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More news >> 2002 January - June, July - October, November
19/12 2003 Nerang Nationals Weekend - Flyer Amendment
We would like to advise that the Gold Coast Nerang Nationals Weekend of racing on the 4th & 5th of January will now be running a Special Event on the Saturday,
Round 1 of the UCI Category 3 International ranking points series
In conjunction with BMXA.
This will only affect AA & A Pro riders and Junior & Senior Elite.
Junior & Senior Elite will run in place of AA & A Pro on Saturday only. AA & A Pro will run on Sunday only.
All other age classes remain the same, (4 motos on Sat & 2 motos - semi’s - finals on Sun, BMXA Rules apply)
Sunday’s Pro Open has been cancelled
Nerang 2 Day Open Meeting
One Entry Fee:
AA Pro / Senior Elite $ 55.00
A Pro / Junior Elite $ 40.00
Saturday 4th January 2003
UCI BMX Rules apply to Junior & Senior Elite only:
Junior Elite (17+) / Senior Elite (19+) Prize Pool $1,500.00
Sunday 5th January 2003
BMXA Rules: 17.E.1.(I) & 17.E.6-appendix 7D
AA Pro (3 motos 3 final final) / A Pro (3 motos 3 final final) Prize Pool $3,500.00
Pro Open Cancelled
Contact Mick Hattin on 0418 764673
We look forward to seeing you for an exciting week of racing
BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER !!!
16/12 See you next year
BMXUltra.com will be a little quiet over the coming weeks, we're off
for holidays. There may be an update or two, but no promises. We'd like
to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in 2002 and look
forward to an exciting year in 2003.
We'd also like to thank our sponsors; Answer,
Pazzaz, BMXBits.com.au,
Dirt Designs, Troy
Lee Designs, Tektro
and ATi.
From all of us at BMXUltra.com have a Merry Christmas and a safe new year.
Right after we get back we'll be finishing off our product reviews on
the Answer Alumilite sprocket and Pazzaz carbon fibre forks.
16/12 The new Norco BMX website
Norco bicycles now have their own BMX specific website. It's jam packed
full of features including the 2003 team information, full specs for the
2003 Norco BMX range, and the latest news from the Norco camp.
You can even contact superstar AA Pro Luke Madill direct.
Check it out at www.norcobmx.com.
16/12 New BMX sanctioning body in Australia
for 2003
Back in September I wrote an article about
a new sanctioning body in Australia and it seemed to have stirred
up the Australian BMX community. At the end of the article I said that
it wasn't real...well that was because the intention of the article was
to generate interest...the truth is there will be a new BMX sanctioning
body in Australia in 2003.
It will commence operation some time after the 2003 UCI world championships
to be held in Perth in July. This is to ensure that there are no complications
for any Australian rider wishing to compete at the UCI world titles.
The new sanctioning body will be a national body, with a national series
and the goal will be to run very much along the lines of the ABA (www.ababmx.com)
or NBL (www.nbl.org). The sanctioning body will be a privately owned company,
people's jobs and the future of the organisation will rely on successful
marketing of the sport, riders and teams and growth of the sprot that
follows on from there.
This is how I would expect things to run in the new association;
Marketing
Riders will be made aware well of events in advance of the national
series, via promotion through leading websites, magazines, and information
posted to registered riders. There are actually three target audiences
for marketing in BMX, and it would be appropriate to cater for all three.
BMX racing is for the riders, maintaining strong rider support is important,
so keeping them informed of upcoming events is vital as is keeping the
tracks exciting.
For every rider it would be safe to say there is one spectator, it's important
for the spectators to be kept entertained throughout the day. There is
a common opinion that it's ok to drag a race meeting out and give riders
a rest between races, but all this does is bore the spectator and it's
likely they won't return. It's even possible that they will go away from
a BMX event telling people that it's "boring" or a "waste
of time". Word of mouth is the greatest and cheapest marketing tool.
The last of the three audiences is the potential rider. It's not enough
to advertise a race meeting in the local papers and hope that someone
might be interested enough to come along. They might come and watch a
few races and then disappear, how did they get any value in dropping in
and watching? Did they find out how BMX works? Did anyone talk to them,
expain how things work and ask them what they think? Or even if they were
interested in taking it further and giving it a go? Growth is important
to the future of the sport but it will only come by helping people get
involved, let's get people excited about BMX.
