U.S. sweeps top podium spots at the 2014 North American Continental BMX Championships

Supercross racing continued at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., on Sunday with the 2014 UCI North American Continental BMX Championships. Americans Connor Fields(Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX), Alise Post (Saint Cloud, Minn./Redline Bicycles) and Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles) doubled up on the wins after their victories at the Elite BMX Nationals the day before. Sean Gaian (Santee, Calif./Factory GT Bicycles) topped the junior elite men’s event.

Junior Elite Men’s Race

Paired together in all three of their motos, Gaian finished second to yesterday’s junior elite men’s national champion Collin Hudson (Longmont, Colo./Redline Bicycles) each time. But in the main it was Gaian who won when it most counted. Coming from third position, he made his move on the inside of Hudson on the final turn. The 2013 junior supercross world champ accelerated to the line to take the win. Hudson followed, with Alden Volle (Penryn, Calif./Dan’s Comp) riding to third.

Women’s Races

The elite women’s motos saw Post, Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa, IL/Factory GT Bicycles) and Dani George (Palmdale, Calif./SupercrossBMX.com) each win two of their three heats. In the main, the first turn proved to be the decisive spot on the track. Post led the pack out of the gate, with Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro Bicycles) battling Stancil for the second spot. Crain took the edge coming into the second straight, and followed Post to the line.

Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles) finished fifth among the elite women, but topped Mexico’s Jhoanna Hernandez in the junior elite women’s competition.

Elite Men’s Race

Fields, the newly-minted elite men’s national champ, won all three of his motos to advance to the semifinals. Also looking tough to beat early on was Canadian Tory Nyhaug (Coquitlam, BC, Canada/Redline Bicycles), who won each of his motos, as well. The two riders then topped their respective semis to head to the finals.

Unlike in yesterday’s nationals main, Fields didn’t have to come from behind for his win. He took the lead down the first straight and held it through the finish line. Jared Garcia (Victorville, Calif./SupercrossBMX.com) slotted himself in the second spot behind Fields around the first turn and was able to hold off Nyhaug to secure the runner-up position, with Nyhaug taking third.

Supercross racing will pick up again in a few weeks, when riders will contest the first UCI Supercross World Cup of the season April 18-19 in Manchester, England.

For more news, photo galleries and results from this weekend’s racing, visit the 2014 USA Cycling Elite BMX National Championships page.

2014 UCI North American Continental BMX Championships
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Chula Vista, California

FULL RESULTS [PDF] │ PHOTO GALLERY

Elite Men
1. Connor Fields (Henderson, Nev./Chase BMX)
2. Jared Garcia (Victorville, Calif./SupercrossBMX.com)
3. Tory Nyhaug (Coquitlam, BC, Canada/Redline Bicycles)

Elite Women
1. Alise Post (Saint Cloud, Minn./Redline Bicycles)
2. Brooke Crain (Visalia, Calif./Haro Bicycles)
3. Felicia Stancil (Lake Villa, IL/Factory GT Bicycles)

Junior Elite Men
1. Sean Gaian (Santee, Calif./Factory GT Bicycles)
2. Collin Hudson (Longmont, Colo./Redline Bicycles)
3. Alden Volle (Penryn, Calif./Dan’s Comp)

Junior Elite Women
1. Shealen Reno (Plano, Texas/Hyper Bicycles)
2. Jhoanna Hernandez (Mexico)