Meyers and Stein to Replace dR and KB at Worlds

After a training accident took Team USA’s funded Elite riders Kyle Bennett and reigning Elite World Champion, Donny Robinson out of action for this year’s UCI BMX World Championships, the community has been on pins and needles as to who would be named to the squad to replace the two Olympians on the trip to Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, later this month

BMX News has just learned that Josh Meyers and Denzel Stein have gotten the nod from USA Cycling BMX Program director Mike King.

“While we’re sad Donny and Kyle won’t be able to participate in the event, we are excited to be able to offer two top young talents the opportunity to gain experience on the world’s highest stage,” King said in the official statement released by USAC late this afternoon.

Some big pressure on these guys, as Team USA is counting on them to bring home a podium finish (or two). The World Championships has the highest UCI points up for grabs, save for the Olympic Games themselves. With all three events remaining between now and 2012, some early podium wins would bode well for Team USA to take the maximum number of entry slots in the London games. In the most recent high-points showdown, the Class Three North American Continental Championship in Salt lake City, UT, earlier this month, the United States did not take any of the three podium slots in the Elite Men’s class, with those honors going to Maris Strombergs (Latvia), Sam Willoughby (Australia) and Khalen Young (Australia).

The Final Jr. Elite/Elite USA Team for South Africa is:

Junior Women
Brooke Crain (Visalia, CA – Factory Clayborn)
Taylor Wolcott (Roseville, CA – Tangent/Fly)

Junior Men
Connor Fields (Henderson, NV – Free Agent-Rockstar )
Corben Sharrah (Tucson, AZ – Redman Rockstar)

Elite Women
Arielle Martin (Pleasant Grove, UT – Intense-Monster Energy)
Amanda Geving (Largo, FL – MCS Bicycles)
Alise Post (Saint Cloud, MN – Factory Redline)
Ashley Verhagen (Simi Valley, CA – Crupi Bicycles)
Amanda Carr (Punta Gorda, FL – Endeavor/Ripxx)

Elite Men
Denzel Stein (Desoto, TX – Factory Redline)
Joshua Meyers (Treasure Island, FL – Factory S Squared-Troy Lee Designs)
Donny Robinson (Napa, CA – Hyper-Monster Energy – Injured)
Kyle Bennett (Conroe, TX – Free Agent-Rock Star – Injured)

News has also heard rumblings that David Herman grabbed a ticket and a last-minute entry into the race, though not on the official, funded team.

Keep it with BMXNEWS.COM for additional stories from the 2010 UCI BMX World Championships, and breaking news alerts leading up to the big day.

The actual start list for the “Championship” (Elite) classes has not been released yet, but we’ll post it once it is. Meanwhile, give a look to the Challenge Class list, by class