UCI BMX Racing World Cup Rounds 1 & 2. Pics by Craig Dutton

Feb 11, 2024

Written by Bart de Jong

Read 790 times

Yo, check it, yo! We talkin' 'bout the UCI BMX Racing World Cup, baby, and we kickin' it off in Rotorua, New Zealand, ya feel me? So, boom! We got over 200 BMX riders from all over the globe droppin' in for this epic showdown. Jack and Bennett Greenough, holdin' it down for the home turf, takin' those top spots in the Under 23 Men's class like straight-up bosses. And let me tell ya, them Aussies ain't holdin' back neither, with Noah Elton snatchin' that third spot on the Saturday at Round 1.

But peep this, the track's no joke, y'all. Gaps to clear, grass-filled sections, it's a wild ride out there. Veronika Sturiska takin' a hit in the U23 main with a poor start, droppin' back to 8th. Emily Hutt (GBR) missed out getting 4^th. But yo, props to Japan’s Jui Yabuta grabbing the bronze and Australia’s Teya Rufus crossed the finish line in front of USA’s Ava Corley for a first UCI World Cup win of the year.

And don't even get me started on the Elite races, fam. Laura Smulders holdin' it down for the Dutch, snatching second place, but it's Saya Sakakibara from down under takin' that gold, showin' us what's up. She continued where she left off in 2023.

Romain Mahieu makin' moves for France, grabbin' that holeshot like a champ taking that Saturday win. And shoutout to Niek Kimmann bouncin' back from a rough Saturday to snag that third spot on Sunday. Cedric Butti and Joris Daudet showin' us they mean business with some solid finishes. A 4th and a 2nd for Cedric and a 2nd and first for Daudet in Rotorua at stop 1 & 2.

Sunday's a whole new game, ya heard? Laura Smulders takin' a tough hit, but Saya Sakakibara ain't lettin' up, holdin' onto that first-place finish like a true champion. Manon Veenstra holdin' it down for the Dutch with a third-place finish, keepin' the vibes high.

In the Under 23 Men's, it's all about the Greenough brothers dominatin' the scene in their home country, with Bennett takin' the win on Sunday. And shoutout to Federico Capello (ARG) and Marcus Leth (DEN) for holdin' it down, but them Aussies ain't playin' around, lockin' in the final podium spot.

Veronika Sturiska bouncin' back strong on Sunday, snaggin' that fourth spot like a pro. And big ups to Ava Corley for holdin' it down for Team USA, takin' that top spot and makin' her crew proud.

So, there you have it, fam. Two rounds down, two more to go. Next stop: Brisbane, Australia, then we takin' it stateside to Tulsa, USA. It's gonna be lit, y'all!

Snoop Dawg

Elite Men Sunday Final - Round 2:
1 Joris DAUDET 33 FRA 36.564 500.00
2 Cédric BUTTI 25 SUI 37.003 430.00
3 Niek KIMMANN 28 NED 37.335 370.00
4 Mathis RAGOT RICHARD 26 FRA 37.601 318.00
5 Gonzalo MOLINA 29 ARG 37.636 273.00
6 Diego Alejandro ARBOLEDA OSPINA 28 COL 37.943 235.00
7 Jérémy RENCUREL 29 FRA 38.197 202.00
8 Mateo CARMONA GARCIA 23 COL 39.876 174.00

Elite Women Sunday Final - Round 2:
1 Saya SAKAKIBARA 25 AUS 36.339 500.00
2 Bethany SHRIEVER 25 GBR 36.367 430.00
3 Manon VEENSTRA TEAM OEGEMA FIETEN 26 NED 37.019 370.00
4 Alise WILLOUGHBY 33 USA 37.716 318.00
5 Felicia STANCIL 29 USA 38.053 273.00
6 Daleny VAUGHN 23 USA 38.445 235.00
7 Merel SMULDERS TEAM TVE SPORT 26 NED 38.574 202.00
8 Thalya BURFORD 21 SUI 38.806 174.00

U23 Men Sunday Final - Round 2:
1 Bennett GREENOUGH 21 NZL 37.195 165.00
2 Oliver MORAN 22 AUS 37.255 142.00
3 Joshua JOLLY 18 AUS 37.444 122.00
4 Jack GREENOUGH 19 NZL 37.591 105.00
5 Jordan CALLUM 20 AUS 37.870 90.00
6 Federico CAPELLO 18 ARG 38.324 78.00
7 Jesse ASMUS 21 AUS 38.573 67.00
8 Marcus LETH 20 DEN 39.543 57.00

U23 Women Sunday Final - Round 2:
1 Ava CORLEY 18 USA 37.547 165.00
2 Isabell MAY 19 AUS 37.630 142.00
3 Teya RUFUS 18 AUS 38.028 122.00
4 Veronika Monika STURISKA 19 LAT 38.483 105.00
5 Dominika MANIKOVÁ 19 SVK 39.222 90.00
6 Sabina KOŠÁRKOVÁ 19 CZE 40.707 78.00
7 Teigen PASCUAL 21 CAN 40.894 67.00
8 Emily HUTT 20 GBR 1:00.685 57.00

Pics by Craig Dutton