UCI World Championships: BMX riders Megan Williams and Rico Bearman claim bronze

Two medals by BMX riders Rico Bearman and Megan Williams rounded out a successful World Championship campaign in Glasgow.

The “Super Worlds” proved a successful concept with the UCI staging world championships for all 13 cycling disciplines under its banner over 12-days in and around Glasgow.

The championships were completed with BMX racing and the elite women’s road race where the New Zealand team fought hard but were unable to threaten the outcome.

The bronze medals to North Harbour’s Bearman and Rotorua’s Williams in the under-23 category brought the New Zealand tally to 16 medals, including 10 elite medals, over the 12 days including five gold.

The New Zealand riders sporting rainbow jerseys from the competition comprised two on the track to Ellesse Andrews (Keirin) and Aaron Gate (Points Race) and three to mountain bike for Sam Gaze (Elite Short Track Cross-country), Samara Maxwell (Under-23 cross-country) and Erice van Leuven (Junior Women’s Downhill).

New Zealand BMX riders added two bronze medals on finals day in Glasgow, going to North Harbour’s Rico Bearman and Rotorua’s Megan Williams in their respective under-23 finals.

In a relatively short first straight, being fastest through the elimination rounds was critical to earn the favoured inside gate for best line to the critical first turn.

Bearman was third-fastest of the quarter-final winners, to draw beside French rival Mateo Colsenet in the semifinal.

Bearman finished second but without a clean run he drew in the middle for the final.

He was pushed back to sixth and blocked at the first turn in the final and had to draw on all his skills to advance through to third and the bronze medal behind Filib Steiner (SUI) and Colsenet.

Rotorua’s Williams was third in her semifinal to qualify for the big dance, and like Bearman, she did not get the best gate in the final, but manualled strongly to push through to third, and almost caught GBR’s Emily Hutt for second behind winner Tessa Martinez (FRA).

The New Zealand women’s team were aggressive in some early breaks but were unable to mount any significant challenge in the 164km women’s road race from Loch Lomond to the circuit course around Glasgow.

The Jumbo Visma professional Kim Cadzow (Queenstown) went on the break out in the transition from Loch Lomond but was rounded up, while SD Worx professional Niamh Fisher-Black was in a six-rider break but they were unable to sustain their effort.

From there the major nations used their numbers to effect with the New Zealanders unable to push into the peloton as Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky, who won two gold medals on the track, sprinted clear to claim the victory.

Her SD Worx teammate and Tour de France Femme winner, Demi Vollering (NED), sprinted in for second ahead of Denmark’s Cecile Ludwig.

Best of the New Zealand finishers was under-23 rider Ella Wyllie in the third group 14:49 behind the winner, along with Fisher-Black and Cadzow, which brought the curtain down on 12 days crammed with the best cycling action from all disciplines.

The nine-strong New Zealand Para Cycling Team rounded out their World Championships with the final day of road racing. While no extra medals were won, the team are celebrating, with a record 12 medals across the Championships.

“12 medals across the team is a truly remarkable achievement. We’re over the moon! Our athletes here have shown incredible tenacity, grit and skill to get to where we are today, and we are so proud of them,” coach Damian Wiseman said.