VIDEOS: 2015 UCI BMX WCHs Heusden – Zolder

By White Lotus Media on July 28, 2015 • ( 0 )

1. GoPro Final Run Niek Kimmann – 2015 UCI BMX WCHs Heusden – Zolder

33,4 sec to “Gold” …. join Niek Kimmann on his run in Zolder ….

2. GoPro Final Run Stefany Hernandez – 2015 UCI BMX WCHs Heusden – Zolder

37,5 sec to “Gold” …. join Stefany Hernandez on her incredible run in Zolder ….

Stefany Hernandez crowned 2015 UCI BMX World Elite Champions.

When the gate dropped in the Elite Women final, Alise Post (USA) used the inside lane to get in the lead. On her tail former World Champion Caroline Buchanan (AUS) was looking for an opening. Meanwhile Stefany Hernandez (VEN) had found her spot in third place. The move of the day happened in the ‘Pajon Peralte’ turn…..

3. BUCHANAN Takes Silver Medal @ 2015 BMX World Championships

Published on Jul 26, 2015Australian golden girl Caroline Buchanan has won the silver medal in the elite women’s event on a rain and windswept track at the UCI BMX World Championships in Zolder, Belgium on Saturday.

Buchanan stayed upright in a wild women’s final but Australia’s elite men were not as lucky, Olympic silver medallist and defending world champion Sam Willoughby taken out by Swiss rider David Graf at the head of the field in a men’s final where compatriot Anthony Dean also hit the bitumen.

The event was thrown into chaos earlier on the final day when the serious weather warnings forced officials to make major changes to the format and schedule of competition.

Racing was brought forward several hours with some stages cut out of the pathway to the finals as officials worked feverishly to push the event through to a fair and safe conclusion. All event starts were also moved from the 8m supercross start hill to the 5m hill used by the age group challenge classes.

Buchanan could not recall racing in such tough conditions at this level and said it was a challenging day for every rider.

“This is by far the toughest conditions we’ve raced in for a world champs,” Buchanan said.

“It was absolutely nuts. From the time we woke up this morning I was cool, calm and collected. I was actually about to pop up the laptop, put Kardashians on in bed and call my mum, then the next minute we got the call to say racing’s been pushed forward about five hours, we’re not racing the big hill, rain’s coming in, we’re going to have one warm up lap on the small hill. It was crazy.
“We’ve never had that at a world championships. Most of the time racing’s postponed if it’s like this at a world title but they just pushed us through and no one was prepared for it.”

Wild weather and nail biting racing aside, Buchanan was over the moon to have made it onto the podium at another world championships, finishing only behind Venezuela’s Stefany Hernandez.

“Coming into the final (Olympic and world champion) Marian Pajon, she was out, I had really good lane selection,” Buchanan said.

“To cross the line in second I’m just really stoked to do that for Australia and myself.

“I really wanted to win today and get the rainbow stripes (awarded to the world champion) but at this level and in this craziness it could have gone the other direction so I’m stoked to pull it together.”

4. Best of Final Day – 2015 UCI BMX WCHs Heusden-Zolder

The day started a little earlier than planned for a lot of the Elite riders as a storm was coming in and the program was shortened. In horrible conditions both the Men and Women were informed the World Championships race would start from the 5 meter hill instead of the 8 meter set-up that everyone had practiced on all week. It was a good decision to keep things safe for the riders. With little warm up time for everyone the race got underway quickly with a direct transfer system. BMX has some die-hard fans because the grandstands were full all the time while the rain was pouring down. Different tricks of the trade were used to keep the tires, grips and pedals dry to avoid slipping coming out at the start. The wet track required a different approach to make it through to the next round.

5. Buchanan Next Gen BMX World Championships 2015

What a huge adventure & learning experience for Buchanan Next Gen at the BMX World Championships in Belgium this week!

After overcoming a broken collar bone at Australian Nationals in April and a dislocated knee shortly thereafter, Mikayla Rose #22 from Canberra ACT battled it out to the semi-finals, missing a finals berth by just one place

Tayla “Minnie” Robertson from Shepparton VIC placed a solid 5th in the final at her first ever BMX World Championships.

Paige Harding #66 Castle Hill NSW was unlucky with a nasty crash and broken wrist in the quarter finals after riding so well all day.

I am so very proud of the girls and their families for the way they have trained and the attitudes they have bought to the sport. The team camaraderie is fabulous and I am so pleased that, crashes aside, all the girls rode brilliantly, supported one another and gave their all in racing.

A huge thank you to Jayco Caravans & The Layne Beachley Aim For The Stars Foundation for making my dreams a reality to support and mentor an all girls BMX team and have them compete for Australia Internationally at the World Championships.

6. 2015 UCI BMX Worlds Masters Final – Kelvin Batey

2015 UCI BMX Worlds Masters Final and prize ceremony, Zolder, Belgium. 22 July 2015. Ireland’s Kelvin Batey takes the W1 plate.

7. Elite Men

“No way, I’m leading the World Championships final!” That’s what went through Niek Kimmann’s mind as he came out of turn two where leader Sam Willoughby (AUS) hit the tarmac as he tried to hold off the Dutchman. David Graf (SUI) surprised the Aussie with a visit on the inside and that left an open space for last year’s Junior World Champion to pass both of them in one turn.

8. Elite Women

Alise Post took it safe by taking the outside. The UCI’s World Cycling Centre trainee on the other hand made a sharp turn on the wet track passing both Buchanan and Post at once. Alise crashed while Stephany built up a big lead. Buchanan cruised to second place and Simone Christensen (DEN) and Brooke Crain (USA) fought hard for the bronze medal. A photo finish determined that third place went to Denmark.
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9. Junior Men

Collin Hudson from the United States of America was on his way to the gold in the Junior Men class until Exequiel Torres from Argentina showed he had more left in the tank on the last part of the technical track. It was a dragrace to the finish line ….

10. Junior Women

Freshly crowned UCI Time Trials Junior World Champion Axelle Etienne (FRA) showed she had the speed on a dry track but doing a single lap by herself in the sunshine on Friday, or racing with 7 others on a wet track the next day, is a whole different ballgame.

More videos will be added as they become available.