19th April 2014 - Some quick updatesSome little nuggets of news that have been happening over the last couple of weeks -
www.trials-king.com/news/cycle-news/-british-trials-cup-round-1-hook-woods 
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6th April 2014
Today was the opening round of the 2014 British trials cup, held at Hook Woods.
It rained overnight and In the morning so conditions were very tough, there was mud everywhere and the rocks were like ice!
The organisers had decided earlier in the year to raise the level of each class and it was very evident.
Like all of the Elite riders i struggled a lot on the first kap, the conditions caught us all out aswell as the length of each section. My riding improved a lot on the second lap and my score was a great deal lower than my first lap, I would still not say it was perfect, there was deffinitely rooom for inprovment, but with the conditions as they were you had to take what you could get as getting a 5 on any section was very easy.
I ended the day in 3rd behind Jack Carthy ( UCI World Elite No.3) and Sam Oliver. This was my goal for the day and I was really happy with the end result
It rained overnight and In the morning so conditions were very tough, there was mud everywhere and the rocks were like ice!
The organisers had decided earlier in the year to raise the level of each class and it was very evident.
Like all of the Elite riders i struggled a lot on the first kap, the conditions caught us all out aswell as the length of each section. My riding improved a lot on the second lap and my score was a great deal lower than my first lap, I would still not say it was perfect, there was deffinitely rooom for inprovment, but with the conditions as they were you had to take what you could get as getting a 5 on any section was very easy.
I ended the day in 3rd behind Jack Carthy ( UCI World Elite No.3) and Sam Oliver. This was my goal for the day and I was really happy with the end result
20th March 2014 - Its been a busy month
March has been a pretty busy month for me, on Sunday the 2nd I went to Hook woods to take part in my first competition of the year, the Crowthorne Pre championship round. It was nice to get my first event done, it was also my first big ride on my new bike, it worked perfectly and I felt good on it all day. The day went well for me, my riding was good and I came away with the win which Is always a nice start! A few pictures of the competition can be found here - /crowthorne-pre-championship-round--march.html
Straight after the event I had to go home, wash my bike and pack my bags as I headed off to Spain the next morning!
Like last year, I was heading to Reinosa near Santander to meet up with Raul Gutierrez ( World biketrial No.5 & 2012 European champion) and Vasek Kolar ( World Biketrial No.2, UCI european No.4 & UCI World no.5) but this time we were training for 2 weeks! The region of Cantabria has so many amazing places to ride, all world level training areas. Over the fortnight we went to 6 different places, yet I know that there are still so many more. On the day I arrived It was....... raining! A massive storm hit the area, luckily however, for the rest of the trip we had bright sunshine!
Riding with these guys Is amazing, as they are both at the top of the sport and both have very different styles so It was great to learn from them as we trained. We all had our own specialty's, strength's and weaknesses so we all gained a lot from riding together.
We rode nearly every day, usually twice, at different locations, but when we did have time off we still filled the days in some interesting ways. On one day we travelled to Alto Campoo, the local ski resort to try Snow scooters! I had never been Skiiing or snowboarding before so it was all new to me however the Snow scooters were so fun to ride, I would recommend having a go!
On 2 other days off we were invited to the local school to take part in some interviews with the english classes. We spoke to different classes, from ages 12-18 and all of the students spoke great English, it was very impressive. We decided not too make a video from this years trip ( we were actually just too busy riding to set up and film!) but we got some great photos from across the two weeks, they can be found in the Gallery here - /spain-trip-march-2014.html
Straight after the event I had to go home, wash my bike and pack my bags as I headed off to Spain the next morning!
Like last year, I was heading to Reinosa near Santander to meet up with Raul Gutierrez ( World biketrial No.5 & 2012 European champion) and Vasek Kolar ( World Biketrial No.2, UCI european No.4 & UCI World no.5) but this time we were training for 2 weeks! The region of Cantabria has so many amazing places to ride, all world level training areas. Over the fortnight we went to 6 different places, yet I know that there are still so many more. On the day I arrived It was....... raining! A massive storm hit the area, luckily however, for the rest of the trip we had bright sunshine!
