Caroline Buchanan Manchester win

Rio Olympic hopeful Caroline Buchanan has won the second round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, her second consecutive victory for the 2016 series and third on the trot in Manchester, the win coinciding with the naming of the Australian BMX world championships team.

Manchester has become a happy hunting ground for former women’s world champion Buchanan, who capitalised on a costly error from USA national champion Alise Post to deliver on race day, saying that it was tough day but pleasing to win in front of an energetic crowd, including her father who travelled from Australia to be track side.

“It has definitely been a long day, I would have been happy with second but anything can happen in BMX, and as I followed Alise out of the final corner I went to the left of her, then she stumbled and I came through for the win, it was a bit of a Bradbury moment,” Buchanan said.

“Everything really started in the semi finals when I found myself next to (reigning Olympic champion) Mariana Pajon and Alise. We had been the fastest three in the time trial, then we raced the semi and final, so it was like racing two finals. I knew the final would be a tight bar to bar race, then Mariana and world champ Stefany Hernandez both went down and I just hooked onto Alise’s wheel.

“Anything can happen in a split second, the energy in this arena is great and to have my dad, grandma and second cousin here and see me win was great. Now I’ll reset for the next world cup event in the Netherlands, then it will be on to the world champs and before we know it we’ll be in Rio!”

Buchanan’s victory occurs on the same day that Australia announces a strong of contingent of riders selected to represent the nation at the UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin, Colombia from May 25-29.

Australia will field an elite team of 24 riders, headed up by Buchanan and 2012 Olympic silver medallist Sam Willoughby, with both Aussies hoping to use the world championships as an opportunity to cement themselves among the favourites for Rio.

The world championships are the final qualifying event for BMX Olympic selection, with the team for Rio to be announced soon afterwards. Australia is likely to qualify a full compliment of riders for Rio – three men and two women.