New Zealand's BMX Racing squad wrapped up a successful weekend at Rounds 3 and 4 of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Papendal, highlighted by a podium finish from Lily Greenough and another semi-final appearance from Elite Men rider Rico Bearman.

Greenough bounced back in style after being caught up in an incident during the Round 3 final, racing her way onto the podium in the Women Under 23 competition. The Cambridge rider finished second in the final behind Dutch rider Renske van Santvoort to claim her first podium of the Papendal double-header.

The result moves Greenough up to sixth in the overall World Cup standings after four rounds and keeps her firmly in contention as the European campaign continues.

Brooke Penny again showed consistency in the Women Under 23 category, progressing through to the semi-finals and finishing 15th overall.

In Elite Men, Rico Bearman continued his impressive run of form, advancing through to the semi-finals for the second consecutive day. Bearman finished 10th overall, narrowly missing a place in the final and collecting valuable World Cup points.

Michael Bias produced one of his strongest performances of the season, progressing through to the quarter-finals to finish 25th overall in the Elite Men's competition.

Leila Walker also reached the semi-finals in Elite Women, finishing 15th overall, while Megan Williams progressed to the quarter-finals and finished 19th.

In the Men Under 23 category, Jack Greenough advanced to the quarter-finals to finish 27th overall, while Finn Cogan reached the Round of 16 and finished 38th. Jesse Green progressed through the opening rounds before concluding his day in the Round of 16.

Round 4 New Zealand Results

• Lily Greenough – 2nd, Women Under 23

• Rico Bearman – 10th, Elite Men

• Leila Walker – 15th, Elite Women

• Brooke Penny – 15th, Women Under 23

• Megan Williams – 19th, Elite Women

• Michael Bias – 25th, Elite Men

• Jack Greenough – 27th, Men Under 23

• Finn Cogan – 38th, Men Under 23

• Bennett Greenough – 57th, Elite Men

• Jesse Green – 63rd, Men Under 23

The podium finish sees Lily Greenough move to sixth overall in the UCI BMX Racing World Cup Women Under 23 standings after four rounds, while Rico Bearman's consistent performances have lifted him to 15th overall in the Elite Men standings.

With the European leg of the World Cup now complete, attention turns to the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane later this year. The performances in Sarrians and Papendal have shown the New Zealand riders have the speed to challenge deep into the knockout rounds and finals as they prepare for the sport's biggest event.

Following the World Championships, the World Cup series resumes with Rounds 5 and 6 in Mentougou, China. The Chinese rounds will provide a very different challenge to the conditions experienced during the European campaign and offer another opportunity for New Zealand's riders to continue building World Cup points.

For now, however, the focus is firmly on Brisbane, with the New Zealand squad building momentum at exactly the right time. 

Article added: Monday 15 June 2026