Walker Leads BikeNZ BMX Team at Supercross in South Africa

World BMX champion Sarah Walker will face a tough test in the second round of the UCI Supercross in South Africa this weekend.

Walker along with BikeNZ teammates Marc Willers and Trent Woodcock will compete in the second round of the Supercross in Pietermaritzburg, near Durban.

Walker won one round of the Supercross last year in Adelaide and as well placed in all the other rounds without standing on the podium. She was fourth in the opening round in Copenhagen in May.

BikeNZ head coach Ken Cools said Walker is in good form and good shape after her dominant performance to win the world championships in Adelaide last month.
“We have settled in well over here. We have to be a bit careful with where we go because of safety concerns,” Cools said.

“We have had some good sprint training since we’ve been here and the riders will have their feet up for the rest of the day resting up for tomorrow.”

There is some forecast of rain tomorrow which would affect the outdoor track.
Willers will be hoping to turn his recent run of bad luck behind him after a crash wrecked his world championship chances in Adelaide. He is still nursing an injured shoulder which will require surgery later this year but is looking forward to the competition that is headed by world champion Donny Robinson (USA).

He missed out on a place in the finals in the first round at Copenhagen after his foot came out of his pedal clip in the semifinals.

Promising junior Woodcock (Pukekohe) is having his first taste of an international supercross competition. The 16 year old had dominated competition at the world championships until a rider brought him down in sight of the finish line in the final.
They will get their first look at the track in practice tomorrow (NZ time), qualifying time trials on Saturday and quarterfinals, semifinals and finals on Sunday.