Laura Smulders, 27 and counting …
Follow Laura Sumlders on: Instagram | Facebook
Photos: Fifteen BMX | BMX Mania (Abbotsford Podium)
Laura Smulders, 27 and counting …
Follow Laura Sumlders on: Instagram | Facebook
Photos: Fifteen BMX | BMX Mania (Abbotsford Podium)
Laura Smulders first appeared on the UCI World Cup circuit back in 2010 in Copenhagen, and it didn’t go well, ‘huge crash, second moto, on first jump, pretty much supermaned that thing … 2010 was a tough year’, she remembers. Then there was Frejus, the same year … let’s not rehash that! So, we prefer to think of her first appearance on the circuit, aptly, at her home track in Papendal in 2011. That weekend she made the semifinal, a successful home debut by all accounts. The following round in London did not build on her Papendal success, but she’d get redemption in London the very next year at the 2012 Olympic Games. The 2011 series ended in Chula Vista with another semifinal. Laura was just finding her feet.
2012 began with a couple more semifinals, then her first final came at home in Papendal, with an 8th place finish. But then in Abbotsford, Canada, at the very next round, with her Olympic Bronze Medal in hand, the first of her 27 World Cup wins would come. ‘I was already on a high, just loving riding my bike, and enjoying it,’ Laura told us, ‘I thought it was so cool to be in Canada, and because the pressure was kind of gone for everyone, it was such a nice atmosphere at this World Cup, everyone was just having a great time. Felicia Stancil was flying, sooo fast, and she was 16 I think, killing us all… Everyone was a bit surprised by her of course. I was in third in the final, and Felicia made a mistake down the third straight and took Lauren Reynolds, who was in 2nd, with her. I managed to go around them, that’s how I won my first World Cup. Not really expected to win, I was going to be very happy with 3rd, would’ve been my first podium regardless, but winning my first world cup after winning Bronze at the Games definitely felt very good!’
Laura had a solid 2013 on the World Cup circuit, she was now a solid bet to make every final, and even though she made her second World Cup podium she would have to wait until 2014 in Papendal to claim her second win. It was a wet and windy day, not ideal for racing, and Laura just wasn’t feeling it, ‘I started the day with 6th place in the first moto. It was very windy, and mentally I couldn’t deal with it that day, I really, really, struggled,’ she remembers. ‘I barely made it through motos and found a way to get my head calm again in the break after that. After starting the day that poorly, and so stressed, I didn’t expect much from it anymore and just did one lap at a time, see how we go. I made it to the final, was in lane 6, not the most ideal lane to be in normally, but because of the rain, the very inside and outside lanes were very soft. So, when I got up there and saw the ‘favorites’ on those soft lanes, I thought, well, let’s see how we go. I got out good and got to the first turn first, which was a bit of a surprise, after that I know I can be fast enough to stay out front, so that’s what I did, and won my second World Cup, at my home track! That was an incredible feeling!’
Laura hasn’t told us this, but we’re assuming, by her now high expectations, the remainder of 2014 and the first half of 2015 were frustrating for her. There were a few finals, a couple of semifinals but the podium evaded her until Rock Hill at the end of the 2015 season. It was this result, a third, that was the beginning of what would become consistent domination for years to come. Rock Hill was followed by another third in Argentina, a final in Manchester and then her third win back in Papendal in 2016. Then Rock Hill again, Sarasota, Papendal, Zolder … the flood gates were open, and wins started coming and coming and coming … ‘I was 22 in 2016, and I started to feel like I was getting into my groove at the World Cups.’
Laura has gone on to amass an incredible 27 wins on the World Cup circuit since she found her groove. 27! Let that sink in for a moment. No one else is even close. The second rider in this particular table of achievement is fellow Dutchie, Niek Kimmann, with 15 wins on the circuit. On the women’s side, the closest to Laura is BMX legend, Mariana Pajon. She has racked up 13 wins in the series since she first appeared in 2009.
After all those wins did any standout, we wanted to know. ‘I don’t think I have a favorite, they all have a story,’ she told us. ‘Papendal Round 4 2019, after battling and colliding with Alise for the first 3 rounds that year, it felt very, very, good to win that one on home turf and in my rainbow jersey. Coming from behind Alise to pass her on the third straight, to then hear the crowd scream loud for the rest of the lap. In 2022, both Glasgow Rounds, I knew the competition stepped up again this year and didn’t really know how I was doing compared to them, winning both days on possibly the most technical, and favorite track, was such a good feeling. Round 1, winning the final, jumping the triple into the last turn for the very first time in the final, I knew Zoe just did it in the semi, so the pressure was on when she was behind me in that final. Round 2, being behind Beth and chasing her down on the last straight to pass her for the win.’
While winning is special anywhere, winning at home is ‘just a different feeling, having pretty much the whole crowd behind you when you’re winning a final, that’s just very special. And I wish everyone could experience that in their home country.’
While Laura can’t exactly remember how many World Cup podiums she has made, it’s a LOT! ‘I kept my list up to date for a long time but stopped counting at some point. Of course, it’s cool to look at a list and it makes you feel very big, but it’s not that I’m chasing a number. I just really love racing the World Cups and want to do every single weekend. But yeah, I think the number is pretty damn crazy!’ We did the math … and believe, but open to correction, she has made 63 World Cup finals and ended up on the podium in an incredible 43 of those. The 27 wins equate to an almost 43% win rate from World Cups finals made to date, which is an insane statistic, especially in the volatile world of BMX racing at the World Cup level.
Laura’s last World Cup win was back in 2022 in Bogota, Colombia, which in BMX terms feels like a age ago, but she has consistently been in the mix since then. She stood on the podium in New Zealand last year when she finished second in Rotorua, and just missed out on another Olympic medal in Paris when she finished 4th. Laura’s win rate may have slowed, but she is still at the pinnacle of Elite BMX racing, and we think the 28th win is just bubbling beneath the surface waiting to burst free. When we asked her which rounds she is most looking forward to this year, she simply replied, ‘All of them …’ Keep an eye on Laura Smulders … 27 and counting …
