Latvian BMX riders Kristers Apels and Vineta Pētersone secured the highest finishes among their compatriots at the UCI BMX World Cup seventh round in Chunli, China, navigating heavy winds and a technical track that challenged the international field, according to local sports reports. Apels placed 24th in the men’s elite division, while Pētersone took 23rd in the women’s elite category as eight Latvian athletes competed.
Wind and Technical Demands Shape Chunli Track Conditions
The Chunli venue presented a specific physical challenge that required extended adaptation time from the entire international start list. Organizers carried out track improvement work during the training week ahead of the competition. Race morning brought strong winds across the venue, though competition proceeded according to the scheduled timeline.
The men’s elite bracket drew 82 competitors representing 23 nations, featuring six riders from Latvia. Edgars Langmanis and Kārlis Pedraudzis advanced straight through the opening round by finishing fourth and third in their respective heats. Apels and Langmanis punched their tickets to the eighth-finals after securing a double victory in the last-chance qualifier, while Noa Rafaels Laake also won his last-chance heat. Dāvis Jānis Elbrets saw his day end in the preliminary phase.
Eighth-Final Clashes and Quarterfinal Crashes in Men’s Elite
In the eighth-finals, Apels and Langmanis met directly in the same heat. Apels claimed victory in that race, whereas Langmanis finished fifth following a tight battle with Colombian rider Alejandro Gustin, missing out on the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Kārlis Pedraudzis and Mārtiņš Emīls Treimanis finished sixth and seventh in their heat, ending their advancement. Laake exited the competition after a crash left him with a DNF.
Apels advanced to the quarterfinals to face a heat stacked with five French riders alongside competitors from the Netherlands and Belgium, including World Cup standings leader Džeimio Brinks and French veteran Joris Daudet. Apels raced competitively off the gate and moved into fourth place along the inside line through the first turn. However, Belgian rider Ruben Gommers crashed directly in front of the Latvian racer. Apels could not avoid the fallen rider and went down himself, crossing the finish line sixth to take 24th overall in the round. Australia’s Joshua Jolly won the men’s final.
Pētersone and Stūriška Navigate the Women’s Elite Bracket
In the women’s elite competition, Veronika Monika Stūriška advanced directly from the opening round by taking third in her heat. Vineta Pētersone opened her day with a fifth-place finish before securing her spot in the next phase as the runner-up in her last-chance qualifier. Pētersone advanced to the quarterfinals to race against women’s elite standings leader Moulija Simsoni, ultimately finishing sixth in the demanding layout to secure 23rd position overall.
Stūriška faced a quarterfinal heat that included Betānija Šrīversa, finishing seventh in the race and 25th overall for the day. During Sunday’s subsequent eighth round at the same Chunli venue, Stūriška achieved a breakthrough by reaching the elite semifinals and placing 14th overall, while Apels improved to 21st in the men’s classification.
The Next Stop on the World Cup Circuit
The international BMX Pasaules kausa calendar moves to the United States for its final two rounds, scheduled to take place at the Sarasota track on October 31 and November 1.
Keep reading
