Academy on show
By TMX Archives on 9th Jan 08
THE 2008 ACU Motocross Academy was presented to the public at the Dirt Bike Show, at Stoneleigh, back in December.
The team took over the stage for the presentation and Roy Barton, ACU Motocross Manager, indicated how the squad would be training away from the track, prior to the start of the new season, before introducing top British and Grand Prix Motocross star Mark Hucklebridge as the new coach for 2008.
Mark explained the plans for on-track training before the squad were introduced.
In the BYMX Open class, there will be four riders, David Games and Josh Waterman, both in their second year at this level, who will be joined by Sam Davis and Connor Walkley who are both moving up from the Big-wheel 85cc class.
The Big-wheel 85cc class representative will be Dan Thornhill and 2007 Junior 65cc champion Ben Watson will ride for the squad in the Small-wheel 85cc class.
The Academy's first training session took place at the superb Dunkirk facility in France over the extremely cold weekend of December 15/16, and ACU headquarters played host to the first of the Academy Off-Track Training days on January 6, when the Motocross and Road RacemAcademy riders got together for a day of Mediatraining with Bike Sport News journalist, Chris Carter.
Chris spoke to the ten-riders on the expectations of journalists on the riders and also ways of raising their own profile with local newspaper, radio and TV coverage then how to use this to look to local businesses for possible sponsorship. MX Academy coach, Mark Hucklebridge, was on hand as well and taking notes on some of Chris' points for himself.
Again both squads will be getting together at the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall in Shropshire on Saturday, January 19, for a physical fitness and dietary training day with National Sports Coach, Sam Howells, and once again Mark Hucklebridge will be keeping a watchful eye as the team is put through its paces in readiness for the new season.