Season’s greetings
By TMX Archives on 21st Dec 12
AND so, at lightning speed, we slide to the end of yet another off-road year. It doesnt seem five minutes since we were sitting here in the bunker, huddled around the TMX tryperiter and panicking about, What the hecks happening in January? Yet now, here we are again, 12 months on and in exactly the same quandary!
"C'est la vie.” Or as the French say, "That's life.”
Once upon a time not a lot happened on the off-road front before Easter, apart from trials riders freezing their wotsits off week after week. But these days EVERYONE gets the chance to get out there in the cold and wet. Thankfully, there's also the chance to stay warm and dry indoors as well.
The good old Sheffield Indoor trial gets things underway as early as Saturday, January 5. Then Matt Bates and his E22 Sports outfit get their new Arenacross series on the road with the opening round the following weekend at the 02 Arena on Saturday, January 12 before hitting the road to Belfast, Birmingham and Liverpool.
So there's five events under a roof to start with that will happen whatever the weather.
Indoors is all well and good but we all know that the real action takes place out in the elements. Which in January will mean heading into north Wales for a dose of The Tough One enduro. Thankfully, I'll never know how tough that event is for the riders but I do know how tough it can be spectating, trying not to crash down a vertical, hard frozen banking on my derriere. It is a fantastic event though.
Then, having to respond to pressure from other International events (not to mention an even sooner start to the MXGP season) the Hawkstone International MX just gets earlier and earlier.
Give it a few more years and it will be back to the old New Year's Day Motocross that the International developed from. Don't know about you but I never could get too excited about such a big event on New Year's Day.
Most of us could drag ourselves out of bed for a simple, 10 section, four lap club trial, with a more or less civilised noon starting point before heading to the local for a pie and a sly pint. But Hawkstone on Jan 1 was an event too far for me.
Not to mention the chances of it freezing, snowing, sleeting, raining or a combination of all three that made the event such a well-meaning lottery.
When it settled into its later date, the Hawkstone International became one of the events I most look forward to in the year. The first ‘proper' race of the season.
But, we are where we are and whatever your off-road plans for 2013, whether riding, spectating or (you must be mad!) organising, observing or marshalling, do have a great Christmas and an amazing New Year.
See you out there!
