New Zealand UCI BMX Championships

2000 BMX fans were treated to top international racing at the North Island BMX Championships at the Papakura BMX track in Auckland, New Zealand this past weekend. Over 600 riders from six countries competed on the first day of the two-day Championships, included many of the world’s best from Australia, the Netherlands, China and New Zealand.
The best New Zealand result in the Oceania Ranking round was from Sarah
Walker (Kawerau) who won the Junior Women’s Oceania category. Walker is ranked second in the world in the junior women’s category and has a very promising future, especially with BMX an Olympic sport from 2008. However although Australian riders dominated the gold medal positions, New Zealand riders did well to ensure at least one Kiwi was on the podium in each category in the UCI rounds. 2004 World Champion Warwick Stevenson from Australia won the Elite Men’s Oceania Ranking round ahead of fellow Australian Billy Jolliffe and Cambridge rider (and world number 6) Marc Willers who was third. World number three Robert de Wilde (Netherlands) was fourth. New Zealanders brightest male prospect Marc Willers struggled in some early rounds of the day but came back well to claim vital UCI points. Alice Rika (Hamilton) was third in the Elite Women’s UCI race behind World BMX Champion Nicole Callisto and Renee Junga (both Australia). Former Mountain Bike Downhill World Champion Vanessa Quin was fifth.

In the Junior Men’s category Scott Hosking (Waiuku), the world second ranked rider, came second behind Thomas Hubert (Australia), with Cameron Cole (Hamilton) third.

Results

Oceania Ranking –Round 1, Papakura

Elite Men
1 Warwick Stevenson - Australia
2 Billy Jolliffe - Australia
3 Marc Willers (Staats) - Cambridge

Junior Men
1 Thomas Hubert - Australia
2 Scott Hosking (Staats) - Waiuku
3 Cameron Cole (ONE) - Hamilton

Elite Women
1 Nicole Callisto - Australia
2 Renee Junga - Australia
3 Alice Rika - Hamilton

Junior Women
1 Sarah Walker - Kawerau
2 Melissa Mankowski (Staats) - Australia
3 Ma Liyun - China
Report courtesy of BMX New Zealand website ( www.bmxnz.co.nz
<http://www.bmxnz.co.nz> ).