Cycling: NZ team relaxed over track delay

Back on form after a virus, New Zealander Sarah Walker goes in as the world's top ranked rider. Photo / Rotorua Daily Post

The top New Zealand riders will have to wait a couple of days before they get a taste of the indoor track for the world BMX cycling championships at Adelaide.

Organisers have been working overtime to finish the track at the Adelaide Showgrounds and it will not be available for the elite competitors until Friday, the day before world championships begin.

The challenge, or age-group, classes begin practice today and tomorrow before competition begins tomorrow and on Friday morning.

National coach Ken Cools said his top riders were not concerned about the issue.

"Security has been quite tight as they work to finish the track so we have not been allowed in there to look at it yet," Cools said.

"We've been shown some photographs that one of the Australian competitors took.

"It does not really concern me too much. We will get to see it in action with the challenge classes and I am sure they will have ironed out any issues before the elite riders get on it on Friday."

The junior men, junior women, elite men and elite women have a 55-minute practice session each on Friday afternoon with a further 55-minute session on Saturday morning.

Cools said the team have settled well for the elite competition with Olympians Marc Willers and Sarah Walker the leading chances.

Walker, third last year and second in 2007, goes in as the world No1 ranked rider while Willers has returned from his base near Los Angeles with confidence after recovering from a serious shoulder injury.

"Marc looks great. He is in tremendous shape and is probably in the best head-space that I have seen him in," Cools said.

Willers is an extremely aggressive rider who has crashed out of a number of high-profile events, including the Beijing Olympics, in the past two years.

"He is as fast as any rider in the world," said Cools. "If he can put it all together then he has the ability to surprise a lot of people and even go all the way."

Walker, who had been slowed by a virus during a key part of her preparation, was peaking at the right time, Cools said.

"She has looked fantastic in training over here and is really getting sharp."

A record 220 New Zealanders have been entered in the challenge and elite classes in the BMX world championships and cruiser world championships.

- NZPA