BMX Racing Canada Cup Journey

BMX Racing Canada Cup Series is the nation’s pinnacle off-road racing series, offering a complete calendar of events. Designed to bridge the gap between Provincial-level racing and top international events, the Canada Cup Series caters to both developing riders as well as the nation’s top elite athletes. With each event on the calendar possessing international sanction, the series ensures fierce racing and welcomes athletes from all over the world.

Max Ganakovsky is a talented 19-year-old athlete from Calgary Alberta. When Max turned 19, he had a choice to race in U23 class (an intermediate class between Junior and Elite Championship classes), however, during his off-season training he made so much progress, that he decided to race Canada Cup Series in Elite class. This is his story…

2023 BMX Racing Canada Cup Series consisted of seven races in Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The best five finishes count towards final ranking in the series. Max attended his first two Elite races in Haut-Richelieu (Quebec) with great results (1st and 2nd). The next two races in Warman (Saskatchewan) were also a great success (two wins). Going in the the last round of Canada Cup races in Calgary (Alberta), Max had to have at least one more race with a third place finish or better.

Max is getting ready for another set of squats in his home gym. BMX gate start is a very demanding strength/power activity, so heavy squats and Olympic lifts are integral part of an elite BMX racing athlete training. Elite BMX racing athletes can squat 2.5 times and clean 1.5 times of their body weight. Max's gym numbers are getting close.

Max is on the floor tasting the pain from lactic acid build up during Tabatha Sprint protocol. Tabatha Sprint is designed to adapt athlete’s body for high level of lactic acid built up during prolonged high intensity muscle exertion. Mini dachshund Dexter provides needed comfort and support during recovery between the sets.

Practice makes perfect… BMX gate, sprints and jumping are essential skills for BMX Racing. Thousand repetitions are needed to achieve mastery of these skills.

It takes between 0.3-0.4 seconds for the gate to drop. It is very important to perfectly match the gate move during start. If an athlete's movement is slower than the gate, he will start the race a the end of the pack of racers. If his movement is faster than the speed of the gate, an athlete will hit the gate and slow himself down. That is why it takes thousands of repetitions to perfect the gate start technique. While Max is only 19, he has practiced this move over 10,000 times.

Navigating large gap jumps takes a lot of confidence. Max flies over a 27 foot gap jump at Calgary BMX track. It is important to practice staying as low as possible as this is the fastest way to navigate these gap jumps.

This is it… The gate is about to drop for the final round of 2023 Canada Cup races.

Tight, fast paced racing is always exciting for athletes and spectators.

The first corner of Calgary BMX is very tricky. At this point athletes are reaching speeds close to 50km/h. The leading athlete (Max) has an advantage of choosing the best line through the corner. The following athletes need to react to lead athlete moves.

Carnage in the first corner…

Gap jump training pays off as Max leads the pack through Calgary BMX Pro Section.

Winning qualifying races results in a better lane choice for the Final.

Max and one of his fans are discussing the strategy on how to navigate the first corner.

2023 Canada Cup series is done. Top three athletes in each championship category pose for a group picture at Calgary BMX.

It came down to the last race of the season where the title would be decided between top three athletes in Elite Male Class. Knowing this, Max has delivered 100%. He raced smartly, avoided big crashes and ended the last race of the series with the second place. This result helped him to secure the overall Canada Cup title. This is the first time in BMX Racing Canada Cup history when the first - year Elite athlete won the overall title.

2023 Canada Cup Season was an exciting one. Max scored three wins and two second places in five mandatory Canada Cup events. The ultimate goal of winning the overall title is achieved.. However the hard work continues. It is the time to set new goals, design new training plans and keep working towards the ultimate goal to represent Canada at 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles!