Buchanan and Turner make it back-to-back wins in National Series.
Mar 16, 2014
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Round 4 of the BMX Australia National Series wrapped up today in Western Australia with the same riders from yesterday’s Round 3 backing up for the wins. The remarkable achievement was a first in this year’s series where there have now been 3 winners in the Elite Men’s class and 2 winners in each of the other classes. Racing was held over 3 races for the Elite Women with Buchanan all 3 today. “I wanted to be more consistent today and not drop that first lap like I did yesterday,” Buchanan said. "During the third round it got a little bit tight between Melinda McLeod and I coming down the first straight; just managed to get the edge and she didn’t jump the big step coming into the first turn and I managed to come out in first.”
It was the same scenario for Bodi Turner where he stayed clear of trouble by staying ahead of the pack. “It was a good day again today, I had a lot of confidence coming into it from yesterday and
just trusted myself,” Turner said after the win. “I’ve been working really hard on getting out of the gate first and down the straight. Today in the final I had one of the best gates I’ve ever had and from the first jump I knew I had the lead and just held onto it to the line.”
Speaking on the differences from last year Turner described it as being one where he gained a lot more confidence. “2013 was a year of big experience, I got pushed around a bit but now coming into this year I’m pushing bars with some of the big boys. I don’t see them as guys I look up to, I see them as my competition and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to beat them. I’m trying to get consistent results and prove myself so I can get onto the world stage,” Turner said.
In the Junior Elite classes Max Cairns comfortably took the win on the track but the hot conditions didn’t suit him as he struggled in between the later races with keeping food down as he altered his diet to back up from yesterdays race. Cairns was never beaten all weekend winning every moto, semi-final and final across the 2 days of racing.
“Being out at the front is something I aim for, you don’t get into any collisions. Out the front it’s just you and you can only blame yourself if something goes wrong, “ Cairns said.
Harriet Burbidge-Smith on the other hand “walked the tightrope” as she entered the first corner in the Junior Elite Women’s final. “It wasn’t the ideal gate start and first straight but I knew all I had to do was stick to my lines,” Harriet said. “That’s the thing with BMX, sometimes those crazy lines payoff and there was no way I was going to back down.”
Today’s wins from Harriet, Max, Caroline and Bodi have all put them to the top of the leaderboard of the National Series with just one round left. The final round of the competition takes an extra meaning as it becomes the Oceania Championship allowing riders from the Oceania region to compete against some of Australia’s best athletes. The Round 5 event will be held on Thursday May 1 in Shepparton during the 2014 BMX Australia National Championships.
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