Something for the riders
A national series for all classes. There is little encouragement for
a rider to compete at any particular event in Australia, apart from maybe
the Australian Championships held on one weekend of the year. A true champion
would be the most consistant rider throughout the year. Look at the Grand
Prix and professional tennis circuits, they aren't decided on one weekend.
A series would mean more prestigious races and high pressure racing, something
that many American riders are used to.
The series would be made up of national events held in each state of Australia
with rankings for all classes both male and female, pro and amature. There
will be one weekend set aside for each state to host two national rounds,
one on Saturday and one on Sunday, that's two national races for each
state (14 events for the year). You would only be required to race a minimum
of 4 events and then the Grand National to end the season (bonus event,
taking the total to 15 National races for the year).
The series would have greater national exposure in the media, sponsors
would benefit and maybe the promotion would lead to further growth in
the sport.
A relaxed and easy to understand rulebook would mean less confusion amongst
riders and more exciting races.
Something for the officials
There are some great officials in BMX racing, and there are some that
are not so great. The idea is to pay officials for their services. What
this will mean is a regular group of individuals, who know the rules,
will be stewarding the meeting. Everyone will have a common understanding
of the rules, so there will be no confusion between riders and officals.
Most importantly you wont have the situation where someone has been asked
to "volunteer" and really doesn't know the rules and simply
doesn't want to be there.
Something for the sponsors
What could be of greater value to a sponsor than seeing a return on their
investment. An Australian national series would guarentee National exposure
for sponsors over an extended period of close to a year...not just one
weekend.
Something for the spectators
It's not enough to assume that the spectators are at a race meeting to
watch a friend or family member, because if there's not much entertainment
it is possible they may not return. Let's toy with the idea that a spectator
is watching BMX racing because they enjoy it, what makes for a good spectator
sport? Let's promote the pro riders, let the spectators know who they
are...Warwick Wheeler does a good job of this in his races recorded for
BMXCentral. Let's make the tracks more exciting...the fact is this new
association will look at a variation of the downhill BMX racing and 4
cross mountain bike racing...naturally the track would be ridable for
riders of all ages. You will have your big jumps, but it will be possible
to also roll through them.
A reason to return
If BMX racing was more of an experience people will want to check it out.
If you could create an atmosphere, and make BMX rules easier to understand,
make BMX racing more accessable the sport will be unstopable...this is
the aim of the new sanctioning body. Let's make BMX exciting, fun, and
most importantly better.
Imagine arriving at an event and signing up on the Saturday morning for
the next day or two of racing. All you would be required to do is show
your licence, or say your licence number, then which class (or classes)
you will be racing in. If you don't have a licence you could licence up
on the spot.
Your sponsors would get an additional bonus because their name is recorded
on the same system and listed in the race sheets and results.
Then when you go and ride the track in practice you find the gate has
changed, no more lines down the starting hill, if you're in front out
of the gate you have full control of the race.
You find the track has changed a little too...rather than the club being
responsible for the track the sanctioning body is judged by choosing the
track, so it is up to them to ensure the track is up to standard. In some
cases this would require changing some jumps, in others it may mean no
change at all.
When it comes around to race time, racing is a little more rough and tumble.
BMX is a full contact sport, with a lot riding on getting to the finish
line first the racing will be more exciting.
There are two races on the track at any given time, unless there is an
accident, so people wont have to sit around longer than they need to.
There is no break between qualifying motos and finals. The scores are
automatically calculated as racing progresses. There are no more than
three qualifying motos before the finals...this will help to make the
day shorter.
If you are interested in the new association please email webmaster@bmxultra.com. The new sanction is looking for clubs that are interested in joining and would require information like town/city, state, contact details like email address and phone number. These details will be kept confidential.
13/12 2002 in review
Kyle Bennett (Nirve) - Dominated the UCI world championships and
the NBL AA Pro circuit, where can he go from here? He has a long career
ahead of him, this guy is going to be a real pace setter.
Robbie Miranda (DK) - Took out the 2002 Nora Cup and won the X-Games
Downhill BMX event in fine style.
Dale Holmes (FreeAgent/KHS) - Competed in both the USA AA Pro circuit
and on an international level in the 4 cross as an independant paying
his own way, that finally paid off when he picked up a deal that would
see him riding Free Agent when racing BMX and KHS on the Mountain Bike.
John Purse (johnpurse.com) and Greg Romero (Redman) - These
two legends of Pro BMXing ran events, which are variations of the BMX
racing theme, that could quite possibly take BMX racing to new levels
and maybe even put the sport back in the lime light both events were more
difficult for the riders to make the main, but awesome for the spectators,
and both platform pedal only events.
Jamie Staff (Haro) - Jamie Staff spent more time concentrating
on his track riding this year than he did BMX, but still produced some
great results while winning Commomwealth and world championships medals
in his new career that will take him to the Olympics in Greece in 2004.
Luke Madill (Norco) - Luke started the year dominating Australian
BMX in the AA Pro class, he took the Australian crown and won the DK National
event at Penrith before heading over to the US to do a tour that should
have taken him to Brazil for the UCI world championships. However a slip
up at South Park, his last stop before the worlds ended his tour and put
him off the bike for some time. After having his wrist pinned and plated
and a little time to recover he's back on his bike and back on his winning
ways.
Kamakazi (Redline) - Kama didn't have the wirl wind year that he
had back in 2001, he lost the Australian crown to Luke and had trouble
getting back to the US with his name. By the time he finally got back
there team mate Bubba Harris had already started making a big name for
himself as a contender in the AA ranks. This guy is a loose cannon worth
keeping an eye on for the 2003 season, because you can be sure that with
him on the track anything could happen.
Warwick Stevenson (Diamond Back - now on Haro) - Warwick was flying
the Diamond Back colours in fine style throughout 2002, dominating at
most of the races he attended and looking like he had secured his campaign
to win back to back ABA AA Pro titles. When it came down to him and Danny
Nelson in the main at the ABA Grands, there just wasn't enough track for
Warwick. He's still young and fast, and you can be sure that he'll be
back to win the #1 again for his new sponsor Haro.
Danny Galea (Iron Horse) - Danny Galea is one of Australia's most
known faces amongst the AA Pro ranks, a personality as well as a contender
at any event he attends. 2002 wasn't a great year for him, but as his
retirement from full-time BMX racing approached he seemed to step it up.
He finished a strong 4th at the Cash Dash and took out the Pro class at
the Victorian State championships with apparent ease, in one of the most
awe inspiring displays of brute stength I have ever seen. When the dust
was still settling Danny went back for a victory lap and had the crowd
on their feet. Danny will be back on the BMX track some time in the near
future between racing mountain bikes and track.
13/12 UCI BMX news: December
UCI launches new BMX race series!
Beginning in 2003, the UCI will launch a new series of BMX events called
the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS, which will replace the former UCI BMX World Cup
(1996-2000).
The UCI BMX SUPERCROSS series will be held on specially designed BMX tracks,
made only for the very top-level athletes of BMX racing. These downhill
BMX tracks will feature obstacles, jumps and high speed that will bring
BMX racing to another level.
The pilot event will be held at Camp Woodward (Pennsylvania) USA, 19th
to 20th September 2003. Camp Woodward is the premier BMX Freestyle facility
in the world and the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS will be held on their very well
known and respected downhill BMX track.
The event will be open for Elite Men and Junior Men (17 years and older).
With a prize purse of over 20.000 Swiss Franc and the fact that the race
will count for UCI International ranking points as well as AA-Pro points
in the NBL National Series, the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS will be one of the
most important races on the 2003 International BMX calendar.
A major TV production and distribution has been secured. The first event
will be produced by Insider TV, UK (event production arm of Chilli) with
an already guaranteed viewing in many countries such as USA, Australia,
Great Britain, France, Japan, Netherlands to name a few. Furthermore,
news satellite uplinks and highlights will be made available rights-free
to global news stations, agencies and sports magazine shows.
UCI have together with the National Bicycle League (NBL), reached an agreement
with Camp Woodward to host this event at the Woodward track in Pennsylvania
for the next three years.
The UCI BMX SUPERCROSS series will be extended in 2004 with an event on
the European continent and in 2005 the series will be held on three different
locations around the world.
2003 UCI BMX International Calendar
The 2003 UCI International BMX Calendar is published on the UCI website.
With the increased number of events counting for the UCI ranking, the
calendar is now covering over 60 events worldwide. http://www.uci.ch/english/bmx/calendar/calendar_2003/index.htm
UCI World Continental Ranking
With the positive introduction of the UCI World Continental Ranking last
year, even more races will be added to count for international ranking
points. Each continent has 8 ranking races, where the top 5 races (for
each rider) will count for the overall points. The overall ranking will
be decided during the World Championships in Perth, Australia 23-27 July
2003.
To view the ranking calendar and the current points standing, please visit:
http://www.uci.ch/english/bmx/rankings/2002/indexV.htm
2003 International race numbers
The International race numbers for 2003 is published on the UCI website.
Please visit: http://www.uci.ch/english/bmx/bmx_2003/nos/index.htm
. As introduced last year, only the top 1-38 numbers will be assigned
by the UCI. The local organizers of the event(s) are obliged to assign
all other numbers. Please note that all international numbers should be
displayed with a “w” in front of the number.
#1-8 refers to the top 8 riders in the UCI World Championships.
#11-18 refers to the top 8 riders in the European Championships series.
#21-29 refers to the top 8 riders in the Pan American Championships.
Argentinean World Champion disqualified
During the Antidoping test at the UCIBMX World Championships in Paulinia,
Brazil, the Argentinean rider Augustin Podesta left positive samples of
prohibited substances. Federacion Argentina de Bicicross have decided
to give Podesta a warning and disqualify his results from the BMX World
Championships in Brazil. Therefore Augustin Podesta will be stripped of
his gold medal and rainbow jersey in the Junior Cruiser category.
Santiago Duque, Colombia has been declared the 2002 UCI Junior Cruiser
World Champion.
Furthermore, during the antidoping tests at the World Championships another
rider has been tested positive, however the disciplinary actions are yet
to be taken. The rider and federation have been notified.
12/12 UCI launches BMX Supercross Series
Beginning in 2003, the UCI will launch a new series of BMX events
called the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS, which will replace the former UCI BMX World
Cup (1996-2000).
The UCI BMX SUPERCROSS series will be held on specially designed BMX tracks,
made only for the very top-level athletes of BMX racing. These downhill
BMX tracks will feature obstacles, jumps and high speed that will bring
BMX racing to another level.
The pilot event will be held at Camp Woodward (Pennsylvania) USA, 19th
to 20th September 2003. Camp Woodward is the premier BMX Freestyle facility
in the world and the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS will be held on their very well
known and respected downhill BMX track.
The event will be open for Elite Men and Junior Men (17 years and older).
With a prize purse of over 20.000 Swiss Franc and the fact that the race
will count for UCI International ranking points as well as AA-Pro points
in the NBL National Series, the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS will be one of the
most important races on the 2003 International BMX calendar.
A major TV production and distribution has been secured. The first event
will be produced by Insider TV, UK (event production arm of Chilli) with
an already guaranteed viewing in many countries such as USA, Australia,
Great Britain, France, Japan, Netherlands to name a few. Furthermore,
news satellite uplinks and highlights will be made available rights-free
to global news stations, agencies and sports magazine shows.
UCI have together with the National Bicycle League (NBL), reached an agreement
with Camp Woodward to host this event at the Woodward track in Pennsylvania
for the next three years.
The UCI BMX SUPERCROSS series will be extended in 2004 with an event on
the European continent and in 2005 the series will be held on three different
locations around the world.
For more information, please contact the UCI office;
Johan Lindstrom
UCI BMX Coordinator
E-mail: bmx@uci.ch
Phone : +41 24 468 58 11
Fax : +41 24 468 58 12
A broadcast rights free VNR (video news reel) regarding the UCI BMX SUPERCROSS
is available. Please contact;
Emma Smith
Insider TV / Chilli TV
Phone: +44 (0) 1273 721 644 direct
E-mail: emma-smith@freeuk.com
11/12 BMX Australia rule book
If you have had the pleasure of racing in Australia in the past 6-12
months you may have heard the officials refer to the BMX Australia rule
book as nothing more than a guideline. That's right a guideline, which
basically means the rules are up for interpretation. If you think that's
weird then imagine disputing an officials decission and finding yourself
disqualified because in the rules as we know it the riders need to speak
to a riders advocate who in turn speaks with the officials...who the hell
makes up silly rules like that...maybe someone who's a fan of chinese
whispers.
Is the BMX Australia rule book worth the paper it's printed on?
(The BMXAustralia rule book is buried on the BMX Australia website and
labeled UCI rule book, rather than Australian adaptation).
