MTN BMX rider Sifiso “Skizo” Nhlapo takes the series lead in the European BMX Championships and starts to set records with 4 straight Final Wins………

Rounds 5 & 6 of the BMX European Championships kicked of this weekend in Creazzo, Italy. Large grand stands lined the technical bmx track with a whole lot of cheering bmx fans filling every seat and possible spot for a spectator to stand.

The weather was hot and sunny for Round 5 with a strong wind up the second straight making a very technical track which caught a lot of riders off guard this weekend even harder to race and making each moto more important to get through. Fellow South African Dean Holdstock joining Sifiso for the last four rounds said, “after rounds 3 & 4 I thought this weekend was going to be better, arriving at this track I knew I had a large task ahead of me as it was really technical. I just managed moto’s again this weekend but the experience is coming and hopefully shortly I will join Skizo in a final.”

Going into Round 5 Sifiso “Skizo” Nhlapo was 16 points behind the Netherland rider Van der Biezen as was hoping to take the championship lead by the end of the weekend after Round 6. Saturday could not have turned out any better for the MTN Bmx rider winning every moto, the quarters, semi and then the final with dominating rides. With Van der Biezen not making the final and Skizo winning this put him in the overall title lead after the fith round.

An elated Skizo commented, “the track is very very technical and has been catching everyone that is not 100% percent focused. Today seemed to be one of those perfect days where I just nailed every lap, I have been watching a lot of  the AMA MX Supercross and Stewart season started like mine crashing in the first round and then going onto to win the title. That has motivated me and Im glad to be leading the championship now.”

Round 5 Elite Men Results:

Sunday brought back the massive crowds, good sunny hot weather and with that the stage was set for exciting race during Round 6 of the European Championships. Skizo new today was going to be tough and had to ride smartly, but not all was going to be as smooth and text book perfect as the previous day. Sifiso started the day with a 2^nd in the first moto and then notched up the pace in the second moto with a first until disaster struck in the third moto. After the pro section Skizo went down and got up quickly to finish in 6^th position, with the good results in the previous two motos he still commenced through to the one eighths which he won just to make sure he was still on top of it. Through the quarters and semi Skizo rode a safe two heats giving him some time to re-charge for the most important lap of the day, the final. Nhlapo was out the blocks and steaming down the first straight to resume the only position that he knows and that’s being out front. With another perfect lap Skizo made it four straight wins in a row and extending his series lead.

a tired Skizo said after the final, “4 straight wins in a row, they have said the only other person to do that was Van den Wildenberg some years back. I just need to keep my head together now and stay focused for the rest of the year.”

When asked about the first round of the Supercross UCI World Cup next weekend in Coppenhagen which will have the top Americans, Olympic and World Champion attending Skizo answered, ”Im not going to lie to you Im pretty tired now as I have raced and been traveling for 4 straight weeks which takes its toll on us. I will give it my best shot there and then have a 2 week break before Rounds 7 & 8 of the Europeans which is my main focus now to win the European Championship. The SX in Coppenhagen is also going to be really tough as there are a lot of the other countries whose federations are already starting their Olympic programs for their juniors and sending a lot of them to the race, and when you younger all you want to do is be out front no matter what it takes, so we might even have some surprises in the final…..I have learnt a lot from last year and hopefully experience will help me out.”

For more info please contact Mark Squire  

Mark Squire

+27 82 445 5551