Dream results for Australia on the opening day of the UCI BMX World Cup in Brisbane
NATAustralian crowds were treated to an almost perfect day of BMX racing in Brisbane for Round 3 of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup, with Aussie riders taking three of the four wins and featuring in all podiums on the day.
Steady rain in the afternoon couldn’t dampen the spirits of the sell-out crowd, with more than 2000 people on hand for the first UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Australia since 2020.
As happened in Rotorua a fortnight ago, Australian riders featured prominently throughout the Men’s Under-23 races, with four local riders progressing through to the decider.
In the final, Queensland’s Jesse Asmus (AUS) ignited the home crowd, powering into the lead on the second straight and leading the field to the line, with Oli Moran (AUS) taking second for a 1-2 Australian finish. It could have been a clean sweep for the Aussies, but Jordan Callum (AUS) cruelly crashed in the slippery conditions just feet from the line.
Speaking to AusCycling after the win, Asmus said he had ridden a wave of adrenaline in front of the home fans on Saturday.
“It's a dream come true to get a result with all the home crowd here. I was coming into this one very focused and very motivated to try and get a result, so definitely pumped,” Asmus said.
“Being up on the start hill just then in that final, like the amount of pressure I was not only putting on myself, but also, I obviously felt it from the crowd, because I want to get a good result for the crowd, the home crowd especially.
“So, it's definitely a lot of pressure I put on myself, but I'm just stoked to come away with it and manage to maintain like a calmness and then just execute.”
Teya Rufus then kept the party going at Brisbane SX International BMX Centre, winning the Women Under 23 final in dominant fashion and reclaiming the World Cup series lead in the process.
Rufus led by as much as four lengths down the second straight, with Bella May making it another Aussie 1-2 with a strong ride for second place.
Rufus admitted she was struggling to come to terms with the accomplishment in front of her home fans.
“Honestly, it's just a dream come true. It's absolutely insane. All these people have been supporting me since day one, and yeah, it's really special for them to be here for the start of my career,” Rufus said.
“I’ve just finished school and got out of the small town in Maryborough, straight to Brisbane and just honestly, I’m living the dream, a BMX racer’s dream.
“I’m living in Brisbane, 15 minutes from Sleeman and I’m getting to ride there to, three times a week at the moment, and yeah, it’s just an absolute dream.”
However, the best was yet to come, with Izaac Kennedy claiming his own piece of history in the Men Elite, winning his first ever UCI BMX Racing World Cup final also in front of his home crowd.
Kennedy and Joris Daudet (FRA) were neck-and-neck through the early stages of the decider, but a crash landing on the last jump of the second straight by Daudet opened the door for Kennedy.
The Nerang rider took full advantage of the opportunity, securing an historic win after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last July.
“It was a lot of emotions for sure,” Kennedy said.
“It's been a really, really tough eight months coming back from a serious injury last year. And I went through a few tough months not knowing whether I was ever going to get back to this point or if I wanted to continue.
“But I stuck my head down and put so much work in. Every single day I woke up, my whole purpose was just to be the best BMX athlete I can be. And yeah, I've put in a lot of work, and it's taken everything out of me to get to this point.
“To win my first ever World Cup in front of the home crowd, it's insane feeling. Couldn’t have drew it up any better.
“The hometown crowd, they were amazing. Every single time I was on the track, I heard them and yeah, definitely pushed me to be good today. But yeah, I'm really stoked.”
Australia came agonisingly close to making it a perfect day, with Saya Sakakibara (AUS) taking second place in the Women Elite final behind Zoe Claessens (SUI).
Claessens started well and led the field through the first three straights, and despite Sakakibara’s efforts to close the gap over the final stages, Claessens couldn’t be caught and held on for the win.
Reflecting on the result, Sakakibara said she was happy that she gave it everything she could in front of her Australian fans.
“Ever since I crossed the finish line, I’ve just had a huge smile on my face. I obviously wanted to win, but I still feel like I’ve won, and the crowd was so amazing. I'm getting emotional, but it was just really amazing,” Sakakibara said.
“Even though I got second, it was so amazing for the crowd to be cheering for me, and it was so cool. I don't know, I just feel like I've won, and I did like my best out there. And that's all I can do, seriously.
“I come in here, wanting to do my best, and then when I do it, it feels like I’ve won, and it doesn't really matter about the result. And I got to do it in front of the home crowd. A great result. Yeah, a really, really good day.”
Racing continues tomorrow with Round 4 of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup from Brisbane SX International BMX Centre. Practice is scheduled at 10am AEST, with racing set to begin at 11:35am.
The 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup is supported by Brisbane City Council, through Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
Images: Mitch Ramm
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