09/12 A deadly New Years Eve bash in
Melbourne
Julian Millis, team manager
at Norco and all round good guy, is heading up the band The Deadthings.
If you are looking for something to do in Melbourne on New Years Eve,
this one might be worth checking out.
"Fresh from the debut gig at the Esplanade Hotel in October is
Melbourne's own The Deadthings Headlining at DV8 Nightclub on New Years
Eve!!! . Featuring 3 members of the infamous Voodoo Lovecats, this frightening
fivesome are set to destroy with they're own brand of goulish mayhem!
Be a witness to their undead insanity on New Years Eve by getting down
to DV8 @ CBD Nightclub Mckillop St, Melbourne!!!!
This will be a show not to be missed!!!!!
On stage at 12.30 . Will anyone make it out alive?... Be there to find
out!"
09/12 RaceGirlBMX.com announces new
team
The Racegirl Bmx League and Answer BMX products announces the first all
Girl NBL/ABA National team.
23 girls ranging from 5 to 17 years old have been selected for the team.
Look for the Racegirls to be sporting their new Racegirl/Answer jerseys
at the NBL Christmas Classic and the ABA Reno national.
Team managers are Pro girls Alice Jung, Kim Hayashi, and Super girl Rachel
Smith.
To view the team roster please check www.racegirlbmx.com.
The Racegirl bmx league is continually seeking additional sponsors and
supporters for the league. For further information contact Kim at arizonaracegirl@aol.com.
06/12 Staats Bicycles is blowing out
blue aluminum race frames.
Golden crank award winning Staats race frames, made of 7001 series aluminum,
are available factory direct to the public. All blue frames are discounted
10% off msrp while supplies last. The blue frames are being discontinued
for 2003. This is your last chance to rail around the track on a blue
Staats frame. Please contact Staats Bicycles direct at (866) 265-bike
or visit our web site at www.staatsbikes.com
to order your new Staats frame.
06/12 Natarsha Williams' website updated
The website of world conquering SunRingle Super girls rider Natarsha Williams
has had a big face lift, by means of a new layout. There had been plans
for a while to change the site, then along came Richard Montalvo of BMX
Videos who decided to design a logo for Natarsha's site.The logo was perfect
for the site hence a new design set into place. The site still has most
of its regular features but much easier to navigate with the new design.
So if you have not checked out www.tarshasbmxworld.com lately, then maybe
it is worth a visit..
Check out www.tarshasbmxworld.com
06/12 Redline Victoria Race Report.
Well, the Victorian State Championships have now come and gone and
the Total BMX / Redline Victoria team are taking a well-earned rest before
some of riders hit the road again to Nerang for the January races.
The Victorian Championships were held at the South Eastern BMX Club and
the track was in excellent condition, the weather was like nothing we
have had this year. It was around 35 Degrees with a slight breeze on Saturday
and around 32 Degrees with a little rain on Sunday.
Shaun Craven had a good weekend until the finals came around, Shaun got
a slow start in his 13 Boys 20inch main and was in 2nd and put a move
on for 1st in the second turn but pushed a little to hard and crashed
after making contact with the guy in 1st leaving him with 8th for the
weekend. On the Cruiser Shaun was one of the young guns looking to beat
some of the 14 year olds and proved that he is a force to be reckoned
with. After battling all the way to the finish line Shaun finished 2nd
only narrowly missing out on 1st spot.
Kylie Gray had a good weekend keeping very consistent in a small class,
the 15 Girls were calculated by overall points. Kylie started well in
every race and finished up 4th for the weekend.
Craig ' WALLY ' Walczuk started the weekend off in usual fashion crashing
on the first lap of practice. Wal was quick to get over it and rode his
Pro Line Comp like it was stolen all weekend to finish 2nd in a field
of 7. Wal is looking into getting a cruiser now for the World Championships
so look out for Wal ripping it up on Redline cruiser next year.
Adam Robb rode both the Elite 20inch and Cruiser classes. The Cruiser
only had 6 entries so the weekend was over points, with a 1st, 2nd and
3rd on Saturday Adam was sitting equal 1st over night and on Sunday he
came up short with 3 3rds and had to settle for 3rd overall. On the 20inch
Adam transferred to the final with out any dramas, after a good start
he pulled too hard on his pedals and pulled out of his clips, taking him
from even with the field to dead last. He fought back and due to a crash
was able to get back 4th position at the finish line narrowly missing
out on 3rd.
