FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Name: Kai Sakakibara
Racing number: 77
Hometown: Helensburgh, NSW Australia

Have things changed for you since 1 September, the day the Olympic qualifying period has started?
Kai Sakakibara: Not at all. I’m always training and preparing for events to the best of my ability, so it’s been business as usual.

Are you looking for races where you can score more points?
Kai Sakakibara: Not necessarily, but as the Olympics draw nearer I may start to prioritise my events schedule, i.e. possibly skip smaller events and focus on the major competitions.

Has peaking after 1 September been something you aimed for?
Kai Sakakibara: I believe that I’m still developing as a rider, and learning at every event that I compete in. Of course I want to race well now and need to race well to qualify the country, but I want to bring my peak in July 2020. Everything until then will be building towards that.

How badly do you want to go to Tokyo for the Olympic Games in 2020?
Kai Sakakibara: Being half Japanese and having represented Japan while living in Tokyo as a kid, the

Name: Carlos Alberto Ramirez
Racing number: 278
Hometown: Medellin, Colombia
Elite Men UCI World Cup Ranking 2018: 9

Being in 9th in the UCI World Cup Ranking, what's your goal for the last two rounds in SDE?
Carlos Alberto Ramirez: I would really like to just go out there and enjoy the racing but of course ride my way to the main events and fight for the podium positions and why not get my first ever SX win.

Is the Olympic qualifying period on your mind when you're doing races after 1 September?
Carlos Alberto Ramirez: Yeah for sure the qualification will be on my mind! We all know we gotta earn those spots for our country!

What's the best section on the track in Santiago del Estero?
Carlos Alberto Ramirez: I would say the third straight, gotta love how tight and technical that Rythm section is!

How long is your travel from home to Rounds 7&8 in Argentina?
Carlos Alberto Ramirez: The travel is not that long but it is a bit tiring due to the lay-overs!
I fly Medellin - Bogota. Then Bogota - Buenos Aires, that is 6 or 7 hours. Then swapping airports! And

Name: Niek Kimmann
Racing number: #313
Hometown: Dedemsvaart, Netherlands

Being in the top 10 in the UCI World Cup Ranking, what's your goal for the last two rounds in SDE?
Niek Kimmann: My goal is the same as always, do the best I can. Last year I struggled a bit all season, and so did I in Santiago del Estero. I went out in semi’s both days and I’m motivated to put myself in the mains this time.

Is the Olympic qualifying period on your mind when you're doing races after 1 September?

Name: David Graf
Racing number: 7/ 48
Hometown: Winterthur, Switzerland

Being in the top 10 in the UCI World Cup Ranking with 355 points, what's your goal for the last two rounds in SDE?
David Graf: I'd like to add two more main events and show that I'm capable of doing better than 7th or 8th.

Is the Olympic qualifying period on your mind when you're doing races after 1 September?
David Graf: I like that there is more on the line again. I started off with two C1 wins in Prague and will probably try to add a couple more C1 races early on in the quali period.

What's the best section on the track in Santiago del Estero?
David Graf: There is nothing specially good, maybe the surface. It has been a while since we raced a soiltec track!

How long is your travel from home to Rounds 7&8 in Argentina?
David Graf: We will leave 5pm Monday in Zürich, and arrive 5:30pm in SDE. Plus 6h time change. 30h?!

Name: Joris Harmsen
Racing number: Currently 4, career number 921
Hometown: Luyksgestel, Netherlands

Being in 7th place in the UCI World Cup Ranking, what's your goal for the last two rounds in SDE?
Joris Harmsen: To be consistent and make both finals. After that, make it to the podium.

Is the Olympic qualifying period on your mind when you're doing races after 1 September?
Joris Harmsen: Of course, but a race is still a race. Got to focus on myself and not too much about that.

Name: Mathis Ragot
Richard Racing number: 161
Hometown: Saint Etienne, France
Elite Men UCI World Cup Ranking 2018: Actually 10th

Have things changed for you since 1 September, the day the Olympic qualifying period has started?
Mathis Ragot Richard: Nothing change, I'll just try to do my best each race I compete as usual. French team were strong this year, and we'll try to get 3 spots for Tokyo, this is the most important for us.

Name: Dave van der Burg
Racing number: 8 (192)
Hometown: Arnhem, Netherlands

Have things changed for you since 1 September, the day the Olympic qualifying period has started?
Dave van der Burg: Not really, of course the qualifying period started so it’s important to score points but it didn’t change my attitude going into a race weekend. If I compete no matter what kind of race, I have my mindset on winning it.

The Rollback: a BMX Podcast episode seventeen with Corey Walsh.

Name: Jake Deering
Age: 26
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Division Brand

The favorite list:

-Spot to ride: Any flat rail
-BMX video: Etnies Chapters
-Website: YouTube
-Web video: Daniel Johnson for Divisionbrand 2013
-Food: Mexican food
-Person on Instagram: @bobmenery
-Travel destination: Los Angeles
-Riders to ride with: Jack Kelly, Cooper Brownlee, Alex Bolton and all the other focalpoint boys
-Car: VW mk4 r32
-Movie: Tenacious D Pick of destiny
-Colour: Black
-Shoes: Vans

Name: Kaine Mitchell
Age: 20
Hometown: Dudley
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Crypticbmx, Spraygroundbags, The-lab, Core.

The favorite list:

-Spot to ride: Corby skatepark, and my local park Justramps is sick
-BMX video: Dropping the Hammer; Morgan Wade section
-Website: FATBMX/Vitalbmx
-Web video: Oldie but still amazing Dean Cueson KHE edit
-Food: Salmon
-Twitter to follow: Kainebmx
-Person on Instagram: Pat Casey
-Riders to ride with: All the local boys; Jack Foley, Sam Jones an the rest of the gang! Jack Mould, Kieran Riley and Jack Maguire, Joe Fergieee and Cam Peake! Too many to name haha.