Canyon Lake pair races in BMX Worlds
Canyon Lake’s Jayson Stubbs, 8, and Madison Thompson, 11, headed over to Glasgow, Scotland last week to compete in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships and brought back memories and rankings as they competed with the world’s best BMX riders.
Madison reached the finals against cyclists from around the world and finished in second place in the girls 8-12 age group of the BMX Cruiser Class. Jayson finished high enough in the 8-12 age group of the boys BMX Cruiser Class qualifiers to move onto the final rounds before being eliminated. He finished being ranked 17th in the world and the third highest ranked rider in the United States.
Madison competed last year and finished in sixth place in the 8-12 age group in the Cruiser Class, while this was Jayson‘s first world competition. Madison and Jayson were teammates for the Redman Junior Development team in 2020 based out of the Grand Prix BMX Track at Lake Perris.
Madison Thompson competes in the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships last week in Glasgow, Scotland. She finished in second place in the BMX Cruiser Class for Girls 8-12. Photo by ANico Van Dartel
Jayson had a rough time preparing for the competition. He qualified for the World Championships in May. A training regiment and travel schedule was dutifully worked out with his coach, Mike Redman. However, tragically, Mike died the following month of a stroke.
Jayson, who was very close to his coach, was obviously devastated. He and the Stubbs family relied heavily on the coach for all things BMX as well as a source for being a calming presence. Jayson struggled. He had already been put behind the eight ball with his birthdate falling just after the cutoff, requiring him to essentially compete against boys a year older than he is.
Madison Thompson, left, and Jayson Stubbs, both from Cayon Lake, meet up at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships last week in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo by Michelle Stubbs
Canyon Lakers like JP Fellin, Rob Williams and Mike Wagoner came to the rescue, Jayson’s mom Michelle Stubbs said.
“They gave of their time to boost up Jayson,” Michelle, the resident riding instructor/horse trainer at the Canyon Lake Equestrian Center, said. “JP rode for Mike Redman in the beginning of his BMX career and that tie to his deceased coach was crucial for Jayson.”
Back on the bike, Jayson trained and was ready for the World Championships in Scotland.
“He was disappointed when he walked off the track because he wanted to do better,” Michelle said. “However, his first question was, ‘when are the next Worlds? How long do I have to train?’ We knew that while holding all the invaluable lessons he learned from his coach in his heart, he could now move forward.”
The Stubbs are a four-generation Canyon Lake family. Jayson started BMX when he was just 5-years-old. Jayson is looking forward to the BMX Worlds next year which will be held in South Carolina nine months from now.
“Josh and I are elated over this young kiddo’s resilience,” Michelle said. “We value all the family memories made in Scotland, but seeing the fire and passion for racing reignited inside our boy brings us the most joy.”
Madison, meanwhile, is the veteran of the pair. The two have a bond as they trained together at the Lake Perris BMX track a few years ago and are both from Canyon Lake.
Madison now trains with her coach, Tyler Brown, who operates BMX tracks in San Diego and Chula Vista. She rides for the 316 Racing Team.
She competed last year in France and, despite being one of the youngest in the race, finished in sixth place overall. This year, with another year of experience and devoted training, she finished in second. This was the fourth year in a row that Madison qualified for the World BMX Championships and represented Team USA.
Madison’s family moved to Canyon Lake in January and they have fully embraced the recreational lifestyle that the community offers. Madison spends most of her days on her BMX bike or water skiing.
In addition to those sports, Madison, who is just starting 6th Grade at Canyon Lake Middle School, made the school’s cheer team.
“We are so unbelievably proud of her accomplishments,” her mother Heather Thompson said. “We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her.”