British Cycling has today launched its first ever Christmas film, with Tokyo hopeful Kye Whyte fronting the project as he continues his preparations for a first Olympic Games; the film can be watched below.

The film focuses on Whyte’s journey from a child in Peckham – receiving his first bike for Christmas – to one of the world’s best BMX supercross riders. The national governing body for cycling is hoping to reach over a million people through the film over the festive period, with the intention of highlighting the potential of a bike to take you to places – both physically and figuratively – that you didn’t think possible, whether that be competing on the world stage or exploring with friends.

With the slogan ‘where will your bike take you’, the film highlights the opportunities that bikes can open up, a message which Whyte was keen to get behind.

He says:

“For me, it all started with getting that first bike as a three-year-old. I had no idea then where that would take me, but that moment set the course.

“From a personal point of view, my first bike set me on a path towards the Olympic Games, a dream which I hope to fulfil next year. However, the sense of freedom, independence and adventure that comes with your first bike is something that everyone can share, regardless of whether they have Olympic ambitions or not.”

Whyte began racing at Peckham BMX Club – one of over 300 Go-Ride clubs that provide entry-level racing opportunities for young people across Britain, and where over three quarters of the current Great Britain Cycling Team squad started out. He then made the move to the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre in Manchester, the home of British Cycling, to train with the Great Britain Cycling Team, and after claiming a silver medal at the 2018 European Championships, he won his first elite international race at the Manchester round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup in April.

Manchester will again host a world cup round in April 2020, giving British fans one last opportunity to watch elite-level BMX before the new Olympic champions are crowned in Tokyo.

Of the event, Whyte says:

“This year’s Manchester world cup is a memory that will live with me forever. The feeling of performing so well and crossing the line first in front of a home crowd is indescribable, and I’m relishing the opportunity to compete here again in April.”

Tickets for the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, which takes place across the weekend of April 18 and 19, are available here.