Stūriška reaches semifinal at BMX World Cup in Chongli; Apels finishes 21st

Latvian riders competed on Sunday in the eighth round of the UCI BMX World Cup, an international bicycle motocross series, held in Chongli, China. The best Latvian result came from Veronika Monika Stūriška in the women's elite class. She cleared the quarterfinal for the first time this season, advanced to the semifinal and placed 14th overall. According to the source, this is her best result in the elite class so far.

Stūriška's races

Coached by Ģirts Kātiņš and riding for Silvas ziķeri/Smiltene BJSS, Stūriška began her day with fourth place, which sent her straight to the quarterfinal. There she started from lane eight and finished fourth, earning a semifinal spot. In the semifinal she started from lane seven, dropped to seventh after the first turn and held that position to the finish. Laura Smulders won the final.

Vineta Pētersone finished fifth in her quarterfinal and ended the event in 19th place. Until this round, no Latvian woman had got past the quarterfinal in the elite class this year.

Men's elite

Kristers Apels, coached by Edžus Treimanis and representing RRS/BMX Rīga, was third in his first-round heat. In the eighth-final he was the only Latvian to reach the top four, finishing third. In the quarterfinal he came sixth, passing Australian Michael Bias, and ended up 21st overall. Swiss rider Cédric Butti won the final. Jaymio Brink, the men's elite overall leader, had an unexpected setback and finished 28th.

Noa Rafaels Laake finished 50th and Edgars Langmanis 37th. Kārlis Pedraudzis, Dāvis Jānis Elbrets and Mārtiņš Emīls Treimanis failed to advance from the last-chance heat to the eighth-finals.

The World Cup season concludes with two rounds on 31 October and 1 November at the Sarasota track in the United States.