Walker Wins BMX World Cup Supercross in South Africa

BMX World champion Sarah Walker continued her outstanding form in winning the second round of the Supercross World Cup in South Africa today.

Walker, 21, dominated the final, jumping well from the start off the 8m high starting ramp and jumping cleanly to win by nearly a second in Pietermaritzburg near Durban.
The New Zealander recovered from a crash in practice in the morning and a tentative semifinal effort before she charged into the lead at the first jump in the final and powered into a two-bike-length lead by the second turn. She kept it smooth through the critical third straight, giving her rivals no opportunities to challenge her.
Argentina’s Gabriela Diaz finished second with Frenchwoman Eva Ailloud, the current World No. 1, taking third.

“I took it a bit easy in the semifinal motos because I didn’t want to risk doing something silly and not making the final,” said Walker. “But in the final I let it all out and I had a really good race,” smiled Walker, who’d crashed during practice earlier in the day.

“It feels really good to get a World Cup win so soon after winning the World Championships. I have definitely developed a lot of confidence lately and it’s showing in my results.”

Earlier team-mate Marc Willers (Cambridge) was eliminated in the quarterfinal moto, finishing seventh while 16-year-old Trent Woodcock (Pukekohe) missed out on the final 32 round.

World junior champion Sam Willoughby (AUS) made an outstanding debut in the elite supercross ranks when he won the men’s ahead of American world champion Donny Robinson.

Results, women’s final:
Sarah Walker (NZL) 34.774, 1; Gabriela Diaz (ARG) 35.878, 2; Eva Ailloud (FRA) 36.101, 3.

Photo credit: UCI/Getty/Craig Dutton