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. Willers in the lead 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.”
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 all 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.”
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.”
Pics by BdJ/FATBMX
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.