Rico Bearman: BMX Olympian previews the 2025 BMX New Zealand National Championships

BMX New Zealand and Invercargill BMX Club are proud to host and present the 2025 BMX New Zealand National Championships. New Zealand's premier ranking event for BMX racing, to be held on 23 March 2025. 

Olympian Rico Bearman joined D'Arcy Waldegrave to preview the event.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Seven six on your bike quite literally in the cargoles
where we're going to now. Rico Beerman joins us. The
twenty twenty five bmex NS National champs are on. He
is a favorite, he is an Olympian and areas. Good morning, Rico,
good morning, good morning. Big weekend for you. There's an understatement,

(00:32):
but it's all one day, isn't it. The BMX Nationals
on Sunday And in the cargole, tell us about the
racing itself, tell us about where you're racing, tell us
the format, your number one senior man. Hopefully you'll pick
up the championship. What has to happen for that to happen.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's a New Zealand national titles is, I guess a
pretty prestigious thing to win, like you want to be
the best in your country and it's not the main
focus of the year, but it's a while I'm home,
I might as we do it. And we've got three
races on Sunday and it's a points system. Normally we'll
have a dead man final where win it takes all
on final. But since we've got low numbers, it's points

(01:09):
over race, and it's points from three races, and person
at the end of the three motors that have the
lowest points takes the title and pretty straightforward.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Was that maybe a fairer way to get it done?

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Do you think? Oh? I mean, like with this amount
of riders, I think it's a good way to do it.
But obviously when we're on the world stage, it's the
way they run it is three well one moto, you
make it through to pretty much the quarter final and
then the semi final, which those they take four people
from each race, and then you've got a straight final
and it's eight people on the gate and when it

(01:43):
takes all which is I guess less fair, But I
think it's the best way to do it.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
It's more brutal, isn't it. It's performed right here, right now.
Otherwise it's good night, nurse. They must be absolutely scary
coming into the first corner with that over your head.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, no mistakes. Otherwise it's a game over.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
And so you see your back. What brings you back
to New Zealand? Where have you been? What have you
been doing?

Speaker 3 (02:04):
All?

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Right?

Speaker 3 (02:05):
For an America team so normally based out of America
and doing the American circuit and the World Cup stuff.
But I've been home since started December and I go
this Monday back over to America. So I planned my
trip back over around this weekend. And I don't know,
I love coming home and racing and racing in front

(02:26):
of you know, your home fans that don't get to
see you very often. So it's pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
So as far as we you're traveling, you gun because
you're an Olympian, you've been winning metals, done super well overseas.
You're still under twenty three, aren't you? Or do you
actually run seniors now that you've got you're so accomplished.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Well, I guess like the elite category seniors is the
main goal and racing under twenty three is almost just
a stepping stone. So I could race under twenty three
again this year, being twenty one, but I thought I
was ready for the jump, which I guess I was.
And yeah, I prefer to be an elite racing with
the big boys and China can make a name for

(03:07):
myself up there than racing the under twenty three class.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, well, you don't want to beat down on people
that you're superior to you kind of really what they
say about that, if you've got a choice of going
to two rooms, go to the room where you're the stupidest,
because you're going to improve a lot more. And I
suppose this comes down to that, doesn't It was the
track when you got then started racing at that level.
Was there any big difference between under twenty three.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
And the scenes, Yeah, huge difference racing under twenty three
is I don't know, you have maybe three people for
five people that are actually up to your speed, and
you move up to elite and you've all of a
sudden got forty people that are just as fast, and
you've got a solid fifteen people that are faster or
you know, changes. But the depth in the field is

(03:50):
so much higher and the level is so much higher
and elite than under twenty three.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Are they a lot more aggressive?

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, way more aggressive? You know, like they're not they're
racing to pay their rent. Now it's not they're not
racing to just be there. They're racing to make a living.
And yeah, it's a lot different.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Do you belong?

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah, I got six at the Elite World Champs last year,
so that was my first year racing it and managed
to get in the finals. So it was a pretty
core achievement to do it first year elite.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
It's going to be a massive day at the in
the Cargo BMX Club the national champs for BMX in
z and before we go Heidelberg in the cargo, what
can you tell us about the track, the club itself.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
They've got an amazing little club here. I met the
team that have made it all happen and they're all
stoked to have this event and have this many people
come down for it. Just going off locks. That looks
real good and I'm excited.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Get in there and own it. And you be that
guy that the Grommets look up to, super super important.
Rico Bearman as always great to catch up, great to chat.
Go well over the weekend and when you go overseas
you get a monk'st mate, get your elbows out and
get busy.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Preciate you as well. We go Bam and thanks for
joining us. Big day And in Vigiggle, I hope people
in Vicago don't find that insulting that I say in Vigiggle.
It's just an old habit from when I lived in
the anti christ Church, which is even more offensive. Shut up, Darcy.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
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