Team GB, hmmm…

Twigster wrote:

I'm not sure I agree with this, not becuase I don't dispute the need for these kids to get chances to race at a higher level...

I'm not sure I agree with this, not becuase I don't dispute the need for these kids to get chances to race at a higher level but because I don't think sending a youngster to the US to get absolutely pounded into the dirt at a race they are painfully ill-equipped for is actually going to do them any good. That exposure to competition needs to be far more sustained than a one-off to help sharpen instincts and get people used to the level required. 

I'm also not on-board with going after Conrad, his results this weekend weren't that bad and were certainly in line with what Watson may have done. There's no other young guy you could put on a 450 who could have picked up top-20 overall in that field and he rode his heart out. Conrad though is a great example of what is wrong in the UK, look at the 'advice' he's had in his career (I'm not including Swordy who's a really good lad) and the help he's had from the UK when he's needed it. We picked up a kid with a huge talent, tried to milk him for everything he was worth, threw him in when he wasn't ready then threw him on the dumpster when it didn't work out with no soft landing... 

The point on trainers and all that is valid, not that I question the effort of people trying to help in an industry where lets face it, you ain't getting a decent career out of anything around it at all. MX is a niche sport in the UK though, we need to grow the sport from grass-roots up which isn't going to happen when tracks are over-prepped flat crap with scalextric ruts.There needs to be a structure to identify talent, support them from a young age with kit and so on, ensure we push those with elite traits to the ADAC series or EMX and then keep hold of them and nurture it properly rather than handing those kids over to GP teams who right now are part of the problem alongside MXGP series itself. Throwing 16 year olds into GP races just burns them up and burns them out in the majority of cases, but you can't take your time when your career in the sport depends on being the manager of the 'next big thing' so we push too hard... 

Schoolboy should be the centre of it all. Amateur adult can support and fund schoolboy so decrease prices for kids and go up a bit for adults, take a slice to fund and help talent. Run the pro series as it's own thing, generating it's own revenue and only have one series. 

Jason XCmtb wrote:

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their...

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their teens. The "sustained" approach to moving up the ladder has been starting way too late for our riders - if it happened at all. If we've got 17,18,19 year olds who are completely unable to handle a big event then they've already missed the boat. Hopefully that's changing with the 125 races etc and we're getting riders doing high level home events earlier to get them prepared.

My point was that we have a habit of playing it safe with riders who haven't done the job before, expecting them to do it "this time". How many young riders in the past have picked up rides by doing the MXDN as a bit of a wildcard and had a good result. Pretty sure Hunter Lawrence got his GP ride after a good ride at the MXDN unless I'm mistaken? For every rider who might sink at the pressure, we might get one who clicks, and moves up a level from the experience. Nobody is offering GP rides to someone getting top-5 in the British champs.

My comments about Conrad are mostly out of frustration tbh. He's got a mega talent but it's been frittered away wasting time at home. Coming through the pack and winning by a minute looks great but imagine if that speed had been nurtured and pulled along in the GP's? I know he had some bad advice early on but that's a while ago now. He's matured and could've tried again any time in the last 5 years or so.

He's the benchmark in the UK and I can't help feeling the overall pace at home has gone down meaning his outright actual speed has been flattered, so his confidence gets knocked every time he rides the big events, after being "the man" the rest of the year. He needs to commit to a season of top flight racing where it'll be hard to start with but the pace will come. But; his window for that must be getting small by now. Dipping in once or twice a year is pointless. Matterley last year showed he can do it, but he needs to be able to do it every week, abroad as well as at home.

 

Twigster wrote:

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to...

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to Hunter/Jett, so I'm not sure it's like for like and especially not going across the Atlantic to a track like Ironman. Next year with it being Ernee, you could definitely make the case a bit more for someone like Askew/Heyman and/or Mustoe but again, lets let these kids develop and make sure they are ready a bit first. Get them a couple wildcard GP rides or EMX first, I mean Mustoe is still 16 isn't he? Give him time! 

Conrad I think is burned at GP level by the big teams, they aren't going to take the punt any more almost no matter what he does in the UK or MXON. MXGP right now is a bit of a closed club where your face has to fit or your talent has to be out of this world, and the costs of trying to compete there all year-round are insane. His plan this year to do a couple rounds in the US was the right one but he picked up an injury and had to miss out, I'm sure he will have another crack next year and as you said he has the talent to turn that around in time. Gilbert too I think is still improving, honestly I thought both of those guys rode as well as we could have asked this weekend given the step up in level, location and logistics of it all. 

Jason XCmtb wrote:

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their...

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their teens. The "sustained" approach to moving up the ladder has been starting way too late for our riders - if it happened at all. If we've got 17,18,19 year olds who are completely unable to handle a big event then they've already missed the boat. Hopefully that's changing with the 125 races etc and we're getting riders doing high level home events earlier to get them prepared.

My point was that we have a habit of playing it safe with riders who haven't done the job before, expecting them to do it "this time". How many young riders in the past have picked up rides by doing the MXDN as a bit of a wildcard and had a good result. Pretty sure Hunter Lawrence got his GP ride after a good ride at the MXDN unless I'm mistaken? For every rider who might sink at the pressure, we might get one who clicks, and moves up a level from the experience. Nobody is offering GP rides to someone getting top-5 in the British champs.