Luke Pretlove looked to be the favorite going into the Elite men's final
and he didn't let any of the spectators down, Luke got the best start
and led the field down the first straight and Galea took over the lead
into the first turn. Luke dived to the inside and clipped out over the
doubles and remaining clipped out over the triples and only just staying
on the bike while retaining 2nd position. Luke did his best to keep smooth
through the 3rd straight and got some speed back, coming into the last
turn Lukes handle bars got caught up in Simon Griggs jersey and Luke got
thrown off the bike leaving him to finish 8th. Luke had the whole crowd
on there feet and they all clapped him along after his crash.
Both Luke Pretlove and Shaun Craven will be heading up to the January
races in Queensland and will be joining the rest of the team afterwards
at the Track Attack series in Victoria.
Redline would like to congratulate the whole team on there efforts at
the State Championships.
Be sure to pop into the Redline tent at the races.
See you there.
Redline Victoria's sponsors include Total Bmx, Odyssey, DIRT Designs Dragon
Optical and BMXUltra.com
05/12 Vote 1 Jamie Staff
BBC Sport are taking nominations for sports personality of 2002. You
can help fellow BMXer, Haro's Jamie Staff who exploded into the world
of track racing this year winning Commonwealth and World Championship
medals in his first season. He's amongst a tough field with the likes
of boxer Lennox Lewis, and soccer player David Beckham.
All you need to do is follow this link - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/special_events/sports_personality_2002/2462683.stm,
scroll to the bottom of the page and write "Jamie Staff" as
your nomination and enter your email address then press the submit button.
You must do this before midnight UK time today the 5th of December.
In other Jamie Staff news, he's planning to do some track training with
the British cycling team in Perth, Australia over January/February. If
you follow the cycling you might get a chance to see him in action at
a veledrome in Sydney, Perth or possibly even Melbourne.
Don't forget to help nominate Jamie.
04/12 BMXPros.com Race Report: ABA Grand Nationals
Tulsa, OK Nov 29 - Dec 1, 2002
Huntington Beach, CA USA - The ABA season finished up this
past weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma with the 25th annual Grand Nationals.
With one the of the best ABA Grands tracks ever built, the Pro riders
were delighted upon arrival into the Tulsa Expo Center. The track incorporated
a 3rd strait Pro Section that was very technical and gave the crowd a
lot of excitement when the Pro races took to the track. The pro riders
also had another event during Friday, as Greg Romero has put on the first
4-man BMX race over at his training facility near by. The event was put
on by Greg and had a huge Pro turnout, as well as a great payday for the
top 8 riders. Dale Holmes, Thomas Allier, Jamie Staff, Randy Stumpfhauser,
and Christophe Leveque were all in attendance for the event. Overall this
was one of the best BMX weekends in memory and we would like to thank
Greg Romero and the entire ABA Staff for putting on such great events.
Here is how the BMXPros.com/Double A Marketing riders in attendance finished
up:
Randy Stumpfhauser went into the ABA Grands sitting in 2nd overall in the Pro Cruiser title chase. Just a few points behind Dale Holmes, it all came down to the main event for the title to be decided. As the riders staged into the gate, you could see the determination in Stumpy's eyes, and as the gate slammed down, Randy holeshotted the main event and lead the race up till the last turn, where a daring move by Rookie Pro had forced Randy to back off and settle for 2nd, but still gave him the 2002 ABA #1 Pro Cruiser title. This is Randy's 2nd Pro title for 2002, going along with his UCI World Championship Cruiser title, as well as his 2nd ABA Cruiser title. Randy's sponsors include Huffy Bicycles, Fox Racing, AC Components, IRC Tires, Smith Eyewear, Vans, Marwi Ti Spokes, ODI, S & M bars and forks, Sun Ringle, BMXPros.com, Champion Nutrition, CTI Knee Braces, and Shimano.