Riding with these guys Is amazing, as they are both at the top of the sport and both have very different styles so It was great to learn from them as we trained. We all had our own specialty's, strength's and weaknesses so we all gained a lot from riding together.
We rode nearly every day, usually twice, at different locations, but when we did have time off we still filled the days in some interesting ways. On one day we travelled to Alto Campoo, the local ski resort to try Snow scooters! I had never been Skiiing or snowboarding before so it was all new to me however the Snow scooters were so fun to ride, I would recommend having a go!
On 2 other days off we were invited to the local school to take part in some interviews with the english classes. We spoke to different classes, from ages 12-18 and all of the students spoke great English, it was very impressive. We decided not too make a video from this years trip ( we were actually just too busy riding to set up and film!) but we got some great photos from across the two weeks, they can be found in the Gallery here - /spain-trip-march-2014.html
28th February 2014 - Having a Blast!
A couple of weeks ago I picked up my new bike from 54sport.co.uk. I will be riding the new Inpulse Blast, the latest model from the Inpulse Brand. This bike is quite different in terms of geometry compared to my last few bikes, so I have had to spend time getting used to it, adjusting the set up to get it feeling right, I am not 100% gelled wit hit yet, however change is always good and I'm sure the geo tweaks will help me, as will the improved weight ( Frame is just under 1kg lighter than my previous one!) Pictures of the new bike are below!
I am looking forward to getting the season kicked off this weekend at the crowthorne pre championship at Hook woods, following that, I will be flying out to Spain on Monday to meet up with Raul Gutierrez and Vasek Kolar from 2 weeks of amazing training! Really looking forward to this, we made a similar 10 day trip happen last year and it was brilliant, lots of fun and valuable training for the year. Check out Vasha's great video from last year -
I am looking forward to getting the season kicked off this weekend at the crowthorne pre championship at Hook woods, following that, I will be flying out to Spain on Monday to meet up with Raul Gutierrez and Vasek Kolar from 2 weeks of amazing training! Really looking forward to this, we made a similar 10 day trip happen last year and it was brilliant, lots of fun and valuable training for the year. Check out Vasha's great video from last year -
8th February 2014
I've had a few technical difficulties with my computer recently so all of my recent updates have been delayed, but here is the first one - I will be riding for KENNY RACING EQUIPMENT In 2014!
Kenny are makers of high quality MX, Moto trial and MTB Kit. They currently sponsor such riders and Dakar star Cyril Despres, French Downhill legend Cedric Gracia and FMX rider Remi Bizouard, I am very proud to be joining such a great team.
I am currently using clothing and equipment from their 'Performance' and 'UP' MTB ranges as well products from their Motorcycle trial and casual wear ranges.
Please visit www.kenny-racing.com to find out more about them and view their awesome products!
A couple of weeks ago Baselayer sent me some new products for 2014. They sent over the latest version of 2XU'S Baselayer compression tights, I used these throughout 2013 and was very impressed with the quality and the durability of them as well as the obvious performance benefits I found when using them - Personally I found them great when using them during and after a long days riding/competition.They also sent me the 2XU PWX Perform active short sleeve compression Tee. This is something I have been looking for a while and am really looking forward to using it, especially during long summer rides and during hard gym sessions.
"The use of the 2XU® trademark graduated compression fabrication with the unique "Circular Knit" weave ensures the even compression is achieved from the torso through the biceps to maximise venous return. Ideal for extreme gym workouts with high arm usage.Removal of Lactic Acid build up and a reduction is DOMS syndrome (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) from athletic endurance, is as always, a key feature of the 2XU® Performance Compression"
Big thank you to Phil@baselayer for sorting these out for me!
Baselayer have a huge range of products for all sports and the staff are all very knowledgable and helpfull, give them a try at www.baselayer.co.uk
Kenny are makers of high quality MX, Moto trial and MTB Kit. They currently sponsor such riders and Dakar star Cyril Despres, French Downhill legend Cedric Gracia and FMX rider Remi Bizouard, I am very proud to be joining such a great team.
