s Top 8):

1. Joris Daudet (France) – *World Champion

2. Niek Kimmann (Netherlands)

3. Sylvain André (France

4. Carlos Ramírez (Columbia)

5. Alfredo Campo (Ecquador)

6. Rico Bearman (New Zealand)

7. Mauricio Molina (Chile)

8. Kye Whyte (Great Britain)

Summary: The 2024 World Championships in Rock Hill marked a return to this familiar venue and saw veteran Joris Daudet finally reclaim the world title after a seven-year gap. Daudet, one of the most decorated riders of his generation, put together a brilliant weekend and in the final held off 2015 champ Niek Kimmann down the last straight to secure his third Elite Men’s crown (adding to 2011). France’s Sylvain André added yet another medal to his collection with bronze, making it three straight years on the Worlds podium.

The final in Rock Hill was stacked with global talent – riders from five continents featured in the top-8, emphasizing the worldwide growth of BMX. Notably, South America had three riders in the main: Carlos Ramírez (Colombia) took 4th, Alfredo Campo (Ecuador) was 5th, and Mauricio Molina (Chile). Rico Bearman of New Zealand (age 20) had a breakout performance, finishing 6th and signalling the next Kiwi contender on the scene.

Great Britain’s Kye Whyte, nursing injuries from a crash earlier in the week, gutted out an 8th place after sliding out on the second straight. The Rock Hill track – wide and fast with big jumps – provided exciting racing and favoured the power riders. Daudet’s victory was celebrated as a triumph of experience; at 33, he became one of the oldest World Champions ever, showing that in BMX, skill and cunning can still beat raw youth. With this win, Daudet also tied the record for most Elite Men’s world titles (3). The 2024 Worlds also served as a prelude to the Paris Olympics, giving Daudet a huge confidence boost as he aimed for the one prize missing from his resume (Olympic gold on home soil).

2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark 🇩🇰

Final Results (Elite Men’s Top 8)

1. Arthur Pilard (France) – World Champion

2. Izaac Kennedy (Australia)

3. Eddy Clerté (France)

4. Joris Daudet (France)

5. Mathis Ragot Richard (France)

6. Magnus Dyhre (Denmark)

7. Mitchel Schotman (Netherlands)

8. Sylvain André (France)

Summary

The Elite Men’s final in Copenhagen was decided in the first few seconds: Arthur Pilard launched hardest out of the gate, took ownership of the opening turn, and immediately began to open a controllable gap. From there, it became a textbook front-running performance Pilard stayed composed, picked efficient lines, and never offered the door to anyone chasing from behind.

Izaac Kennedy kept the pressure on throughout, particularly as they drove into the later straights and set up for the final turn, but Pilard’s early advantage forced Kennedy into “chase mode” rather than genuine passing position. Kennedy held on strongly for second, delivering a major result on the biggest day of the season.

Behind them, the podium battle evolved as the lap progressed. Eddy Clerté moved into third and defended it to the line, giving France two riders in the medals. Off the podium, the fight for fourth was razor close—Joris Daudet and Mathis Ragot Richard went right down to the wire, matching each other through the final section with Daudet just edging it at the finish.

The overall picture was clear: France dominated the final with five riders in the top eight, but the atmosphere belonged to Pilard his supporters were in full voice as he crossed the line, and the celebrations in the stands captured the scale of a career-defining World Championship victory.

2026 – Brisbane, AUS 

2026 World Championships, Elite Men – top 8 (Brisbane)

1. Jesse Asmus – Australia
2. Ross Cullen – Great Britain
3. Mathis Ragot Richard – France
4. Eddy Clerte – France
5. Rico Bearman – New Zealand
6. Romain Mahieu – France
7. Mateo Carmona Garcia – Colombia
8. Leo Garoyan – France

SUMMARY: 

The 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships were held at the Brisbane BMX Racing Track. Saturday’s programme was completed in full. On Sunday 19 July, after repeated delays through the morning, the wind around the track did not drop and the organisers stopped the meeting.

There were no quarter-finals. No semi-finals. No mains.

Under UCI regulations, when racing cannot continue the titles are awarded on the last completed stage of competition. That meant Saturday’s times decided all six championship class world champions.

For the Elite Men it handed the rainbow jersey to Australia’s Jesse Asmus, who had set the fastest time of Saturday’s racing on home soil. Great Britain’s Ross Cullen took silver and France’s Mathis Ragot Richard bronze.

It is the biggest result of Asmus’s career, and on the day he was the fastest man on the track.

Final Thoughts: 2021 to Present

Six World Championships, six different World Champions, five different nations. Niek Kimmann, Simon Marquart, Romain Mahieu, Joris Daudet, Arthur Pilard and Jesse Asmus have all pulled on the rainbow jersey since 2021, and nobody has managed to defend it. That is the healthiest sign a sport can give. France has been magnificent throughout, taking three titles, an unprecedented podium sweep in Glasgow and five riders in the top eight in Copenhagen, and even that depth has not been enough to close the door on anybody else. Sylvain Andre made five consecutive finals in the middle of it all, a run of longevity that deserves to be remembered alongside the champions. For Great Britain, Kye Whyte’s silver in Nantes and Ross Cullen’s silver in Brisbane have put the country back on the Elite Men’s podium twice in six years after a decade away.

The map has been redrawn too. Peru reached a final for the first time in 2022, Rock Hill put five continents in a single main event in 2024, and the last two championships have been won and medalled by riders from Australia and New Zealand alongside the European establishment. Jesse Asmus was the fastest man on the track in Brisbane on home soil, and a first Australian Elite Men’s world title is a genuine milestone for a region that has been building toward it for years. Six champions in six years, more nations winning than ever, and a field this deep heading into LA 2028. Elite BMX has rarely looked more alive.