NEWS » need to win a round-one game.Po

RIO DE JANEIRO -- In the unpredictable sport of BMX cycling, where races last just about 40 seconds, a strong start means a lot.Get to the front after the first turn, and theres a good chance a rider will be able to avoid the kind of wreck-filled chaos that marked the action in the mens quarterfinal round at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on a breezy afternoon.Its always the key, Australias Sam Willoughby said, but especially ... when its windy like this and theres carnage out there.An early lead will come in handy for riders in the mens and womens semifinals beginning Friday afternoon, with the medal races later in the day.Willoughby is on a roll headed into the semis after winning all three of his heats in the quarters on Thursday . Australian teammate Anthony Dean also had a strong quarterfinal round, while the United States and the Netherlands each sent all three of their cyclists into the mens semis.We dont have lanes and its a full-contact sport, so the start is very important, Willoughby, the 2012 silver medalist, said this week. To get out front at the first corner, you can run your own race from there and create your own destiny a bit.Its tough enough just to have a chance to lead the pack after the first turn.The action begins with cyclists released from a starting gate at the top of a ramp three stories tall. They pedal furiously down the ramp and pick up speed to jump hills and maneuver through turns on the roughly quarter mile-long course.U.S. rider Alise Post said she thinks riders reach a speed of 35 to 40 mph just a few seconds into the race. Theres no suspension on the bikes, either.Its very demanding for sure, Post said.The series of jumps after the starting ramp leads into the wide first turn. Inside position is important. Stay out in front and there is a greater likelihood that a rider wont get caught up in the pack of cyclists desperately trying to catch up.And this all might happen in a span of 10 seconds, maybe less.The alternative is to scramble from behind, which isnt uncommon, though less desirable.A contenders day can end in a hurry. In the quarterfinals on Thursday, two-time gold medalist Maris Strombergs barely missed the cut after getting set back from a crash in his first heat that also involved Britains Liam Phillips. Joris Daudet of France, the reigning world champion, also got knocked out after crashing.Theres still 800 feet of track that you cant mess up on ... because seven guys will pass you, no problem, U.S. rider Nic Long said. Its never easy. 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Western Sydney coach Tony Popovic hopes the spectacle of Saturdays potentially record-breaking A-League derby will drive the Wanderers to a first-ever round-one win.In four seasons since their inception, the leagues youngest club have never finished their opening fixture as victors.In fact, theyve never won in the second round either, and only once triumphed in the third.Slow starts are not historically an issue for the Wanderers - they have contested every grand final apart from the ill-fated campaign of 2014/15.But pride is also on the line against a potent-looking Sydney FC who, despite their anaemic results last season, have not been defeated by their bitter cross-town rivals in more than two and a half years.At least 60,000 spectators are expected at ANZ Stadium, which would smash the A-League attendance record of 55,436 set in the 2006/07 grand final between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United.Popovic was optimistic that factor might fuel a result that breaks more than one drought.It would be very nice to win a Sydney derby, he told AAP.It would also be nice to win a round-one game - weve never done that before.It will be different and exciting at Homebush with an amazing crowd.I think well still be slow starters in terms of performance, but wed like to get some more resultss early on as were evolving and getting better.ddddddddddddMaybe the derby is the trigger we need to win a round-one game.Popovic expected his new-look squad would again ease into the season, with the long-term aim of challenging for an elusive championship most recently denied by the Reds.He insisted Mays grand-final defeat had left no psychological hangover, perceiving it as a positive, just another of many motivators for a side having undergone yet another off-season overhaul.But the latest batch of signings, including returned striker Kerem Bulut, Argentine playmaker Nicolas Martinez and Japanese forward Jumpei Kusukami, will meet the Sky Blues without their captain.Nikolai Topor-Stanley will serve a suspension copped in last months 4-1 FFA Cup quarter-final shellacking by Melbourne City.Popovic, who has a stack of central defensive options ready to stand in, said his new faces would be better prepared after the disconcerting loss.That was a very good chance for us to give some of the new players an idea of what the A-League is, against a good opponent at a nice stadium, he said.It was a good measuring stick for those players to release where its at. 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