About

My name is Balint Hamvas and I’am a cycling photographer, specializing in cyclo-cross.

Ever since I became interested in cycling, I followed many disciplines of it, but I had never paid any attention to cyclo-cross, it stayed under the radar for me for long, long years. But in 2008, on a fateful (and very cold) day in October, I decided to visit a World Cup race in Tabor. I didn’t really know what to expect, but once the elite race had finished, I had the feeling you have when you fall in love at first sight. I was dazzled by the blistering pace, a superb bike handling skills of the riders, the intensity of the race and fantastic atmosphere the fans created course-side. I was hooked.

This new love coincided with the move from Budapest to London and I suddenly found myself at practically at arm’s length to World Cup races. I crossed the Channel to take photos at the Roubaix World Cup and the Worlds at Hoogerheide. By the end of the season, I was lost. I wanted more. But I knew so little – I assumed that, just like in mountain biking, the key races are the World Cups and accordingly, I started to make a plan to cover the entire 2009/2010 World Cup season. I hadn’t had an assignment or any plan how I was going to make money out of it, but I wanted to see more of this wonderful sport that I was ok with doing it for nothing.

And then the season started and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I was flying to different race venues all over Europe, watching great cross racing week in, week out and I loved every second of it. It also resulted in my first book, UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Season 2009/2010 . It was very well received and I was very keen on doing the next season, and doing it even better. However, I couldn’t find funding for all the traveling expenses and I had to make the hard but inevitable decision to skip the season.

After a summer of hard work and the unfortunate death of my grandma, which left me with a smaller inheritance, I’m now investing into another season of cyclo-cross photography, and this time it’s not just the World Cups, it’s the whole lot: World Cups, GVAs, Superprestige and Fidea Classics races, plus the Worlds. It’s been one hell of a journey so far and it seems to get better and better. Hope you’ll be joining me!

If you would like to get in touch, want to buy hi-res photos, want to ask a question about photography, want to leave a suggestion or just want to say hi, please do send me an email at balint.hamvas@cyclephotos.co.uk.

Thanks for visiting!

Balint