I am currently using clothing and equipment from their 'Performance' and 'UP' MTB ranges as well products from their Motorcycle trial and casual wear ranges.
Please visit www.kenny-racing.com to find out more about them and view their awesome products!
A couple of weeks ago Baselayer sent me some new products for 2014. They sent over the latest version of 2XU'S Baselayer compression tights, I used these throughout 2013 and was very impressed with the quality and the durability of them as well as the obvious performance benefits I found when using them - Personally I found them great when using them during and after a long days riding/competition.They also sent me the 2XU PWX Perform active short sleeve compression Tee. This is something I have been looking for a while and am really looking forward to using it, especially during long summer rides and during hard gym sessions.
"The use of the 2XU® trademark graduated compression fabrication with the unique "Circular Knit" weave ensures the even compression is achieved from the torso through the biceps to maximise venous return. Ideal for extreme gym workouts with high arm usage.Removal of Lactic Acid build up and a reduction is DOMS syndrome (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) from athletic endurance, is as always, a key feature of the 2XU® Performance Compression"
Big thank you to Phil@baselayer for sorting these out for me!
Baselayer have a huge range of products for all sports and the staff are all very knowledgable and helpfull, give them a try at www.baselayer.co.uk
7th January 2014
Yesterday I traveled Into central London to Visit the Google/YouTube UK headquarters. I was there to take part in a video shoot and interview for one of my sponsors Bio Synergy, who are launching their new Youtube channel soon.
It was great to visit and film in the Youtube studios, its a really interesting place. Whilst there I had a really nice interview, talking about my career In trials and we also filmed some trials moves on a super slow mo camera,very cool!
Keep an eye out on the Bio synergy website for news of the video and other great things Bio have going on in 2014!
It was great to visit and film in the Youtube studios, its a really interesting place. Whilst there I had a really nice interview, talking about my career In trials and we also filmed some trials moves on a super slow mo camera,very cool!
Keep an eye out on the Bio synergy website for news of the video and other great things Bio have going on in 2014!
2nd January 2014 -Hello 2014!
Happy new year everyone! I hope Christmas and new year went well and it didn't interrupt peoples training too much ( I only put on about 2 stone!)
As its the new year I just wanted to do my thanks you's for 2013. As usual so many people have helped me out through the year and It has been a great year, with some memorable events and trips.
First of all, I would like to thank all of my awesome loyal sponsors who are all amazing! I am grateful for all of the support they give me and the help they pass along to me.
Buff
Plain Lazy
Bio Synergy
Natural Hero
TSG
TNN
Factory Pink
Baselayer
Green Oil
KentSport
Marsh Academy Leisure Centre
Next I would like to say all the people who have helped me with travelling to events, training trips, invited me on rides, helped at competitions, without you guys I would be nowhere! Robin,Adam and Gill Morewood, The roll's family, Andrei Burton, Raul Gutierrez, Vasha Kolar, Simon Whitby, Nick manning, Joe Maher and anyone else ( I have a very poor memory) Thank you! Ofcourse last but not least, Mr Vaughan Wilson and Mrs Beverly Wilson aka mum and dad :)
2014 is already Looking good and I have some big announcements coming soon :)
As its the new year I just wanted to do my thanks you's for 2013. As usual so many people have helped me out through the year and It has been a great year, with some memorable events and trips.
First of all, I would like to thank all of my awesome loyal sponsors who are all amazing! I am grateful for all of the support they give me and the help they pass along to me.
