News - Race reports

Thursday, 25 August 2011 00:00

Shanaze Reade and Marc Willers win UCI BMX Supercross World Cup London 2011

London, Olympic Park 20 August 2011- Witnessed by a sell out crowd home favourite Shanaze Reade (GBR) dominated the final on the Olympic ‘home course’. With the men Marc Willers (NZL) was first to cross the finish line in the final to claim top honours during the third stop of the UCI BMX Supercross at London’s Olympic Park.


A wet start to the day. Image: Craig Dutton

It was a tough day for all the riders, organisers and track builders. Rain delayed racing until approximately 17.00 hours. The 64 Elite Men and 32 Elite Women started practice as scheduled but had to wait for about three hours before practice and resumed and racing started.

The sun is shining BMX is sweet yer, make you want to move those peddling feet... Image Craig Dutton

The sky completely cleared and the sun came out for Reade and Willers but also for the enthusiastic crowd that refused to go home. England showed picture perfect conditions as even the wind died down to create a historic BMX race on the Olympic BMX track in London.

Sixty-four Elite men qualified for the finals. But there was no room for error in the qualification round. Due to time restrains the racing went straight into elimination mode. The best four of each heat qualified for the next round. Do or die.


Shanaze Reade out front. Image: Craig Dutton

Shanaze Reade was extremely happy to be able to win in front of her home crowd. “This gives me confidence. The British crowd made racing so much easier. I have not experienced such a big and enthusiastic crowd myself. The whole day was an emotional roller coaster. Eventually the sun came out. But this is England and we have to deal with it. We all handled it well. It is great to win one year ahead of the Olympic on this track.”


Marc Willers taking the win. Image: Craig Dutton

In the men’s final Willers won the hole shot and was leading until the crossover in the second straight. On the Red Bull jump Sam Willoughby (AUS) and World Champion Joris Daudet (FRA) passed the New Zealander on either side. But in the rhythm section Willers showed his magic and caught up again. He led through the last turn ad continued to claim victory on the finish line.

Marc Willers was al smiles. “It was tough. With the delays. But I thought about Papendal where the conditions were just as bad. I knew I held it in me as I did in Holland. Once in the final I saw Sam (Willoughby) on the inside and Joris (Daudet) passing me. I had flashbacks of the worlds. But I kept my head and kept my line.”


Jumping out the tunnel. Image: Craig Dutton

The London track features some unique innovations like the radical ‘Oakley Underground’, a tunnel where the women drop in and pop out on the other end while the men have to master the exciting Red Bull jump. There is some discussion about the innovations as some riders like Willers favour the typical BMX track.


Willers has an opinion about that. “I am more a fan of the three corners and four shapes course. But you can make your move on this track. Surprisingly everybody stayed up.”


London UCI BMX Supercross Winners 2011 Image: Craig Dutton


A nice finishing shot. Image Craig Dutton

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Images: Craig Craig Dutton