Jamie Staff has been one of the most consistent pros over the past few years and 2002 had been another great season for him. Jamie, who will focus on Track Cycling in 2003, as he has been selected to represent England in the 2003 Olympic Games, will still race a scaled down schedule of BMX in 2003. Going into the Grands, Jamie sat 5th overall in the AA standings, and wanted to take home a big win. Well, Jamie did just that, in the Pro Open main event on Sunday afternoon. Jamie was also in the Pro Spectral main event on Friday night, where he placed 5th overall. Jamie looks towards his goal of the Olympics in 2004, after obtaining a UCI World Championship title in 2002 on the track, as well as to continue to win BMX races. Jamie's sponsors include Haro, Lee Pipes, No Fear, Adidas, AC Components, Tangent Plates and pads, ODI Grips, Smith Eyewear, Answer Forks, O'Neal Helmets, Champion Nutrition, BMXpros.com, and Shimano.
Dale Holmes was excited to show up to the ABA Grands for his new sponsor Free Agent, and his shot at the ABA #1 Pro title. Dale started out the weekend with a huge 2nd place finish at the Romero 4-man event, and then pushed his momentum to the Grands with making the Pro Cruiser and Pro Open mains. In the Cruiser main, Dale was running up in the front of the pack and finished 4th for the day, giving his 2nd overall for 2002. In the Pro Open main, Dale once again powered his way around the trace for a podium spot in 3rd overall. Dale looks forward to starting off the 2003 seasons with Free Agent Bicycles for another successful BMX season. Dale sponsors include Free Agent, O'Neal, Smith Eyewear, Tioga, UGP, Atomic, Profile, ODI, Vans, Shimano, BMXpros.com, and Daleholmes.com.
Thomas Allier is one of the most feared AA pros on the BMX circuit with his incredible speed and skills. This season, Thomas missed a few BMX race to try out the Four Cross MTB races, where he had much success, but has set his goals for 2003 in BMX. This past weekend wasn't one that Thomas would like to remember, as a crash at the Romero 4 man race, as well as one in the AA Pro 1/4 kept him out of the main events this weekend Thomas just shrugged it off and will be ready for a win at his next BMX race in Ohio. Thomas' sponsors include Giant BMX, Troy Lee Designs, Oakley, IRC, Shimano, Felt, Sinister Steering Systems, Marwi Ti Spokes, Sun Ringle, ODI, ACS, THE Plates and Pads, JanSport, WD-40, and BMXpros.com.
Christophe Leveque was in attendance for the Grands, aboard the all new 2003 GT Ultrabox race frame. Christophe has battled a back injury for the past few season, and has been recuperating from surgery earlier in the season. Christophe, one of the winningest Pro riders in history, will be returning to the full ABA and NBL BMX race schedules starting in a 3 weeks, with the NBL Pro series opener in Columbus, OH and the ABA 2003 series opener in Reno, NV. Christophe's sponsors include GT Bicycles, Speed Stick, Pizza Hut, Fox Racing, Sun Ringle, Marazochi Steering Systems, Marwi Ti Spokes, ATi Grips, Plates and Pads, Smith Eyewear, Profile Cranks and Sprockets, S & M Bars, Chris King Headsets and Hubs, Champion Nutrition, BMXpros.com and Nike Footwear.
Double A Marketing would like to congratulate the new 2002 ABA #1 Pro, Danny Nelson. Danny is one of the nicest pros on the circuit, as well as one of the fastest.
Double A Marketing proudly represent Thomas Allier, Wade Bootes, Dale Holmes, Christophe Leveque, Robert MacPherson, John Parker, Stephane Roncada, Jamie Staff, and Randy Stumpfhauser.
For more information on any of the BMXPros.com/Double A Marketing Pro riders or inquires about sponsorship, please visit DoubleAMarketing.com or BMXPros.com.
03/12 Norco Team News
Norco has revised it's team roster and has reduced it's Australian Factory
team down to four core riders in an effort to be able to give more support
to each rider. With BMX Stars Luke Madill and Khalen Young proving they
can mix it with the best Mountain bikers in the world Norco has taken
this into account and accommodated it into the new 2003 Team roster, Luke
and Khalen will both be hitting up more MTB races than ever in 2003 and
will receive full team support along side X-Games Downhill Gold Medallist
Shane Wode and Trials ace Bruce Hamley.
As a result BMX riders Chloe Macpherson and David Page are both no longer
a part of the team, Norco and the rest of the team wishes them both all
the best in the future.
