Teenager stars at RaboDirect North Island BMX Champs

Sixteen years old Monique Smith was the star of the elite racing at the RaboDirect North Island BMX Championships being held at Gisborne today, finishing a close runner-up to Supercross World Cup Champion Sarah Walker.

Racing on her home track, Smith was making her debut in the junior women’s class, which was combined with the elite women, beat Walker in two of their qualifying motos and rode a strong second half of the final to close on Walker.

Walker acknowledged the teenager is a star of the future. “She knows here way around here very well, so I followed her to get an idea of the best way to go.”

In the final Walker was too strong down the first straight and took a lead she was never to lose, while Smith was initially shut out by New Plymouth’s Victoria Hill. But Smith, who had two silver medals in the two 16 years old classes she rode in at the World Championships at Copenhagen in July, powered past Hill on the third straight.

For Walker, who won the Supercross World Cup and finished second at the World Championships, it was her last competition for the year while trying to manage a bulged disc between her shoulder blades which has plagued her since February.

“I’ve had three weeks off, so hopefully I can manage the injury through the off season before we really get stuck into training for next year building to the Olympics.”

Tauranga’s Kurt Pickard confirmed his favouritism in the elite men by winning ahead of Mat Cameron (New Plymouth) and local Rider Nic Fox who were only separated by a review of the photo finish.

Pickard, who will finish his season at the ABA Grand Final in the United States next month, is happy he has managed a full season without major mishap.

“It's been good to get a full year of racing and build the experience,” said Pickard. “Every year since I was 15 I’ve broken something and missed a lot of racing.”

Tomorrow is the Superclass competition for elites, while the North Island titles will be decided in the Challenges classes as well as the second test series against Australia for the Mighty 11s.

Results
RaboDirect North Island BMX Championships:
Junior & Elite Women: Sarah Walker (Rotorua) 1, Monique Smith (Gisborne) 2, Victoria Hill (New Plymouth) 3, Shannon Alexander (Christchurch) 4, Lacey Oliver (Australia) 5.
Junior Men: Trent Jones (Kaiapoi) 1, Corey Frieswyk (Australia) 2, Kerrod Connors (Australia) 3, Bradley Gates (Waitakere) 4, Michael Bias (North Harbour) 5.
Elite Men: Kurt Pickard (Tauranga) 1, Mat Cameron (New Plymouth) 2, Nic Fox (Gisborne) 3, Daniel Franks (North Avon, Chch) 4, Adam Coker (East City, Auckland) 5.

credit: Clinton Tudor-BikeNZ