SHE may not be happy with her starts, but Leanna Curtis’ efforts in the opening seconds of the elite women’s Oceania BMX Championship final on Saturday were crucial.
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A strong start off the eight metre ramp helped give Curtis the lead into the first bend at the Bathurst BMX track and once in front, no-one could catch her.
She added the title of Oceania champion to her status as current Australia champion, holding off New Zealand’s Rebecca Petch in the closing metres.
The victory came after the Illawarra rider had to settle for second in Friday night’s elite women’s Probikx UCI Series final, which used the smaller five metre ramp due to wet and windy conditions.
“I had a pretty ordinary start, but luckily I feel very confident on this track and I was able to come through,” Curtis said.
“With my starts, I am still struggling to get my body and legs throwing forward at the same time. Once that happens I will be back on top of them.
“Today we started off the eight metre hill, which suits me a little better. The girls I am racing have a bit more power than me down the flat, but the bigger start hill is a bit more about confidence and skills and that was my advantage.”
On Friday as Curtis returned to the track where she clinched the 2016 Australia title, she recorded first, second and fourth placings in her Probikx UCI Series motos.
Heading into the final of round three of that national series, Curtis’ biggest threat shaped as New Zealand’s Sarah Walker.
The two-time Olympian had the best of the start, Curtis third behind her into the first bend.
While Curtis made up ground over the back end of the course, the 2009 world champion held off the Australian.
“I am still nervous about this track. The wind was very strong this afternoon, so I just focused on doing the best start I could and tried to be smooth around the track. I threw in a few extra jumps and manuals in the final, so that helped,” Walker, who raced for the first time in nine months, said.
Saturday was a different story for Curtis as she chased the Oceania crown. She won each of her three motos and boasted the fastest lap – a 48.882 seconds effort – heading into the final.
While Petch and fellow Australian Rachel Jones were alongside Curtis early in the decider, she was strong enough to open up a lead and keep it. Her time of 47.982 handed the talent her first major win of 2017, with Walker relegated to seventh.
“It was good to finally get that win out of the way, I am really hurting now,” Curtis said.
