Just like on New Years Day, almost 300 riders were forced to overcome energy sapping heat and gusting winds as they strived to get the year underway on a winning note.
For Turner though, today was about redemption after last night’s opening round when he led the field into the final turn, only to be knocked to the ground by a rival competitor and out of contention as rising star Brandon Te Hiko stormed home to take out his first major race at senior level.
Turner, the 21-year-old Victorian who now lives and trains on the Gold Coast, had a breakthrough year in 2015, winning his second consecutive National Series title and first ever podium finish in the UCI BMX Supercross series when he grabbed a silver at Angelholm in Sweden in August. Now he has gotten 2016 off to a good start as well.
“Yesterday didn’t quite go to plan and although there was still a lot of wins to take away from the day I did come in (today) with a point to prove,” Turner said. “I came in looking for a fresh start, stuck to the process and tried to push my weight around. I got a killer start in the final, got to the first jump and got clear and then tried to put in the best lap I could and in the end it was good enough.” Turner said he had been focussing on the mental side of racing in the lead up to the event, ensuring he raced with blinkers on in today’s final. “It’s a big thing I’ve been working on lately, to try and block out all the other guys who are on the gate and I think today I was able to do that and ride my own race, with the vision that I am the only one on the track.”
Finishing second behind Turner was Kai Sakakibara (Southlake / Illawarra BMX Club) with Te Hiko (Geelong) in third. The result now sees that pair locked together at the top of the National Series rankings after two of seven rounds. Turner is in third.
McLeod’s back-to-back wins see her with a solid advantage over Leeana Curtis and Kiwi Hannah Sarten, who finished second and third today, in what was a copybook of the opening round.
Southlake / Illawarra BMX Club’s Saya Sakakibara not only followed in the footsteps of her older brother Kai by leaving Nerang with the series lead in her category, the junior women’s elite event, she went one better completing a winning double.
The reigning 16-yrs world champion, Sakakibara has stepped up to the junior category this year and has not missed a beat in a stunning two days of racing. The prodigy, who has declared her national allegiance to Australia after previously racing for Japan as a youngster, now has her sights set on a clean sweep of the national series for the second year on the trot.
“I definitely want to do the clean sweep again,” Sakakibara said. “I’m going to have to train hard, work on my sprints and the mental stuff as well, keeping it fresh between every round because all of the rounds are really close together this year.” Sakakibara beat New Zealand riders Zoe Fleming and Rebecca Petch.
Japan’s Daichi Yamaguchi won the junior elite men’s event from Jake Bowe and Hayden Fletcher (Mansfield Mt Buller), with Fletcher’s third place enough to maintain the series lead following his storming victory in round 1.
In other events, BMXA Academy rider Des’Ree Barnes (Beenleigh BMX Club) won for the second day in a row in the 14yrs girl’s category, a feat emulated by Japan’s Kanami Tanno in the 16-year-old girl’s race.
Local Nerang club rider Kai Angel (14yrs boy’s) was another who completed a second straight victory, as was New Zealander Cailen Calkin (15yrs boy’s), Geelong’s Tony Harvey (30+ Masters men) and Angel’s clubmate Lacey Oliver (17+ women). Nathan Seal (Happy Valley) claimed the men’s 17-29 event.
Reigning world champions Nathaniel Rodway (16 boy’s, Lake Macquarie) and Kiwi Jesse Smith (15 yrs girl’s) bounced back from surprise round 1 defeats to claim their first victories of 2016.
Rounds three and four of the BMXA National Series, with the likes of McLeod, Turner and the Sakakibara’s in action, are in Cairns on January 23-24 and will be lived streamed via bmxaustralia.com.au.
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