Buff
Plain Lazy
Bio Synergy
Natural Hero
TSG
TNN
Factory Pink
Baselayer
Green Oil
KentSport
Marsh Academy Leisure Centre
Next I would like to say all the people who have helped me with travelling to events, training trips, invited me on rides, helped at competitions, without you guys I would be nowhere! Robin,Adam and Gill Morewood, The roll's family, Andrei Burton, Raul Gutierrez, Vasha Kolar, Simon Whitby, Nick manning, Joe Maher and anyone else ( I have a very poor memory) Thank you! Ofcourse last but not least, Mr Vaughan Wilson and Mrs Beverly Wilson aka mum and dad :)
2014 is already Looking good and I have some big announcements coming soon :)
12th November 2013
It was my final event of the season at the weekend, the end of year Crowthorne club Fun trial.
hThis was a one off, end of year 'party' - a nice trial with a BBQ and the 2013 championship awards to be handed out.
The competition itself was good, it was a very cold, rainy morning meaning the sections were slippery and tricky all day. However they were laid out very well and really fun to ride, everyone had a top days riding!
At the end of the competition I was able to collect my 2013 Club champion's trophy. Very proud of this and would like to say a massive thank you the Crowthorne Cycle trials club for all of their hard work in 2013
www.crowthorne-ct.co.uk
hThis was a one off, end of year 'party' - a nice trial with a BBQ and the 2013 championship awards to be handed out.
The competition itself was good, it was a very cold, rainy morning meaning the sections were slippery and tricky all day. However they were laid out very well and really fun to ride, everyone had a top days riding!
At the end of the competition I was able to collect my 2013 Club champion's trophy. Very proud of this and would like to say a massive thank you the Crowthorne Cycle trials club for all of their hard work in 2013
www.crowthorne-ct.co.uk
27th October 2013 -
Last night I made a quick little video, It’s been about 2 years since I made a video an I want to start making more again next year, so just wanted to get my editing program set up, see if I could remember how to use it and just make sure I could get video onto my computer, into the editing software and onto the web without too many problems......... There were a few hitches and things aren't perfect but they are working.
I had 1 or 2 clips from my camera and the rest were taken by my dad when he was testing the camera out on his new Windows Tablet, No real decent lines or big moves, just general easy moves, warm up/end of day stuff. All filmed at Wellington rocks, Tunbridge wells.
Made in 25 min, between Tv and Simpsons tapped out :)
I had 1 or 2 clips from my camera and the rest were taken by my dad when he was testing the camera out on his new Windows Tablet, No real decent lines or big moves, just general easy moves, warm up/end of day stuff. All filmed at Wellington rocks, Tunbridge wells.
Made in 25 min, between Tv and Simpsons tapped out :)
I had a great delivery from my new sponsors TNN this week - A nice big batch of TNN Green and Black pads! I've already been using the LGM/Green's this year and love them, I'm really looking forward to testing out the Black pads in 2014 - Thank you TNN! -www.tnnbikes.com
10th October 2013 - NEW SPONSOR! TNN BIKES!
I am very pleased to announce that I am now sponsored by TNN bikes!
TNN are makers of great trials accessories and parts and are most well known for making the best brake pads around!
I have been using the TNN LGM/Green pads for the last 2 years and absolutely love them! They are the best brake pads I have ever used, they are able to handle all conditions and work at 100% on both harsh and worn grinds. In addition to the LGM/Green pads, I am also being sent over the new ADM/ Black pads, heard some really nice reviews of these, cant wait to test them out!
I am really looking forward to working with TNN in the future and seeing what other great ideas they come up with in 2014
Thank you TNN!
Check out the entire TNN range at www.tnnbikes.com
TNN are makers of great trials accessories and parts and are most well known for making the best brake pads around!
I have been using the TNN LGM/Green pads for the last 2 years and absolutely love them! They are the best brake pads I have ever used, they are able to handle all conditions and work at 100% on both harsh and worn grinds. In addition to the LGM/Green pads, I am also being sent over the new ADM/ Black pads, heard some really nice reviews of these, cant wait to test them out!
I am really looking forward to working with TNN in the future and seeing what other great ideas they come up with in 2014
Thank you TNN!
