Dale’s first BMX bike was a Raleigh Supercross, later upgraded the following Christmas to a Raleigh Pro Burner. He began racing locally at the Nottingham Bunneys Burner track, later known as Nottingham Outlaws, in the latter part of 1982.
By early 1983, Dale was picked up by Bunneys GT and, along with his sister Rachel, became fully hooked on the sport, with their parents travelling the country and Europe racing both UKBMX and NBMXA events.
It took a few years before the national wins came in an age group dominated by riders such as Andy Oldham, Damian Myles, Brad Smith and Anthony Howells. Dale was later picked up by Shenpar JMC, and his first National Title came in 1985 under the NBMXA banner.
Over the next few years, Neal Wood joined the class, and Dale, Neal and Anthony Howells shared the titles going into the late ’80s.
Over the next two years, Dale rode for Powerlite from 1986 to 1987 before moving to Cycle-Craft in 1988, still supported behind the scenes by Shenpar. At 16, Dale wanted one more shot at becoming European Champion, a title he had narrowly missed several times. But after crashing out in the final in Holland while battling European rival Rob Bulten, that dream slipped away.
The following week, Dale turned Superclass at the UKBMX Poole National, placing second in his debut behind Geth Shooter. He went on to podium at the remaining Nationals, score a win at the UKBMX Champion of Champions and triple out at the BBMXA British Championships in Derby, rounding off a great year.
In 1989, Dale joined the new ELF Superclass Team assembled by Vince Stobart and Hot Wheels. That year he became EBA Superclass Number 1 and also claimed the EBA British Championship title at Slough.
During the 1990 season, Dale moved to MCS Europe, a team run by BMX Hall of Famer Gerrit Does, and later rode for Webco Europe before joining GT Europe going into the 1993 season after a trip to the United States.
Dale continued racing across the UK and Europe over the next few years, making winter trips to the U.S. and collecting more British Championship and National titles. At the 1993 World Championships in Holland, he finished second behind his GT teammate Gary Ellis.
In 1994 and 1995, Dale raced throughout the UK and Europe, with rivals Jamie Staff and Dylan Clayton pushing the level of competition even higher. When word came that the 1996 World Championships would be held in Brighton, England, Dale set his sights on one goal, winning on home soil.
He spent the winter training in the United States before returning to put together a standout 1996 season, capturing National titles, the European Championship and ultimately the World Championship in Brighton, a victory he still calls the highlight of his career. The year was capped off with Dale being named British Cyclist of the Year.
After Brighton, at the close of the 1996 season, Dale began the next chapter of his journey, moving to the United States while continuing to ride for GT. He went all in on racing in America but still returned to Europe regularly to compete in European Championships, selected UK Nationals and the UCI World Cup series.
In 1997, Dale went on to win the European Championship and the UCI World Cup Overall, marking a strong start to the second phase of his career. Riding for GT and later Nirve, he continued his winning form, capturing the UCI Elite World Championship again in 2001, along with three U.S. National Titles in Cruiser and Masters, and two ABA World Championships in the AA Pro and Pro Cruiser classes in Texas.
Dale joined Free Agent in the 2000s, adding more World titles, including a Masters win in China in 2008 and Cruiser World Titles in both 2008 and 2009 in Australia.
When his Pro Elite career came to a close at age 35, Dale transitioned seamlessly into a new chapter, joining Free Agent and KHS Bicycles in a Team Management role. Under his guidance, Free Agent went on to win three UCI World Team Championship titles and celebrated Olympic success when Free Agent rider Maris Strombergs claimed his second Olympic Gold Medal in London.
In 2014, Dale founded Dale Holmes Racing, focusing on grassroots BMX programs that continue to this day. Working closely with the YMCA of San Diego, he runs BMX after school programs and his long running “BMX Pro for a Week” summer camps, which have now operated for more than 10 years. These programs continue to grow each season, introducing countless kids to the sport of BMX racing and inspiring the next generation of riders.
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