FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

is becoming more and more dangerous putting major races especially a World Championship events indoors. I started off the weekend finding a NewZealand riders stolen bike on the streets of Rottordam with Barry Nobles. When questioning a guy awkwardly riding a carbon Redline race bike if he raced and his reply was no and that he bought it online for 200 euro 3 days ago. We knew then that the bike was stolen and that we should buy it back on off him to return it to its owner. Buying the bike back for 220 euro we returned it safe to its owner the day before racing.

Time Trial day I had the track dialed and was hoping to add another rainbow jersey to the wall. Crossing the line just 0.02 seconds off Laura Smulders I was happy to win the silver medal but was kicking myself knowing that I had lunged a little too early at the line and that was the difference. 

Racing on Sunday stated off well qualifying through the first 2 heats. Lining up on the start gate for the 3rd heat it felt just like any other race. Same mindset, same checklist and process and was focussed on qualifying through to the quarter final and building up the momentum for the final. 

Coming off the start ramp I over jumped the first jump missing the landing and throwing in a panic pedal right before the lip of the next jump. Going up the take off of the triple into the first turn I felt myself take off the lip wrong and my front end of the bike nose diving in the landing. Everything happened so fast and next thing I knew I had come up short, my bars had slid forward and blown my hand off the handle bars, trying to ride of out it but hitting the ground hard. Laying on the bricks in the first turn sore and sorry for myself I went into some shock and my mind spinning about how I was going to overcome this and could I still keep racing. Strapping my wrist, pain killers and ice. I reset before the quarter final wanting to prove to myself no crash or anything would stop me from defending my World Title. Adrenaline was running high, proving powerful as I had a dominant win in the quarterfinal. Waves of nausea, blurring up, dizziness, headache and soreness really stated setting in prior to the semi final.

I ended up 5th in the semi riding timid and not myself. Finishing up 9th in the World I was disappointed about how the day panned out. Keeping my head held high and many more lessons learnt.

So proud of the Buchanan Next Gen girls for how they raced and all that they experienced. Paige Harding finished 7th in her final of 11 year girls and Mikayla Rose came 5th in her semi-final of 14 year girls. Many thanks to all our supporters and sponsors out there that made their trip to World Champs possible. The experience, atmosphere, racing and knowledge gained for them was priceless and will stand them in good stead for all future events. Next race is Crankwrox in Whistler for Mountain Biking and from there the next World Cup in Argentina.