“It’s a good time to be winning because it’s getting close to the world champs at the end of May and that’s really where the form will count, especially with Olympic Games places up for grabs,” said Nhlapo from his European base in Aigle, Switzerland on Monday. “I’ve been putting in some really hard work in training and have been so completely focused so the win was a great reward,” explained Nhlapo, adding that he tries not think about Olympic selection when racing. “When I have fun, I produce better results. But this whole Olympic qualification thing just puts me under pressure if I think about it too much. So I try and just race for the original reason I started racing. To enjoy it!”
In Round 10 on Sunday, Nhlapo started in Lane 2 in and produced one of his customary powerful starts to head into the first corner with a half a bike length lead over Latvian star, Maris Strombergs. The bright yellow-clad MTN-sponsored rider then had a smooth run to the finish, in the process ensuring no other rider was able to challenge him for the win.
“I got a perfect start and leading into the first corner is key. I had a really solid race which was great after my disappointment at the Supercross World Cup in Australia.”
At last weekend’s Supercross World Cup event in Adelaide, Nhlapo pulled his foot out his pedal while comfortably leading the quarterfinal. But the foot and pedal divorce had dire consequences in that Nhlapo lost too much speed and was unable to proceed to the semi-finals.
But this weekend, on his familiar racing turf in Europe, Nhlapo earned 20 UCI rankings points, a handy haul in his pursuit of a place in the 32-man field in Beijing where BMX racing makes its Olympic debut. As at 16 April, when the current UCI BMX rankings were released, Nhlapo was tie 23rd with 53 points. His weekend haul takes him to 73 points and pushes him into briefly into the world’s top 10. A timely confidence boost if ever there was one!
Nhlapo’s next event is in Germany where he’ll contest the final two rounds of the 2008 European Championship Series on 3 and 4 May. He’s currently lying second in the Series and occupies third on the UCI European rankings. He’ll then head to Denmark for Round 3 of the Supercross World Cup on 9 and 10 May before heading to China for the world championships.
European Championship Round 9 Echichens, Switzerland Elite men:
1. Maris Strombergs LAT
2. Thomas Allier FRA
3. Sifiso Nhlapo RSA
4. Rob van den Wildenberg NED
5. Ivo Lakucs LAT
6. Yvan Lapraz SUI
7. Evgeny Kommarov RUS
8. Roy v/d Berg NED
European Championship Round 10 Echichens, Switzerland Elite men:
1. Sifiso Nhlapo RSA
2. Michael Prokop CZE
3. Rob van den Wildenberg NED
4. Artis Zentis LAT
5. Thomas Slavik CZE
6. Damien Godet FRA
7. Pablo Gutierrez FRA
8. Maris Strombergs LAT
European Championship Series rankings after Round 10 Leading riders:
1. Maris Strombergs LAT 337 points
2. Sifiso Nhlapo RSA 303
3. Ivo Lakucs LAT 287
4. Thomas Hamon FRA 257
5. Arturs Matisons LAT 244
6. Thomas Allier FRA 242
7. Pablo Guitierrez FRA 238
8. Roy van den Berg NED 227
9. Damien Godet FRA 191
10. Rob van den Wildenberg 186
PHOTO CAPTION: South African BMX racing star, Sifiso Nhlapo, completed a weekend of impressive results in the European Championship Series to boost his world rankings points tally ahead of the 2008 World Championships next month.
Sifiso Nhlapo kept his Olympic hopes alive when he beat many of the world’s best riders to grab a second victory in the 2008 European BMX Championship Series in Switzerland at the weekend. The 20-year-old South African placed third in Round 9 and then won Round 10 of the 12-leg European Championship Series, the most competitive international BMX racing series in the world. The win came at a good time for Nhlapo, whose last triumph in the Series was back in Round 1 last December. 
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.