FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

Day 3 is in the books. The weather forecast looks like rain for tomorrow as the younger riders start their racing. The track crew started to cover the final straight when I left but hopefully the weatherman is wrong. Pietermaritzberg has not seen rain in quite a while so it might be a good thing to wash all the dust out of the air as well as the ash from all the grass fires. Each day more and more elite riders appear around the track. Its a pity that riders like Mike Day and defending champ Donnie Robinson are injured but

UCI BMX Worlds is underway as practice started today. The first straight claimed a few riders and a paramedic told me 3 stretchered off and 2 of those are in hospital. The first double jump on the second straight is proving to be tricky as its easy to over jump it. I only saw a few people try take on the third straight at full speed. All the riders who like to bump the start gate to throw people off must be bummed at the individual gate set up. After the call that sucker drops fast! I saw some well known elite riders hovering

USA Cycling would like to announce that registration for the UCI Supercross World Cup event in Chula Vista, California, is now open. Competition begins with time trial qualifying on Friday, September 17 and round three of the World Cup series on Saturday, September 18 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Those who sign up early may take advantage of additional training time on the SX track, which will be announced soon.

The Chula Vista event, while part of the 2011 season, is the next-to-last race in the UCI Supercross World Cup series for 2010. The final stop is in Fréjus, France on October 8-9.

This race is open to all championship class members and those who are licensed as challenge class with a 1994 date-of-birth. With the 2011 season beginning August 1, new juniors will be eligible to compete.

The UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series offers significant 

Everyone should have landed by now but some bikes and parts are still floating around the world. Its awesome that you look around the pits and see people from Japan, Canada and the UK all here in South Africa to race some BMX. Weather looks good, track looks real good as the final work is being done to it. Nobody was allowed anywhere near it which was frustrating for several riders who made a trip to the track to have a look. It does not make sense to have people walking all over the track right now but I think they should have at least been allowed to the fence to have a look and film the straights. Special thanks to Simon Keijzer for allowing me up onto the start hill to shoot some photos for Fatbmx. The track builders do an awesome job for sure and the jumps look so perfect right now you almost don't want anyone to ride over them. Registration is now out the way for most people and practice starts tomorrow.

The event program has a photo of mine and the flyer that came with the riders plates has two more. Several people got photo credits

Defending World champion has surrendered his world crown after conforming that he will not be able to make the trip to South Africa for the UCI BMX World Champs starting next week, after re-injuring the broken ribs that have dogged his comeback this year. Robinson crashed heavily in practice at the US Olympic training centre at Chula Vista, and collided with teammate Kyle Bennett injuring the same ribs and section of his lung that he hurt in a bad smash at the SuperCross meeting in Madrid.

The collision left Bennett worse off than Robinson, suffering two fractures in his left collar bone, an AC joint separation on his right shoulder, three fractured ribs, a bruised lung, a broken cheek bone and a laceration to his liver in the crash on the final straight.

While Robinson was discharged from hospital, medical experts told him that he may not travel or compete until the ribs and lung have fully healed, ruling him out of the World Champs in Pietermaritzburg next week.

World renowned track builder Tom Ritzehthaler has assured BMX fans worldwide that the Royal Showgrounds track that is currently ahead of schedule, will be the best racing track on the planet. The 42 year old Ohio is entrusted by the international cycling federation (UCI) to sculpt the track for the BMX Worlds each year, and he expects the unique Pietermaritzburg layout to quickly earn the respect of the riders. "It takes BMX racing to a whole new level in terms of endurance and toughness," he said in a rare break from the long hours at the helm of his power-roller and earthmoving machines. "This track is over 380 metres long, while the usual track length is around 310 metres," said the likeable American, which was himself a competitive BMX racer before being co-opted by the UCI as their premier track builder. "The first straight has elements of speed and power, but it is the second straightway that will be technical," he added.

The track is unique as it is the first track to feature separate straights and start ramps for the elite riders, and has been designed to