Never mind the weather
By TMX Archives on 18th Jan 13
Well, 2013 is here and it is already all starting to happen, even though the British weather is trying its best to make it otherwise.
Before I give you a rundown on what has been happening since I last wrote I would firstly like to wish you a slightly belated Happy New Year and all the best for the 2013 season.
Prior to seeing the New Year in, I rounded off 2012 by heading to the party island of Ibiza.
Unfortunately I was not there for the nightlife, but for their annual two-day trial.
I ended up winning it alongside French rider Benoit Dagnicourt as we both tied on the same marks and could not be split by any means.
Without even time to celebrate my win properly I headed straight back to the Spanish mainland, where my new TTT Beta was waiting for me.
To say those guys prepare a nice bike would be an understatement and if you have seen the recent photos of Jack Challoners machine in the press, then you will know what I am talking about.
I only managed to get a couple of days on the new bike before I flew back to the UK.
I spent Christmas with my family in Bulgaria, as we once again enjoyed some great skiing thanks to the excellent snow there has been throughout Europe this winter.
Dont worry though, it was not all play as I managed to find a local gym so I was able to keep up my training regime right through the festive period although I did allow myself the odd extra mince pie as a treat!
The slopes were soon forgotten when I got back home as I headed north to Sheffield to take in the opening round of the 2013 FIM X-Trial World Championship.
It was great to catch up with the other riders and to hear what they have been up to over the winter months. And it was also a good chance to meet up with my new team-mate Jack Challoner and the rest of the TTT crew.
The trial itself was a real thriller and went down to the last section. My only regret was that I was not riding maybe next year.
As I mentioned at the start, the British weather is pants. If its not raining, its windy, and when they both stop the ground is normally frozen, so you cannot win whichever way you turn.
As I am writing, it is now snowing outside. Rather than moan and miss out on valuable bike time I am heading out to Spain once again to put some hours in on my new bike.
It is so good to practice out there this time of year and it will also give me the chance to ride with some of the top Spanish riders.
Right now I am not too sure when my first competitive ride will be, as we need to see how things go over the next few weeks.
But I am already looking forward to that day as it will give me a better gauge of where I am up to.
One event I know I will be at is the Scottish Six Days Trial in May, as I have received confirmation that I had made it through the ballot safely.
I cant wait to be back in Fort William after sitting out last years SSDT due to injury.
That seems a long way off at the moment. In the meantime I will make sure I keep up the hard work if you promise to keep those feet up in 2013.
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