New Zealand BMX rider Sarah Walker has finished fourth in the opening round of the Supercross World Cup in Denmark.
Walker today repeated her fourth placing from last year's round at Copenhagen, just missing out on the podium in a hard fought final won by defending champion and former world
champion Shanaze Reade, of Britain.
Her compatriot Marc Willers missed out on a place in the men's final after a mechanical problem while challenging for the lead in his semifinal.
Walker, of Kawerau, fourth in last year's final at the Olympic Games in Beijing twice beat Reade to win her semifinal motos in brilliant fashion.
In the first she beat to the snap from the start and led throughout, and in the second she eased past on the last straight.
Walker had a solid but not great start to the final and was squeezed between Reade and Olympic silver medallist Laetitia Le Corguille, of France, at the first corner, before being hit from behind.
" It gave me a little scare before I regained my composure and I came into the first corner in fourth," Walker said.
"I tried to rail the corner to get some speed for the final straight but it wasn't enough to get up to third.
" The positive is that I know I have the ability to beat Shanaze Reade."
Willers topped his first moto after a third and a win to qualify for the quarterfinals where he finished third.
This gave him the unfavoured outside lane for semifinal but an excellent start and push around the first corner saw him challenging for the lead.
However, his foot came out of the pedal clip before the main jump and by the time he had recovered he was at the back of the field.
Willers fought his way to fifth but ran out of real estate and missed out on a place in the finals.
" It's really disappointing. I was in good form and in good shape to definitely get into the finals," he said.
"It was a bit of a freak, I've never come out of a clip before but that doesn't make it feel any better."
Dutchman Stan van der Putten upset more fancied rivals to win the final.
There are three more rounds of the Supercross World Cup but the major focus is now the world championships in Adelaide in July.
- NZPA
