This fundraiser is on behalf of my son Nathan de Vaux, a 17-year old Downhill Mountain Bike racer from Machynlleth, Wales.

Nathan competed at World Cups with Team GB last year and consistently made it to finals (top 20) with his best result being 15th in the world. He was also selected to represent Team GB at the World Championships where he finished in 20th place and highest ranked 1st year Junior from the UK.

He went on to become vice-British Champion in 2025 and 2nd overall in the European Continental Series which allows him to enter all 2026 World Cups.

This year, Nathan has been able to compete at the Continental Series races in Portugal thanks to financial support from Mudhugger. He played safe in very windy conditions and came 5th. Last weekend, we travelled to Fort William in Scotland where Nathan dominated the junior field winning by over 10 seconds with a time which would place him 2nd in Elites. The POV of his very impressive race run is on the Racement YouTube account.

It's safe to say that Nathan is ready to fulfil his goal of placing top 5 at World Cups this year, and possibly even claim the World Champion title later on in September.

Unfortunately, British Cycling is no longer sending mechanic support to the World Cups for British riders which means that we need to raise £300 per race weekend to cover the cost of paying for a mechanic on top of all other costs to go racing. Our travel costs have also increased massively in recent months meaning the generous support we received from Mudhugger and Seacat Services is not even going to get us through the first few World Cups.

We are reaching out for help as Nathan really deserves a shot at competing at the highest level in his sport. He works incredibly hard both in training and as a trainee car mechanic to help pay for his racing. He also converted his own race truck to keep accommodation costs to a minimum.

His result last weekend, amongst some of the best Elite riders in the world, is an indication of what's in store for this dedicated youngster. All he needs now is a bit of financial help to give him the springboard to a career as Downhill Racer. Every donation, however small, and every share helps.

Let's get Nathan racing!