Check out the entire TNN range at www.tnnbikes.com
30th September 2013 - UCI Trials world cup Antwerp
My final international trip of the year was to Antwerp, Belgium for the final round of the UCI trials world cup. Events in Belgium never seem like a 'foreign' trip to me, as It is usually quicker for me to get to a competition in Belgium than it is to get to a round of the British cup (Being 45min from Dover has its perks sometimes!)
I traveled out to Antwerp with Andrei Burton, current European No.4 and world No.6 and on our way we stopped at Aalter and did a few hours training with Wesley and Kenny Belaey (9x World champion) at the great trials park in town - Cool day!
The world Cup qualification was held on Friday morning an the sections were looking great, a good mixture of obstacles and techniques needed. This was my only world cup of the season so I did not go there chasing a result and it would have no affect on any rankings at all, so i just enjoyed the day with no pressure. I made a sloppy start to my first lap but the second half of it went well as did my second lap. I was riding well and had some great rides. Overall I finished 34th out of 54, with the semi finals being made up of the top 25. I have been able to pick out the exact moments that cost me a semi final place, 3 5's which should have been 0&1's. In such a competitive event you cant afford mistakes like that. The rest of my riding went pretty much spot on, so I cant complain and am really happy with how it went - Roll on 2014!
I traveled out to Antwerp with Andrei Burton, current European No.4 and world No.6 and on our way we stopped at Aalter and did a few hours training with Wesley and Kenny Belaey (9x World champion) at the great trials park in town - Cool day!
The world Cup qualification was held on Friday morning an the sections were looking great, a good mixture of obstacles and techniques needed. This was my only world cup of the season so I did not go there chasing a result and it would have no affect on any rankings at all, so i just enjoyed the day with no pressure. I made a sloppy start to my first lap but the second half of it went well as did my second lap. I was riding well and had some great rides. Overall I finished 34th out of 54, with the semi finals being made up of the top 25. I have been able to pick out the exact moments that cost me a semi final place, 3 5's which should have been 0&1's. In such a competitive event you cant afford mistakes like that. The rest of my riding went pretty much spot on, so I cant complain and am really happy with how it went - Roll on 2014!
5th September 2013 - Whats Been happening
The past couple of weeks have been good for me, keeping me busy. Last weekend I went to Tartydays, a 2 day riding festival held at Radical bikes. As well as lots of riders doing a lot of riding over the 2 days there were competitions held during the day, films shown in the evening and games played later in the night. The rain did slow things down on the Saturday, however most people persevered and just continued to ride and have fun anyway! Following on from Tartydays I headed along to the Verwood rustic fayer with MAD. It was a great Bank holiday Monday event where we had terrific weather ( I even got a little sun burn - In August!). The crowds enjoyed the shows and were very good to us, I also had a small interview on local radio!
Continuing with the keeping busy theme I went straight on from the demo in Verwood to Exmouth to meet up with Si Whitby. After some top Bacon sandwiches on Tuesday morning we headed along to Portsmouth and spent the day riding the city. I had ridden Portsmouth a couple of times before but never really explored it in much detail. It is a great place with a lot of good riding spots, again the Sun was out which made it a perfect day. We rode well into the evening until we couldn't really ride anymore.
All in all it was a very good long weekend!
At the beginning of the month a report about my world championship trip was featured on the Kent sport website which can be found on this link - www.kentsport.org
PLAIN LAZY
My wonderful sponsors PLAIN LAZY have helped me out once again. This week they sent me another care package filled with goodies - T shirts, Shorts and accessories. The Plain Lazy way is definitely the best way to start your day!
Plan Lazy currently have 50% OFF EVERYTHING on their website - GO THERE NOW!! www.plainlazy.com
Continuing with the keeping busy theme I went straight on from the demo in Verwood to Exmouth to meet up with Si Whitby. After some top Bacon sandwiches on Tuesday morning we headed along to Portsmouth and spent the day riding the city. I had ridden Portsmouth a couple of times before but never really explored it in much detail. It is a great place with a lot of good riding spots, again the Sun was out which made it a perfect day. We rode well into the evening until we couldn't really ride anymore.
All in all it was a very good long weekend!
