Rio 2016 Blames UCI After Chaotic BMX Test Event -- On the Scene

(ATR) Course issues and bad weather limited the BMX test event, leaving Rio 2016 with plenty to do to prepare a track worthy of the Olympics.

Racing was scheduled on Oct. 3-4 but athletes unanimously refused to race until changes were made to the course. Rio 2016 cancelled races on Oct. 3 and made course alterations. On Sunday, all riders rode on the women's course after the men's course was deemed unsafe to ride without further changes.

Other troubles blighted the BMX test event. Midway through the day racing was halted due to rain, after which it was decided that racing would not resume due to lack of time to prepare the course before sundown. Only one lap of the men’s quarterfinal races and one lap of the women’s semifinal matches were completed.

Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman was quick to lay blame on the International Cycling Federation for not sticking to racing on a course they approved.

"The track was built by a given company and approved by the federation," Nuzman told reporters. "The technical delegate has to know what the international federation approved. It surprised me the technical delegate was weak and not have given the determination of what should be done.

"The course was approved by the international federation, for us our role was finished. We are merely the organizers," he added.

The UCI sent only one technical delegate, Kevin MacCuish, to the event. MacCuish said that even though racing was halted and changes needed, this was normal for BMX."We had a design which is approved and this design was constructed, but as you understand it is not like a basketball court where you can put down wood and measure very precisely how the basketball court is going to behave," MacCuish told reporters.

"The Rio organizing committee has not organized a BMX event at any kind, so finding a correct placement of the responsibility is an ongoing process and also a process to why we do a test event. For the Olympic Games itself we have to get this right.

"We’ve collected a variety of feedback from a variety of teams and a variety of riders and we have to find common elements from the feedback from the riders and then decide what needs to be done."

Athletes said that even with the changes made the course is not Olympic ready, but they were happy organizers listened to their calls to postpone racing.

"When we first rolled up it was dangerous, and some jumps that were dangerous for us we wouldn’t jump and I'm glad they changed it for us," Canadian rider Tory Nyhaug told reporters.

"They need to fix the first turn, it's pretty flat and the jumps for our section are too close to the turn, but I think the jumps they built now are great. It's always difficult to make a track perfect the first time. I think it's good that the organizers worked with us."

Niek Kimmann of the Netherlands, the 2015 BMX world champion, said he doesn’t think the course "is ready for racing," even with the changes, but believes as long as they produce a great track next year the frustrating test event will be worth it.

"Of course it is not a good thing that a lot of riders show up and the track is not completely ready," Kimmann said."We thought for next year they needed some serious changes so we all came together as a group and gave points to the organization so they can change it next year."

Course designer Tom Ritzenthaler said he agreed with "most of the points" suggested by the riders brought up about the course, but felt that athletes were a little quick to call for design changes.

"How are you going to test something without even riding it? I can’t blame them because they haven’t trained in anything like this, but I believe they could have done it in a more professional manner instead of making a big stink about it," he said.

Ritzenthaler stands by his decision to produce a more difficult course than those that feature at the world championships. He says his goal remains to create a unique track for the Olympics.

"Everyone can race the World Cup tracks, but here you are dealing with the top 32 guys and the best 16 women in the world," Ritzenthaler said."We want to build them a track where they can shine."

Despite all of the issues, Rio 2016 executive director of sport Agberto Guimarães said organizers have more than enough information to make the right decisions for next year.

"We have learned lessons, and we need to look at them critically and evaluate everything we have to do for the Games next year so that the track is to the level athletes deserve," Guimarães told reporters.

"We do not need another test event. We will open the track so athletes can train, and we can promote a training camp for a few days. From there we get the information from them and make the necessary adjustments. BMX is not an exact science; we have this excellent track for next year and I bet that the athletes will be very happy," he added.

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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