Motorcross: Promising riders seek to impress in Belgium

Taupo's Cohen Chase is preparing for the biggest race of his life. Photo / Andy McGechan

Taupo's Cohen Chase can't wait to kick-start his Yamaha YZ125 for the "motocross experience of a lifetime".

The 16-year-old rider is eager to impress when he lines up at the Junior Motocross World Championships near Bastogne, Belgium this weekend.

"I am very excited. I really can't wait," said Chase, a Year 11 student at Taupo's Tauhara College. He was recently crowned national junior 250cc motocross champion.

New Zealand motocross riders have a solid reputation on the world stage, thanks mainly to the careers of riders such as Taranaki brothers Darryll and Shayne King, Motueka's Josh Coppins and Taupo's Ben Townley; each of whom have stepped on to the podium at the top level of the sport in the past decade or so.

However, with the retirement of these Kiwi legends, the appearance of New Zealand riders in Europe has been infrequent during the past couple of seasons.

But Chase and fellow Kiwi youngster Josiah Natzke, from Hamilton, hope they can change that.

Both Chase and Natzke have huge reputations in New Zealand and it is possible that the two Kiwi heroes will impress in Belgium.

Chase said he had been doing all that he could to prepare for his first big European outing and he would be giving it his all on Sunday.

Chase's lead-in to the event has been fraught with difficulties, with a few technical bike issues to sort out and then he was struck with a mystery illness, but his preparations are back on course and he's feeling strong again.

Chase typically races the Yamaha YZ250F four-stroke bike in his domestic campaigns at home, but he will be racing a Yamaha YZ125 two-stroke in Belgium.