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BMX Racing

Smulders Claims 30th BMX World Cup Win in Mentougou

Laura Smulders claimed her 30th UCI BMX Racing World Cup win in Mentougou, China, beating reigning world champion Bethany Shriever in the elite women's final at round five.

ICNX Editors Reviewed by editor7 Oct 20267 October 2026

Smulders Claims 30th BMX World Cup Win in Mentougou

Photo: Photo: FatboySlimBiBi / Pixabay · Pixabay License

Laura Smulders rode to her 30th UCI BMX Racing World Cup victory in Mentougou, China, winning the elite women's final at round five ahead of reigning world champion Bethany Shriever.

A new stage, a familiar result

The race marked the World Cup's first visit to China, with two rounds staged at the National BMX Sports Base in western Beijing. Strong winds forecast for Sunday forced organisers to bring the entire programme forward by a day, compressing the action into Friday and Saturday.

She seized it with authority, beating Shriever and Australian Sienna Pal to the line.

Ten titles, one first

The win built on Smulders' 29th victory earlier that same season in Papendal.

The moment was fleeting. The following day, Zoé Claessens struck back to win round six, with Smulders third and Shriever fourth. The turnaround underlined how fiercely contested the Mentougou weekend was.

The Mentougou district is investing in cycling infrastructure, and its new venue will host the UCI Pump Track World Championships later this month.

The World Cup now moves north to Chongli for rounds seven and eight, before concluding in Sarasota at the end of October.

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