Being National Champion has become something ever more special to me over the years. As a youngster it meant a lot, then as I got older and racing became my job as well as my hobby, the beauty of being National Champion unfortunately got mixed up into the battle of sponsors’ race jerseys over the Champ’s race jersey at World Cups. Ever complicated scheduling meant that for a couple years I didn’t race it, which I was thoroughly disgruntled about, as I consider myself to be quite patriotic.

Winning meant a great deal to me. It was the first Champs I’d raced for a while and I was determined that I wanted the title. I wanted a good time overall on the day and I wanted what it brought: namely a feeling at the UK races that I am the same as everyone else…you know? It makes me feel a sort of camaraderie with other riders, it gives me a way into their categories. I met Master’s winner Chris Whitfield when he won and now I know him and some of the other guys. It’s nice to just have something in common I guess. Also, in our country we are lucky to have such a strong scene, National Champs is never plain sailing, it really does make you race hard and fast, harder and faster than a national perhaps. Most of all I like being British when I’m racing in other countries and National Champion, the Union Jack on my sleeve at World Cups felt amazing, it calmed me. It made me remember Moelfre in the summer, the race vibe and the sunshine. I thought about the friends who came to watch, my mum and dad were there, friends I ride with, friends with little kids. We took a barbecue up for after the race, the whole weekend was rad and it makes me feel like I am saying to the rest of the world “our country rules, it has the best race scene ever and the races are tough, like us!”