Double triumph for BikeNZ BMX pair in Supercross World Cup

It was a double triumph for New Zealand BMX stars Marc Willers and Sarah Walker in the UCI Supercross World Cup in The Netherlands today.

The Cambridge pair both dominated their respective grand finals after a gruelling day’s racing on the challenging new BMX circuit at Papendal Arnhem.

The track was nearly 50 metres longer than the previous longest track, with some challenging new jumps that led to a host of crashes throughout the event. It is the blueprint for the track to be constructed for next year’s London Olympics.

Walker, who has trained exceptionally hard with BikeNZ coach Ken Cools, showed the benefit today winning four of her five races and easing up in the other for second after leading.

Starting mostly in the middle of the gate, Walker led every race into the crucial first corner and from there showed her renowned outstanding bike skills and excellent fitness to clear out in both the semifinal and final.

Walker had a slight moment rounding the first corner but apart from that she never faltered.

“I am absolutely rapt. That was pretty scary out there today,” Walker said. “It is such a big track and that was just so hard.

“I had a scary moment in the final on the first corner but from that point on I just had to concentrate. It was such a hard day but the win makes it all worthwhile.”

Willers, who has been in brilliant form this year racing in his new base in southern California, grabbed his first Supercross World Cup win in four years.

He also had the edge out of the start gate in the three elimination races although was nearly brought down by Australian Sam Willoughby who crashed while challenging the kiwi on turn one.

“It was nearly like what he did to me at the world championships. I saw him coming and thought he was going to clip my wheel but I got clear and from there I just had to concentrate on jumping clean,” said Willers.

“I was burning out there all day. I didn’t really get a clean run until the final. It was such a long and hard day but I got the jump out of the start all day and that was the key,” said Willers.

“My form and my confidence are so much higher with the regular top competition and training in the US. I also went a cog up in my gearing and that made a real difference too.

“That was exhausting and I will definitely need to look at the fitness factor to survive six races today was tough but I am absolutely stoked. That’s been a long time overdue.”

Willers was one of the fastest riders in qualifying races where he had to overcome a crash in the second heat to qualify second in his group. He had a day-long battle with local Dutch hero Jelle van Gorkom, who is based at the new track in Arnhem.

Willers trailed the Dutchman in the opening heat, was fifth after the crash in heat two, before dominating the final heat with a wire-to-wire victory.

He showed that same form with an emphatic win in his quarterfinal over van Gorkom with the Dutchman forcing Willers wide to edge him in the semifinal.

After Willoughby crashed out on turn one, Willers pushed clear in the final to be in complete control, finishing ahead of van Gorkom and Frenchman Joris Daudet.

Meanwhile Walker was in dominant form throughout the day. She won her first two qualifying heats and was second in the final heat after buttoning off on the final straight.

The 2009 world champion nailed each start and led into the first corner and was able to control the race from there, showing her outstanding bike skills.

Walker took it up a notch with a brilliant performance in the semifinal where she nailed the start and blitzed the field, winning by more than a second from Australia’s Caroline Buchanan and Frenchwoman Magalie Pottier.

It was a similar story in the final where she battled on the long first straight to take the clear, after a bobble in the corner. From there she eased well clear to win from top qualifier Romana Labounkova (Czech Republic) and Australia’s Caroline Buchanan.

Walker now moves to the top of the Supercross World Cup rankings after two rounds while Willers is up to third in the men, with the next round the Olympic test event in two months.

Earlier Cambridge rider Kurt James did not progress into the quarterfinals after finishing seventh in his qualifying group.

New Zealand Results, Elite Men, qualifying heat 1, moto 1: Jelle van Gorkom (NED) 40.909, 1; Marc Willers (NZL) 41.282, 2; Khalen Young (AUS) 41.945, 3. Moto 2: Van Gorkom 42.80, 1; Young 43.265, 2; Klaus Andreasen (DEN) 44.052, 3. Also: Willers: 57.506, 5. Moto 3: Willers 41.591, 1; Van Gorkom 42.367, 2; David Herman (USA) 42.603, 3. Points: Van Gorkom 4, 1; Willers 8, 2; Young 9, 3; Andreasen 14, 4.

Heat 2, moto 1: Andres Jimenez (COL) 42.741, 1; Martijn Scherpen (NED) 43.420, 2; Sander Bisseling (NED) 47.889, 3. Also: Kurt James (NZL) 50.416, 7.Moto 2: Jimenez 42.223, 1; Bisseling 43.794, 2; Josh Callan (AUS) 44.012, 3. Also: James 51.440, 6. Moto 3: Jimenez 43.430, 1; Callan 43.858, 2; Bisseling 44.119, 3. Also: 49.930, 6. Points: Jimenez 3, 1; Bisseling 8, 2; Callan 9, 3. Also: James 18, 7.

Quarterfinal Group 1: Willers 42.129, 1; Van Gorkom 42.144, 2; Callan 43.115, 3.

Semifinal 1: Van Gorkom 40.732, 1; Willers 41.109, 2; Sam Willoughby (AUS) 41.513, 3.

Final:  Willers 40.963, 1; Van Gorkum 41.698, 2; Joris Daudet (FRA) 42.800, 3.

Elite Women, qualifying heat 3, moto 1: Sarah Walker (NZL) 38.128, 1; Rachel Bracken (AUS) 39.177, 2; Jana Horakova (CZE) 39.935, 3. Moto 2: Walker 39.140, 1; Bracken 39.539, 2; Melinda McLeod (AUS) 39.930, 3. Moto 3: Horakova 37.886, 1; Walker 38.099, 2; Bracken 39.033, 3. Points: Walker 4, Bracken 7, Horakova 12, 3.

Semifinal 2: Walker 37.344, 1; Caroline Buchanan (AUS) 38.498, 2; Magalie Pottier (FRA) 38.914, 3.

Final: Walker 36.985, 1; Labounkova 37.305, 2; Buchanan 37.897, 3.

NOTE: There is video coverage on www.freecaster.tv with the action from both days posted.