“We’ve heard that both Donny Robinson and Mike Day are injured at the moment. I really want to stack up against these top guys,” said Holdstock.
The SA Champs had a huge turnout of South African riders, Holdstock added, “Everbody was there and more! Clearly this soccer has opened peoples’ minds to international competition. The days of us seeing ourselves as marooned out alone at the bottom of Africa are over. What was really encouraging was the number of development riders who are getting their wheels up. This points to a great future for the sport!" he added.
The SA Champs included an appearance by a team of top Zimbabwean BMX riders which raced to third in the interprovincial competition, serving as valuable competition preparation for the UCI BMX World Champs in Pietermaritzburg starting on July 29th.
Sifiso Nhlapo (“Skizo”) won the elite category with 640 points, Holdstock breathing down Nhlapo’s neck with 610, and third was Kane Herbert (590). KZN Kloof star Jordan O’Keeffe was a creditable fourth. The Gauteng A Team showed the way to KZN A, 61 points to 57.
Elite
1.Sfiso Nhlapo 640
2.Dean Holdstock 610
3.Kane Herbert 590
4.Jordan O’Keeffe 540
5.Kyle Dodd 510
6.Jonnathan Chislett 490
7.Lloyd Dodd 430
8.Miguel Carvalho 410
Interprovincial
1.Gauteng A 61
2.KZN A 57
3.Zimbabwe 48
4.Gauteng B 48
5.KZN B 40
The UCI BMX World Championships takes place at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg from 29 July to 1 August. More information can be found at bmxworldchampspmb.co.za
Pretoria based BMX star Dean Holdstock showed his hand at the Germiston leg of the SA BMX Champs, providing a timely reminder of his top form and gusty demeanour just six weeks away from the UCI BMX World Champs in Pietermaritzburg. Holdstock’s SA Champs challenge was characterised by one tiny slip-up that let well-known Olympian Sifiso Nhlapo shade him into second overall, but the 21 year-old was grinning as he admitted “I’m gyming and riding flat-out daily. The big names had better watch out!!” “The track at Germiston was OK, but I’m dying to dust the Maritzburg track,” said Holdstock. “I’ve heard that a most amazing oke is coming out to build it – one hell-raiser of a character - and the double track area is to be sculpted in a much bigger and better zone than before. Now it’s The Main Arena!”
Holdstock was philosophical when asked about the uncertainty surrounding some of the world’s top riders appearance at the Pietermaritzburg showdown.
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.