Caroline Buchanan - BMX World Championships

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Category: Caroline Buchanan

Reflecting on the past three months still feels surreal as to how successful it was. Claiming my third World Title, rising to #1 in the UCI World Ranking ladder, leading the Supercross World Cup season, winning three consecutive World Cup Time Trials and winning my first World Cup in Norway. 

This past weeks racing in Birmingham England was the final stop of my hectic World Cup/Olympic qualifying tour.

2012 has started off being an almost textbook year and I am happy to say that I am in one piece, fit and healthy and have done everything that I can to qualify myself as Australia's #1 female pick for one of the two spots on the Olympic Team which is yet to be officially announced.

Last year at the World Championships I finished a close second behind Shenaze Reade GBR who won the Time Trial World Title. This year I was determined to win the Time Trial and collect my first BMX World Championship rainbow jersey. In BMX and especially the time trial event everyone is looking to put together their perfect lap. I had an almost flawless lap recording a time of 28.942 seconds wining by close to half a second over Reade (29.401sec) and France's Eva Ailloud.

Being woken up early for anti doping blood tests and being stuck in drug testing till 1am in the morning after the time trial, my preparation for race day was not ideal, but I tried  not to let this affect me for racing. 

On race day the atmosphere was great. There were sold out crowds in the NIA stadium with roughly eight thousand spectators. 

Many countries were trying to qualify last chance Olympic spots so the racing was on another level. There were lots of crashes and it was like going out to battle in each race…unfortunately not many people including myself enjoyed the racing. 

My quarter-final I wasn't able to get out in front and out of trouble, I was stuck in the pack trying to dodge carnage and put together a safe lap. The semi was again very tough and could have been the final with the amount of top girls in it. I drew an outside lane and knew I was in for a hard race. Myself and New Zealand's Sarah Walker were surprised to have not qualified through into the final. 

I put this race down to another learning curve…bring on London!

Time Trial & podium: SBS Cycling Central

http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/bmx/news/36721/Buchanan_wins_world_time_trial_title

Racing:

http://www.bmx-videos.com/raceflv.php?show_cat=311 

Peter Stefanovic Nine Network reports video: http://video.couriermail.com.au/2239619176/Buchanan-wins-first-BMX-world-title

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