No California dreaming for top US BMX riders in New Zealand

It’s anything but a summer vacation for visiting American BMX racers in Saturday’s Oceania Continental Championship at Pukekohe, which carries important Olympic qualifying points.

The current four leading US riders have come to New Zealand for the weekend events led by Nick Long, the number one ranked American who has won two world cup titles, including December’s Supercross event at Chula Vista in southern California. Long is a two-time national US series champion.

So too is David Herman who has also won two world supercross titles, including victory at the round in Adelaide last year. The squad also includes another national amateur champion in Corben Sharrah and fellow development rider Josh Meyers.

“Making sure we maximize our start positions in terms of the Olympic qualification is the first priority for our London strategy and for this trip,” said USA Cycling’s BMX Programme Director Mike King.

“This event carries important qualifying points for London so that was the main priority in coming here and also we had heard a lot about this venue and wanted to see it for ourselves and compete here.

“This is one of the top facilities in the world right now and will be even better once they complete the supercross start ramp structure.

“We looked at bringing a bigger group but decided to send just the current top group of riders.”

King said his riders know they will need to produce their best to take on in-form kiwi Marc Willers and Australia’s best riders including elite men’s tour winner Brian Kirkham, who is coming off the back of back-to-back wins across the Tasman, and last year’s national champion Alex Cameron.

Willers, who is based near the US BMX centre in southern California, won the North American Continental event and is the current leader in the US national series.

The 2009 world champion Sarah Walker leads the way in the women’s competition with strong opposition from Australia’s current national series leader Caroline Buchanan, who is also a two time 4X mountainbike world champion. Walker, who cut short her season late last year with injury, has trained hard during the summer for her first international competition of the year.

The Oceania Continental event comprises racing for junior elite men and women and elite men and women starting on Saturday from 1pm with finals expected by 2.30pm at the Sunset Coast BMX Club’s track at Puni, at Attewells Rd near Pukekohe.