At the beginning of the month a report about my world championship trip was featured on the Kent sport website which can be found on this link - www.kentsport.org
PLAIN LAZY
My wonderful sponsors PLAIN LAZY have helped me out once again. This week they sent me another care package filled with goodies - T shirts, Shorts and accessories. The Plain Lazy way is definitely the best way to start your day!
Plan Lazy currently have 50% OFF EVERYTHING on their website - GO THERE NOW!! www.plainlazy.com
19th August 2013 - Evening ride In Folkestone
On a nice evening last week I headed into Folkestone for a ride, something I haven't done In a while. I was joined by one of my old riding buddys George Shephard and Stacy Leith, It was great to riding all the old spots and reminiscing!
Over the course of the ride Stacey was busy taking a lot of pictures ( A LOT of pictures!) and they have come out great. A really nice mix of pictures which show of the riding, the town and the fun vibe.
Thanks to Stacy for the pics!
Over the course of the ride Stacey was busy taking a lot of pictures ( A LOT of pictures!) and they have come out great. A really nice mix of pictures which show of the riding, the town and the fun vibe.
Thanks to Stacy for the pics!
6th August 2013 - New shoes from GOLA!
I had a great delivery arrive today. Gola very Kindly sent me a pair of their renew mesh shoes. I have been using an older version of these shoes all year for riding and they are the best I have ever used! They have a very grippy, soft sole which I've found work's perfect for both cage and platform pedals. They are incredibly light with a very nice fit - They even fit my massive boats! (I'm a uk size 12.5/13 usually)
As I said I have been using them all year, they have been through snow, rain and 35+heat, been used on mud, logs, granite and sandstone and have not faltered once! They come in at a great price too, you definitely get value for money with these!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to Gola for sending me these, they will be getting a lot of use!
Check out Gola's great range of shoes and other products at www.Gola.co.uk
As I said I have been using them all year, they have been through snow, rain and 35+heat, been used on mud, logs, granite and sandstone and have not faltered once! They come in at a great price too, you definitely get value for money with these!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to Gola for sending me these, they will be getting a lot of use!
Check out Gola's great range of shoes and other products at www.Gola.co.uk
2nd August 2013 - Eastbourne Extreme pictures
While we were at the Eastbourne Extreme festival, we were lucky enough to have Lee Bateman from Newbate Photography (www.newbate.co.uk) step into our arena for the weekend to take some pictures. Below is a gallery of what he took and I think they are brilliant! They sum up what a great, energetic weekend of shows and crowds we had. Lee found some really good places to take pictures so has a great mixture of pictures from thoughout each show. Thank you very much to Lee for the great work that weekend, you can contact Lee by email - photography@newbate.co.uk
These pictures were originally added to the MAD facebook page, which is currently trying to reach its 1000th like! Go help them Facebook.com/pages/MAD
These pictures were originally added to the MAD facebook page, which is currently trying to reach its 1000th like! Go help them Facebook.com/pages/MAD
31st July 2013 - Back from the World Championships
I have just returned from the 2013 World Biketrial Championship. This was my 15th year of competing at the world championships!
It was a mixed campaign for me. In the opening round In Spain I had a great ride, I felt good and rode well. The event was huge, held around the city Centre of Igualada, near Barcelona during the afternoon and early evening. The sections were all man made and incorporated some monuments of the city.
The sections did look good and attracted a lot of attention but were also very contraversial with the riders in places ( Floating wooden blocks and a 14 foot drop were amongst the main things).
the event attracted an amazing amount of spectators (over the weekend a good few thousand people watched) I didn't have a great result here last year so wanted to get my revenge on it! I finished in 11th place, beating a lot of good riders and being praised for my rides. It was a good day and I was really happy with my ride.After the event we traveled through Spain, France, Switzerland and Germany having a bit of a holiday and also training along the way.
