PREVIEW OF UCI BMX WORLD CHAMPS

Official UCI Worlds News Release / Gameplan Media
PHOTO BY MARK SQUIRE/GAMEPLAN MEDIA

Pietermaritzburg - The UCI BMX World Championships get under way at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday with a large South African contingent eager to satisfy the huge expectations of their local fans.

1100 riders from 37 nations have entered the competition, racing on a world first track that sees an elite track alongside the cruiser class track, and spanning an endurance testing 385 metres/1263 feet (Championship classes) and 355 metres/1165 feet (Challenge classes) from start to finish.

South African Olympic hero Sifiso Nhlapo has been mobbed by fans since his arrival in Pietermaritzburg, and has tried to balance his obligations to his supporters, and staying focused on his preparations for a world senior title in the elite racing on Saturday afternoon.

Nhlapo, or "Skizo" as he is known to his followers, heads up a South African entry of 300 riders, eager to make an impression on the UCI challenge, Cruiser and World Championship races, win medals and earn the prized "world number" rankings.

The attention turns to the elite riders on Saturday, when the Royal Showgrounds main arena will become a cauldron of excitement as the best elite riders in the world start working their way through the heats (or "motos") through to quarter and semi-finals until the lineup for the climax Main Events settled.

Adding extra pressure to the elite riders is the added onus of critical Olympic qualification points that will be awarded at this years world championships for the first time.

"There's no doubt there will be more pressure on the riders, as this event carried the most points in the whole Olympic qualification process," said the UCI's head of gravity disciplines Johan Lindstrom.

The Latvian juggernaut Maris "Bombis" Strombergs has been the global pacesetter in the elite men since winning the coveted Olympic gold in Beijing, and has regularly won Supercross and international titles riding the wave of his Olympic fame in 2008.

However the BMX world is talking up the chances of Australian ace Sam Willoughby. Since ruling the world as a junior the speedster from Adelaide has taken the step up to senior elite racing with ease, and the 19 year old comes into the World Champs with the UCI number one ranking, following a stellar season.

In the elite women's field, expect to see the Tricolor flag flying in the stadium when Laëtitia le Corguillé appears at the top of the massive eight mete high elite start ramp.

She will be put under pressure by Australian ace Caroline Buchanan, Colombia's Mariana Pajon, US champ Alise Post and top Kiwi racer Sarah Walker, as the increasingly competitive women's classes gradually progress through to the main final. (BMX Mania Editor's Note.....Great Britain's, Shanaze "Speedy" Reade will more than likely have something to say about the final, as she is ALWAYS a factor when she's on the track!)

The junior men's class is sizing up to be a highly competitive struggle between the class riders like the Americans, Connor Fields and Corben Sharrah, and Canada's Tory Nyhaug, while the girls 2010 world title holder may come from Dutch star, Merle Van Benthem or American, Brooke Crain.

The weather forecast for the weekend is excellent, while there is a small chance of drizzle on the opening day.

The event will enjoy massive global exposure, as the TV coverage is screened to a record number of global networks, including SuperSport in South Africa plus Eurosport2, ORF Sport+, DSF / Sport1, Sport + France, BSkyB, IEXTV, TV3 Latvia, Proactive TV, Extreme Sports Channel, Universal Sports, ESPN Brasil, ESPN International, Eurosport Asia Pacific, SBS Korea, SBS Australia, Cycling Image Japan, IEC Sports ' Road to London', TN Produccions Spain, SNTV, and live on your computer at Freecaster.tv.