Grand finish to the 2023 season for Australian BMX riders in Tulsa

28 Nov 2023 | 09:27 AMBy: AusCycling

Thirty-two Aussie riders have left their mark on this year’s USA BMX Grand Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a number finishing on the podium across a host of categories in what is billed as the ‘Greatest Race on Earth’.

The racing heated up on Friday, with the finals of the Race of Champions, after practice and preliminary moto rounds took place on Wednesday and Thursday last week,

Riders qualify for the Race of Champions by competing in State/Provincial Championship Series throughout the year, and no less than nine Australians made it to the winner-takes-all final in their category.

2012 Olympian and 2008 USABMX #1 Pro Khalen Young (Southern Districts BMX) missed out on a perfect return to racing in America, finishing second in the Vet Pro Class, while three other riders went one better, winning the coveted ROC title.

Josh Jolly (Ballarat-Sebastopol CC BMX) and Jayden Bradbrook (Cross Keys BMX) continued their standout seasons, winning the 17-20 Open and 9-10 Open titles respectively, while Jasper Walker (Maitland Tenambit BMX) won the 17-20 Mixed Open.

Australians also featured in the Pro classes, with Lauren Reynolds (Bunbury BMX) and Jack Davis (Tamworth BMX) both finishing fifth.

Triple Olympian Reynolds improved on that result in the Grands Pro Championship Final, with a third place finish behind Molly Simpson (CAN) and Alise Willoughby (USA), while Joshua McLean (Knox BMX) also made the final in the men’s draw, finishing seventh overall.

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The amateurs took over the Grands on Saturday and Sunday, and the Aussies again showed their mettle, with 13 riders making it through to the final across 16 different categories.

Unquestionably, the standout Australian rider was Sandy Cameron (Penrith BMX), with a brace of wins in the 51-55 Women Cruiser and 51+ Women Expert categories.

Nate Maroske (Pine Rivers BMX) and Craig Manual (Happy Valley BMX) also notched wins respectively in the 13-14 Open and 41-45 Intermediate class.

Josh Jolly was unlucky not to complete a weekend double, getting caught up with another rider on the first turn in the 17-20 Expert Main and finishing fourth.

Despite admitting to mixed emotions about his Grands result, Jolly told AusCycling he was stoked with his riding form over the last 12 months, and attributes his strong performances to regularly competing overseas.

“My riding improved after I started to race in USA. I realised what I needed to be competitive on the world stage, and that racing at home wasn’t enough for me to be successful over here,” Jolly said.

“Everything is different [at the Grands]. It’s bigger and better: massive pit areas, massive numbers of riders, a whole lot of fun and super good competition. I much rather racing in USA than Australia.”

Jolly, who also won the 2023 Men’s Junior National Championship earlier this month, hopes to continue his overseas assault in 2024.

“I’m planning on hitting the World Cup circuit [next year], pursuing what I love and just riding my bike. I will not be racing much in Australia next year that’s for sure. I love racing overseas.”

Full Results

Race Replays

AUSTRALIAN RESULTS:
Race of Champions
Women Pro