The 2nd round in the Czech Republic was different to Spain. This competition was held in the forests and was very technical which suited the smaller 20” wheeled bikes ( I was only 1 of 2 riders in Elite riding a 26” wheeled bike) so I was at a bit of a disadvantage. The evening before the event I had to attend a General Assembly meeting for the Biketrial International union as I am the rider representative, It was interesting to part of the meeting and discuss new proposels and ideas for the upcoming seasons to help Biketrial. But with the politics came some problems! - Not only did I end up missing my dinner because of it but I didn't get back to camp will 11.30pm – and that was me getting away early! When I did get back to camp, the restaurant/bar next to use was having some sort of party which didn't finish will 3am, I was up at 8am for a 10am start. It was not an ideal way to start the day haha. I was also the first rider to start In Elite which meant I was unable to see what anyone else was doing and unable to learn from their mistakes, but they could from mine. I’m not sure how much difference this made in the end really, I rode well but was not 100% on it that day, on my second lap i was feeling very tired, probably somewhat from the lack of sleep but mostly down to the 38 degree heat - but I think everyone else was struggling too!
I ended the day with another 11th place but not one I was very happy with. I ended up 12th In the overall championship, tied for 11th and only 1 point away from 10th.
10th (or higher) was my goal for the year so I am a bit disappointed not not achieve it. Especially as I was actually riding near my very best for the 2 weeks.
Overall though I am happy with how everything on the riding side went and really enjoyed the 2 weeks - back to normality now!
At both rounds I was also Minder for Sam Rolls who was riding in the Minime class. Sam has been out of international comp's for a little while and had some great rides this year at both rounds. He finished 18th In round 1 an then 9th I round 2 which gave him 12th overall, well done Sam! -I didn't hold it back too much!
Massive thank you the Morewood Family - Robin, Gill and Adam - for all of their help (driver,chef,minder,on the road parents!) the Roll's for making it a fun 2 weeks and to everyone else around for making it such a great trip. An Extra big thank you Robin for being a top minder In such Hot (35+! ) and tricky conditions (after minding for his son Adam- world No.3 Benjamin on the day's before!)
I have added pictures to the gallery below, this will be continued to be updated over the next few days as I collect more!
It was a mixed campaign for me. In the opening round In Spain I had a great ride, I felt good and rode well. The event was huge, held around the city Centre of Igualada, near Barcelona during the afternoon and early evening. The sections were all man made and incorporated some monuments of the city.
The sections did look good and attracted a lot of attention but were also very contraversial with the riders in places ( Floating wooden blocks and a 14 foot drop were amongst the main things).
the event attracted an amazing amount of spectators (over the weekend a good few thousand people watched) I didn't have a great result here last year so wanted to get my revenge on it! I finished in 11th place, beating a lot of good riders and being praised for my rides. It was a good day and I was really happy with my ride.After the event we traveled through Spain, France, Switzerland and Germany having a bit of a holiday and also training along the way.
The 2nd round in the Czech Republic was different to Spain. This competition was held in the forests and was very technical which suited the smaller 20” wheeled bikes ( I was only 1 of 2 riders in Elite riding a 26” wheeled bike) so I was at a bit of a disadvantage. The evening before the event I had to attend a General Assembly meeting for the Biketrial International union as I am the rider representative, It was interesting to part of the meeting and discuss new proposels and ideas for the upcoming seasons to help Biketrial. But with the politics came some problems! - Not only did I end up missing my dinner because of it but I didn't get back to camp will 11.30pm – and that was me getting away early! When I did get back to camp, the restaurant/bar next to use was having some sort of party which didn't finish will 3am, I was up at 8am for a 10am start. It was not an ideal way to start the day haha. I was also the first rider to start In Elite which meant I was unable to see what anyone else was doing and unable to learn from their mistakes, but they could from mine. I’m not sure how much difference this made in the end really, I rode well but was not 100% on it that day, on my second lap i was feeling very tired, probably somewhat from the lack of sleep but mostly down to the 38 degree heat - but I think everyone else was struggling too!
I ended the day with another 11th place but not one I was very happy with. I ended up 12th In the overall championship, tied for 11th and only 1 point away from 10th.
