Yeah mixed riding, a lot of BMX in the winter, I feel that it helps me with DH endlessly. And also a fair amount of gym work, only body weight stuff though, all the gym work is now aided by the great trainer Andy Wadsworth.
23 Degrees, Martin Whiteley management, how did that come about? And a nice bit of winter sun in Granada on the cards?That all came about by getting some good results and some good words being put in. Ha ha maybe, we will pop up in the winter.
What are your thoughts on Taylor’s (Vernon) year?Taylor is a rad lad who wants to do well. It’s easy to form opinions with hindsight but at the end of the day if you know you can win you’re not going to just sit back and let it go are you? With a bit of bad luck with punctures and stuff maybe there was a little added pressure to get a good result, but we all put pressure on ourselves to improve and that’s a part of stepping up to World Cup level.
Have you chatted to him about it?Yeah, he’s a good mate of mine and he told me we had almost identical results from our last Youth years, so I will learn what I can from his experiences. He’s making good progress so I’m looking forward to riding and racing with him again.
What riders, locations, events inspire you?The riders that have inspired me the most are Steve Peat, Sam Hill, Aaron Gwin, Troy Brosnan, Loic Bruni and mostly my dad!
It all begins to ramp up in the Juniors? The transition into Elite.Yeah it does, I will try to find my feet and get some good results. A big goal of mine is to be selected for the World Champs in Norway next year, and for the step up to elite that’s a couple of years away, but I know it’s what I want to do and I will do what I can to make it happen for sure.
What about bikes for 2014? How important is the bike to you?The bike means a lot to me, mainly the sizing and geometry, my dad always made sure I had the right size bike from day one and I know that helped me a hell of a lot.
Do you believe a bike has an effect on the result of a race?Yeah for sure it does, if you don’t feel comfortable you don’t feel confident and that’s pretty much the core of what you need to be successful.
What are your thoughts on Aaron Gwin?Aaron Gwin is a legend. Dominating like that is no fluke and you have to respect him for it. Maybe a bike, rider and set–up meet every now and then and form the ultimate combo!
What were your thoughts on the World Championships in South Africa?I think it’s not the way DH should go, but also mixing it up a bit allows for different winners which is always exiting, also I haven’t actually been there so I can’t judge too much.
What would be the style tracks in your ultimate World Cup series?Fast and rough tracks with a good amount of technical sections and some big jumps, also the places with a great atmosphere like Fort William.
Do you have a strategy at races?Yeah, well just a bit, I like to make sure I am fully prepared for a race run and have a good warm up with a bit of joking around at the top, that normally sets me up nicely.
The shoot with Greenland had gone extremely well, he’d hit every line bang on target. I can only remember Cedric Gracia being so quick to tune and turn on to the job in hand. It’s going to be an interesting year for him, after all he fills some big boots especially as UK riders have had such a successful season in the new Junior World Cup. He’s committed and has great style and awareness on a bicycle.
