Reade crashes into tomorrow's BMX showdown

News courtesy of The Independant

By Paul Newman in Beijing

When Shanaze Reade crashed and recorded the slowest time in her first seeding race in the women's BMX event today it seemed that the 19-year-old from Crewe might struggle to live up to her status as the favourite.

By the time she had finished her second run the twice world champion was looking more like the rider who has taken the sport by storm in recent years. The semi-finals taking place at 2am (BST) tomorrow, followed by the final 90 minutes later.

More on the article here

BMX racing makes its Olympic debut

Shanaze Reade sits on the low saddle of her white Red Line bike, crash helmet slung casually under her arm. "I don't think anybody sees it as a mess-about sport any more," says the 19-year-old, the world's No 1 female BMX rider, as she tidies her extensions into a neat ponytail that will fly out behind her as she races round the track. "It's on TV, I'm in the papers and so are other riders. I think that the Olympics are the best thing that could ever have happened to our sport and its profile."

More here: http://sport.independent.co.uk/olympics/article3301705.ece