10th (or higher) was my goal for the year so I am a bit disappointed not not achieve it. Especially as I was actually riding near my very best for the 2 weeks.
Overall though I am happy with how everything on the riding side went and really enjoyed the 2 weeks - back to normality now!
At both rounds I was also Minder for Sam Rolls who was riding in the Minime class. Sam has been out of international comp's for a little while and had some great rides this year at both rounds. He finished 18th In round 1 an then 9th I round 2 which gave him 12th overall, well done Sam! -I didn't hold it back too much!
Massive thank you the Morewood Family - Robin, Gill and Adam - for all of their help (driver,chef,minder,on the road parents!) the Roll's for making it a fun 2 weeks and to everyone else around for making it such a great trip. An Extra big thank you Robin for being a top minder In such Hot (35+! ) and tricky conditions (after minding for his son Adam- world No.3 Benjamin on the day's before!)
I have added pictures to the gallery below, this will be continued to be updated over the next few days as I collect more!
15th July - Trial Park - Factory Pink - Eastbourne Extreme - The worlds!
It has been a busy 10 days!
Last weekend I was Invited to the Trials Park in Ipswich. It is primarily a Motorcycle trials venue where some great riders train including world championship rider, Jack Sheppard. I was invited along to watch the East Anglia Trophy Trial, a great event in it's 2nd running at the Trials park, which had some of the Uk's best riders in attendance including Alexz Wigg, James Fry and Emma Bristow. After the competition I had a little jam session and competition with Alexz and James, showing of pedal power! I was also there to discuss the possibility of organizing some biketrial events in the future - It looks promising! Thank you to the Trials Park and DKS Sports for the invitation.
This weekend I was at Eastbourne Extreme, a Brilliant festival help on Eastbourne seafront,with MAD. We had shows throughout Saturday and Sunday and they were perfect! Sunshine and large, enthusiastic crowds all day
Also this weekend I was sent some new riding shirts (and over goodies)that had been customized and pimped up by Factory Pink. The shirts look amazing and the rest of the products they sent over are really great quality. If you are looking for any printing or customization work, get onto Factory Pink! Massive thank you to Kurt for all of his help!
Last little bit of the update - I'm off to the world championships tomorrow! The first round is in Igualada, Spain, where a round was help last year ( a really nice event) and the second and final round is in Blansko, Czech Republic. It's crept up on me a bit this year, as usual I want to ride as well as possible and get a good result, however this year I'm not stressing out and just seeing what happens, staying positive and enjoying the experience, its the best way to be.........Top 10 would be nice though :)
Last weekend I was Invited to the Trials Park in Ipswich. It is primarily a Motorcycle trials venue where some great riders train including world championship rider, Jack Sheppard. I was invited along to watch the East Anglia Trophy Trial, a great event in it's 2nd running at the Trials park, which had some of the Uk's best riders in attendance including Alexz Wigg, James Fry and Emma Bristow. After the competition I had a little jam session and competition with Alexz and James, showing of pedal power! I was also there to discuss the possibility of organizing some biketrial events in the future - It looks promising! Thank you to the Trials Park and DKS Sports for the invitation.
This weekend I was at Eastbourne Extreme, a Brilliant festival help on Eastbourne seafront,with MAD. We had shows throughout Saturday and Sunday and they were perfect! Sunshine and large, enthusiastic crowds all day
Also this weekend I was sent some new riding shirts (and over goodies)that had been customized and pimped up by Factory Pink. The shirts look amazing and the rest of the products they sent over are really great quality. If you are looking for any printing or customization work, get onto Factory Pink! Massive thank you to Kurt for all of his help!
Last little bit of the update - I'm off to the world championships tomorrow! The first round is in Igualada, Spain, where a round was help last year ( a really nice event) and the second and final round is in Blansko, Czech Republic. It's crept up on me a bit this year, as usual I want to ride as well as possible and get a good result, however this year I'm not stressing out and just seeing what happens, staying positive and enjoying the experience, its the best way to be.........Top 10 would be nice though :)
