Gold Coast to host 2015 Australian BMX opener

Dec 10, 2014

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Gold Coast will host one of the first national sporting events of the new year with 600 entries expected for round one and two of BMX Australia’s National Series in Nerang on January 2 and 3. Elite riders from the United States, Japan and New Zealand will join Australia’s world number one Caroline Buchanan, Gold Coast based Olympic contenders Bodi Turner and Melinda McLeod and a host of young local riders for the two day event hosted by the Nerang BMX club.

Buchanan will headline the Probikx women’s elite field, where she will take on American world number four Brooke Crain and Australian teammates McLeod, 2013 world championships silver medallist Lauren Reynolds and rising star Rachel Jones.

In the elite men’s event, South Australia’s US-based world number four Anthony Dean will head a start list that includes Turner (world number 19), Americans Barry Nobles (world ranked 22)

and Nicholas Koelhler and leading Kiwi rider Michael Bias.

Joining those experienced contenders will be rising stars Max Cairns, Tristyn Kronk, Kai Sakakibara and Aaron Nottle.

The age group ranks will see a number of world age champions as well as competitors from New Zealand and Japan.

Nerang President Rob Duff said the event was massive for the local community and a great opportunity for the Gold Coast.

“This event is fantastic,” Duff said. “It’s our biggest meet for the year, it’s close to the biggest meet in Australia for the year outside of the National Championships.”

Duff said the family atmosphere created at the Nerang track allowed youngsters to rub shoulders with the sport’s most established stars.

“You have riders like Caroline Buchanan, she’s been a world champion and she is number one in the world now,” Duff said. “When she comes to the Nerang event she gets in there with the kids and talks to them, they get photos and autographs and they all feel part of it. It’s a great showcase for the sport and the Gold Coast too.”

The action kicks off with practice on Friday January 2 at 230pm. Racing is set to get underway at 4pm and finals at 745pm following a fireworks display. On Saturday things get going at 8am.