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Amaranth teen heads to Spain to compete in highly competitive motorcycle event

September 17, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Sixteen-year-old Amaranth resident Lachlan Alexander is preparing to take his rapidly rising motorcycle racing career onto the international stage with an upcoming trip to Spain for a prestigious Red Bull selection event.

Alexander is one of a select few young riders from around the world invited to the competition, where only a small handful will earn the chance to advance to a top-tier championship.

He said he’s still processing the news.
“It’s still like insanely surreal to me,” Alexander said. “I can’t even put into words what it means to go. It’s only 110 kids from all around the world get the chance to go, and only only around eight make it through after the event for a chance to race at the top level.”

He added, “It’s a lot to process, but it’ll be exciting, and it’s a big step for [my] racing career.”

The event runs from Oct. 2 to 10, with riders split over the first two days before a cut is made for a final selection day.

After years of riding dirt bikes locally, Alexander is still very new to the competitive scene and performing on a different class of bikes.

“I started racing last year, actually,” he said. “This was my first year fully racing. We started off doing the regional rounds out in Grand Bend, and caught a lot of seat time, learned a lot, and then this year was my first season at the national rounds, so even just that is an accomplishment in itself. I was a rookie going into the national series, and I was able to come out with a Canadian national title.”

Racing is very much a family affair for the Alexanders. The team is built around a tight-knit structure, with Lachlan’s father serving as team manager and mechanic, and Lachlan and his brother Cole as the primary riders.

Training for international competition goes far beyond seat time. With limited access to local tracks in Canada, Alexander makes the most of regional events and smaller circuits while relying heavily on off-track conditioning.

“The physical stuff that comes out of it –– it’s insane,” he said. “It’s all upper body and core and legs, and it’s a whole body thing. Most people think that you sit on the bike, you steer, and you give it throttle. But anybody that’s riding on the track is getting their eyes widened up whenever they experience it. It’s a lot more physical than they think.”

Running, biking, and regular gym sessions help build the strength and endurance needed for the physically demanding nature of road racing, which places significant strain on the upper body, core and legs.

This past season, Alexander campaigned a 2025 Kawasaki Ninja 500 that he bought at auction and rebuilt himself after school and work, with the clear goal of winning a national title.

Looking ahead, he plans to move up to a more powerful GSX-R 750 next year and is targeting additional Canadian championships.

Whatever the outcome in Spain, his rapid rise from local rider to national champion and international competitor has already made him a standout representative for Amaranth and Dufferin County.

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