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Willers keeps on winning ways in USA BMX

Tuesday 21 June 2011, 9:58AM

By Cycling New Zealand

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World number one Marc Willers has retained his placing at the top of the American National standings also after another fierce weekend of racing in Illinois.

The BikeNZ rider picked up a win and a third in the grand finals on each day of racing at the Rockford Midwest Nationals which attracted five of the world’s current top 10 riders.

Willers, currently based in southern California, resumed his rivalry with Australia’s Sam Willoughby, the world number two and 2008 world junior champion, who has moved to the same area of California for his training.

Willoughby took out Willers when challenging for the lead in the final of the world championships last year and crashed out while trying to ride aggressively under the kiwi on his way to victory in the final of the Supercross World Cup in The Netherlands recently.

After two wins and a second in qualifying motos on the first day, Willers won a rough semifinal and again bumped with the Australian on the first straight in the Grand Final. The New Zealander gained the inside line for the corner and held on for his seventh win of the series.

A sudden rain storm on day two reduced the final moto to more like ice skating but Willers got through and won the semifinal in drying conditions. Willoughby had the slight edge in the battle to the all-important first corner in the Grand Final. Willers got left high and dry on the first corner and had to settle for third place, behind Willoughby and American Cory Reid.

“I was hoping to bounce off a rider cutting in hot from the outside. But he didn’t hold up and disappeared over the top of the corner which left me teetering on the edge. By the time I bobbled to correct myself, Cory Reid got under me and Sam was well gone,” Willers said.

“Still at mid season I have seven wins, a second and two thirds from 10 grand finals.”

Willers will line up in the next round in Salt Lake City in two weeks before heading to Europe to join up with the BikeNZ team for the BMX World Championships in Copenhagen next month.

Meanwhile Pukekohe teenager Trent Woodcock had a third and seventh placings in the A Pro finals at Rockford.

Results, ABA Nationals, Rockford Illinois:
Day 1 Grand final: Marc Willers (NZL) 1, Sam Willoughby (AUS) 2, Nic Long (USA) 3. Day 2 Grand final: Willoughby 1, Cory Reid (USA) 2, Willers 3.

Overall points: Willers 2193, 1; Willoughby 1382, 2; Denzil Stein (USA) 1290, 3; Kyle Bennett (USA) 1265, 4; Khalen Young (USA) 1064, 5.