Canada takes on the World

Competing at the World-level and attending a UCI Worlds on foreign soil is an experience of a lifetime for any BMXer. After their return from Worlds, we picked the brains of three Canadians who’d raced in Zolder, Belgium - to give everyone some insight on what to expect next year when the UCI World Championships return to the USA - in Houston, Texas’ Rockstar Energy Bike Park.

Cid Martinez (Victoria, BC representing her home country Bolivia)

PULL: What was your focus during the qualifying rounds of worlds?

CID: The first straight was bothering me. The steepness and depth of the first jump didn’t allow me to manual aggressively. I decided to jump the first double for the first time on the warm up laps. So qualifying was all fine tuning of that jump.

PULL: Was there anything that kept your drive on point in between the long hot days?

CID: The unbelievable support of Dani (my wife) and the fact I was racing with my brother motivated me throughout the day.

PULL: Tell us what was going through your thoughts each time you gated up during the elimination rounds.

CID: Smooth, be smooth! this track was a true example of “less is more” so I reminded myself not to “try too hard” specially on the third and fourth straights.

PULL: Semi main event: All that was needed was top 4 placing, how were you able to keep you composure when you gated up?

CID: I talk to people to keep my mind away from overthinking.. once on the gate, I pictured a smooth fast first straight and I told myself “do what you know, one more lap”

PULL: It can be even more nerve racking than the final itself, what did you do to prepare for what would ultimately be the deciding factor?

CID: Semis are a lot harder than mains in my opinion. I made sure I was fully hydrated throughout the day, not hungry at all and most importantly, that I had my double shot espresso 20 min before the semi. I felt 120% when I was on the gate.

PULL: Knowing you have made it to quite possibly the final of a lifetime, did you have a different perspective in staging during the finals?