Cycling: Walker leads worlds assault

Rotorua riders feature strongly in the New Zealand team to contest next week's UCI BMX world championships in Birmingham, England.

There are nine local riders in the 57-strong team, including 2009 elite world champion Sarah Walker and two-time world champion Lachlan Stevens-McNab (8yrs).

It's a family affair for many of the Rotorua contingent with Lachlan's brother Wyatt riding in the 5-6yr class and looking to improve on his 5th placing last year.

Brothers Regan (8yrs) and Cody Elliott (16yrs) are also competing as is Zach Paterson (10yrs) and his sister Caitlin Flavell (7yrs). Zach and Caitlin have previous world championship experience, finishing 6th and 5th respectively in Copenhagen last year.

At the other end of the age scale, Alf Amor will represent Rotorua in the 45-plus Cruiser class.

The elite squad contains a record 14 riders, with Walker joined by club mate Matthew Tew. The 17-year-old Tew is on the come-back from knee reconstruction surgery and will be keen to make an impression in his first year in the elite junior class. US-based Marc Willers, currently the world number three ranked rider, will lead the Kiwi men's charge.

The increased numbers in the elite squad is a result of the rapid development of the high performance programme under BikeNZ national coach Ken Cools.

The world championship is the final qualifying event for the London Olympics, with the New Zealand team due to be named at the end of the month.

After winning nine medals last year, the New Zealand team will be hoping to make a strong showing in Birmingham before they host the 2013 world championships in Auckland, to be staged indoors at the Vector Arena next July.

The championships will be held indoors in Birmingham.

NEW ZEALAND

Challenge class

5-6yrs boys: Wyatt Stevens-McNab (Rotorua), Lucas Bhimy (North Harbour), Seth Stylianou (North Harbour). 7yrs girls: Caitlin Flavell (Rotorua). 7yrs boys: Tipene Bishop (Kapiti). 8yrs girls: Lucy Macready (North Harbour). 8yrs boys: James Whyte (Mountain Raiders), Lachlan Stevens-McNab (Rotorua), Regan Elliott (Rotorua). 9yrs boys: Rico Bearman (Waitakere), Boston Caldwell (North Harbour). 10yrs boys: Zach Paterson (Rotorua), Tasman Wakelin (Nelson), Ryan Martin (Te Awamutu). 11yrs girls: Zoe Macready (North Harbour). 12yrs girls: Brooke Fevre (Hawera). 12yrs boys: Liam Goodwin (Kaiapoi). 13yrs boys: Maynard Peel (Sunset Coast), Jayden Fleming (Papakura). 14yrs boys: Joshua Smith (Te Awamutu). 14yrs girls: Rebecca Petch (Te Awamutu), Zoe Fleming (Papakura). 15yrs girls: Tahlia Hansen (Rangiora), Abigail Fox (Gisborne). 15yrs boys: Liam Perry (Kapiti), Max Macready (North Harbour), Codi Merito (Te Awamutu). 16yrs girls: Melissa Were (Hawera), Hannah Sarten (New Plymouth). 16yrs boys: Cameron Petch (Te Awamutu), Cody Elliott (Rotorua), Donald Ross (Whangarei), Ryan Berney (North Harbour). 17yrs plus girls: Nicole Sarten (New Plymouth). 17-24yrs men: Avon Peel (Sunset Coast). 30 plus men: Mike Reader (Hawera), Scott Hazlewood (North Harbour). Masters men: Ben Rafferty (Dunedin).

Cruiser class

13-14 boys: Joshua Smith (Te Awamutu), Maynard Peel (Sunset Coast). 15-16 boys: Cameron Petch (Te Awamutu), Donald Ross (Whangarei), Ryan Berney (North Harbour), Max Macready (North Harbour), Codi Merito (Te Awamutu). 14 & under girls: Rebecca Petch (Te Awamutu). 15-16 girls: Abigail Fox (Gisborne). 17-24 women: Nicole Sarten (New Plymouth). 30-34 men: Mike Reader (Hawera). 35-39 men: Taky Stylianou (North Harbour). 40-44 men: Scott Hazlewood (North Harbour). 45 plus men: Alf Amor (Rotorua), Michael Batterton (North Harbour).

Elite women: Sarah Walker (Rotorua), Victoria Hill (New Plymouth).

Elite men: Marc Willers (Cambridge), Kurt Pickard (Tauranga), Kurt James (Cambridge), Daniel Franks (Christchurch), Derrick Mellish (Australia), Matt Cameron (New Plymouth), Nick Fox (Gisborne).

Elite junior: Michael Bias (North Harbour), Matthew Tew (Rotorua), Mike Gaskin (Taupo), Cody Hobbs (Te Awamutu), Trent Jones (Kaiapoi).