Does your manager (Will Longden) agree?
Will was entered, and rode Saturday practice and he is one rad dude on the track, he looked to me like he was enjoying the track on the corners that I could stay in touch with him!
Si (Paton) seems to have really made leaps forward in terms of race organisation.It was a big event, lots of people came and watched, it was a fair spectacle for the public and for the racers it all went off on time with no delays or problems, so yeah he did well.
How does this national compare to the first one you did?My first national was Llangollen as a first year juvenile, the track was super steep and the uplift was… slow. Things have definitely improved since then, the uplift at Antur was super–efficient.
So all that training has paid off then?Yeah I’ve put in some hard work over the winter, had I not done I would definitely had a different result this weekend. The sprint at the bottom to get back to the finish arena after the jump section was probably where the event was won and lost for many.
Where do you hope to be as a rider in say the next two or three years?Hopefully with enough support I will get to go do some World Cups, that is definitely the plan as it has been a dream of mine since starting riding to compete in World Cups. I am inspired by people like Laurie Greenland and Innes Graham who are amazing riders and have such a great attitude towards their future racing careers
So, do you think our DH national championship series is a good ‘breeding ground’ for nurturing young talent into World Cup standard riders? Or is it down to the rider… in other words, if the rider has the talent then he/she will make the big time anyway?
Without a national championship series the best riders will not get noticed or recognised for the talent they have. Regional race series are great events, they tend to be more relaxed chilled events with good tracks and often impeccable organisation (Pearce Cycles for example), but without competing in a national series it would be difficult to compare riders and highlight the best riders in the UK as they come up the age rankings.
I bloody hate thank you lists. But let’s do it anyway. Thank away Matt.Will Longden and Madison Saracen for spotting me and giving me an amazing opportunity to ride in their Development Team this year, and of course Mum and Dad for karting me round the country and providing everything I needed to get me to this point, and also for your continued help and support, cheers…
But our young pup would be nothing without the help and guidance from his dad Ian and his mum Sarah. Every good pack has a leader. Ian just so happens to be into bikes (and not tinned food).