Norco
Factory Team 2003:
Shane Wode - Pro Downhill / Pro 4-Cross / Freeride
Bruce Hamley - Pro Trials / Pro 4-Cross
Luke Madill - AA Pro BMX / Pro 4-Cross
Khalen Young - AA Pro BMX / Pro 4-Cross / Pro Dirtjumper
AA Pro Julian Lim to ride a Norco:
With some support from Norco,Quensland AA Pro Julian Lim will be on board
a Norco for the 2003 Season. Norco and Julian are both excited about this
new alliance and Julian should be on his new 2003 LM-17 Speed Metal team
bike by the time you read this.
Norco to launch Grassroots team program in January:
With details still to be finalized Norco is planning to open 10 positions
Australia wide for it's new grassroots team in January. The positions
will be for BMX racing only and will operate through a Norco Bicycle dealer,
it's an opportunity for racers that need some support in the form of reduced
pricing on equipment and to be a part of a recognized team as a stepping
stone to a possible factory ride in the future. Details should be finalized
before the end of the year so stay
tuned and start getting your resumes ready.
03/12 Western Australian news
James Dixon will be out on the injured list for a few weeks with a broken
wrist. Also one of WA 's jnr elite riders Brock Clavey is off Trik racing
and on Specialized Aus, on Tuesday night Brock got on his new 2003 model
s-works for the first time since WA's state titles and on his second lap
on the new machine he come off big time breaking his elbow, he's out for
a minimum of 6 weeks. Expect to see a lot of WA elite and jnr elite riders
at Track Attack in Melbourne in January.
02/12 What's up down under?
As BMX shuts down in Australia for December and a week or so in January,
all eyes have turned to the ABA Grand Nationals to see if Aussie
AA Pro Diamond Back's Warwick Stevenson can win back to back ABA AA Pro
crowns. There is a lot of news coming out of the ABA grands via www.bmxmania.com,
the latest being that Warwick and fellow Aussie Redline's Kamakazi have
both progressed to the semi final. There's also some interesting Stevenson
sponsorship news, that's been a rumour that I have heard in Australia
at least a month ago, chekc BMXMania for the latest.
But it's not only about the AA Pro men, 16 boys Australian Champion, Specialized
rider Michael Fenwick has progressed to the semis in the A pro class.
Sun Ringle's Natarsha Williams, has qualified through to the Girls pro
final.
We didn't give much of a wrap up of the Victorian state championships
so just quickly Wayne Flint dominated in the 30-34 classes taking both
the 20inch and the cruiser class. Dark horse David "The human cannonball"
Comport proved himself the fastest guy in the 30-34 cruiser down the first
straight couldn't get the power down to match it with Flint.
Also doubling at the state championships was Trevor Stamford in the 35-39
cruiser and 20 inch classes, and Greg Siinmaa in the 40-44 cruiser and
20 inch classes. It was no surprise that Josh Callan took out the 11 boys
class and the 11-12 cruiser class with straight wins. Dean Miller took
the win 16 boys class, winning the main from start to finish as well as
the 15-16 cruiser.
Campbell Hindson won the 12 boys class also with straight wins. Robert
Slatter took the easy way out opting to compete in the amature class and
taking the double in 19+ Men and 19+ cruiser, he would have been in the
running for the Senior elite class had he chosen to ride it.
Junior Elite riders Dean Beerens and James Hollings, both sponsored by
Top Gear cycles/Specialized, were on board their 2003 specialized s-works
frames, apparently James is still yet to get used to gates on the new
ride.
KHS rider Scott Lacey took out the 15 boys class in fine style, I found
out later that Scott was the only rider in his final with platform pedals.
Scott Lewis won the 25-29 mens class with ease.
It seems that BMX Victoria would like to keep it's profits generated from
the State Championships to themselves, but after seeing the pro pay out
and the trophies, I think that I would have to adjust the estimated $10,000
profit and increase it to closer to $15,000. Riders of Victoria it's your
right to question where this money is going, it seems a bit funny that
no one is saying anything. If BMX Victoria don't do anything about it
I plan to not enter any BMX Victoria run state championships in the future,
maybe someone with more interest in the riders will provide a better style
of BMX in the not too distant future.
The Track Attack series, a series of races that happens around
Melbourne over a week starting from January 18th looks to be on again
next year. I went down to Park Orchards to check out the changes to their
track yesterday and damn is that track rough. It looks like the club still
has a bit of work to do to get it in racing order. The basic lay out looks
like it could be a lot of fun, with jump after jump down the second straight,
but currently there is no flow to the jumps.