My comments about Conrad are mostly out of frustration tbh. He's got a mega talent but it's been frittered away wasting time at home. Coming through the pack and winning by a minute looks great but imagine if that speed had been nurtured and pulled along in the GP's? I know he had some bad advice early on but that's a while ago now. He's matured and could've tried again any time in the last 5 years or so.

He's the benchmark in the UK and I can't help feeling the overall pace at home has gone down meaning his outright actual speed has been flattered, so his confidence gets knocked every time he rides the big events, after being "the man" the rest of the year. He needs to commit to a season of top flight racing where it'll be hard to start with but the pace will come. But; his window for that must be getting small by now. Dipping in once or twice a year is pointless. Matterley last year showed he can do it, but he needs to be able to do it every week, abroad as well as at home.

 

Twigster wrote:

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to...

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to Hunter/Jett, so I'm not sure it's like for like and especially not going across the Atlantic to a track like Ironman. Next year with it being Ernee, you could definitely make the case a bit more for someone like Askew/Heyman and/or Mustoe but again, lets let these kids develop and make sure they are ready a bit first. Get them a couple wildcard GP rides or EMX first, I mean Mustoe is still 16 isn't he? Give him time! 

Conrad I think is burned at GP level by the big teams, they aren't going to take the punt any more almost no matter what he does in the UK or MXON. MXGP right now is a bit of a closed club where your face has to fit or your talent has to be out of this world, and the costs of trying to compete there all year-round are insane. His plan this year to do a couple rounds in the US was the right one but he picked up an injury and had to miss out, I'm sure he will have another crack next year and as you said he has the talent to turn that around in time. Gilbert too I think is still improving, honestly I thought both of those guys rode as well as we could have asked this weekend given the step up in level, location and logistics of it all. 

Motofinne wrote:

Anyone that has put in some kind of solid results at an EMX level can race MXdN if needed. I don't subscribe at all to that...

Anyone that has put in some kind of solid results at an EMX level can race MXdN if needed. I don't subscribe at all to that Billy Askew wouldn't have been ready to race Ironman. Those kind of opportunities are exactly the development that young riders need.

We (Finland) had two big injuries (Weckman and Rainio) a couple of weeks before the event and had to draft in the youngsters Kasimir Hindersson and Saku Mansikkamäki. Both 18 years old, both relatively speaking very inexperienced (some decent EMX results). But they did the event, and gained valuable experience.

Who became better riders/racers over the last weekend? Hindersson and Mansikkamäki or the top GB young riders Askew and Heyman? Well i think the answer is pretty obvious, the Finnish duo. 

Twigster wrote:

I'm not sure I agree with this, not becuase I don't dispute the need for these kids to get chances to race at a higher level...

I'm not sure I agree with this, not becuase I don't dispute the need for these kids to get chances to race at a higher level but because I don't think sending a youngster to the US to get absolutely pounded into the dirt at a race they are painfully ill-equipped for is actually going to do them any good. That exposure to competition needs to be far more sustained than a one-off to help sharpen instincts and get people used to the level required. 

I'm also not on-board with going after Conrad, his results this weekend weren't that bad and were certainly in line with what Watson may have done. There's no other young guy you could put on a 450 who could have picked up top-20 overall in that field and he rode his heart out. Conrad though is a great example of what is wrong in the UK, look at the 'advice' he's had in his career (I'm not including Swordy who's a really good lad) and the help he's had from the UK when he's needed it. We picked up a kid with a huge talent, tried to milk him for everything he was worth, threw him in when he wasn't ready then threw him on the dumpster when it didn't work out with no soft landing... 

The point on trainers and all that is valid, not that I question the effort of people trying to help in an industry where lets face it, you ain't getting a decent career out of anything around it at all. MX is a niche sport in the UK though, we need to grow the sport from grass-roots up which isn't going to happen when tracks are over-prepped flat crap with scalextric ruts.There needs to be a structure to identify talent, support them from a young age with kit and so on, ensure we push those with elite traits to the ADAC series or EMX and then keep hold of them and nurture it properly rather than handing those kids over to GP teams who right now are part of the problem alongside MXGP series itself. Throwing 16 year olds into GP races just burns them up and burns them out in the majority of cases, but you can't take your time when your career in the sport depends on being the manager of the 'next big thing' so we push too hard... 

Schoolboy should be the centre of it all. Amateur adult can support and fund schoolboy so decrease prices for kids and go up a bit for adults, take a slice to fund and help talent. Run the pro series as it's own thing, generating it's own revenue and only have one series. 

Jason XCmtb wrote:

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their...

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their teens. The "sustained" approach to moving up the ladder has been starting way too late for our riders - if it happened at all. If we've got 17,18,19 year olds who are completely unable to handle a big event then they've already missed the boat. Hopefully that's changing with the 125 races etc and we're getting riders doing high level home events earlier to get them prepared.

My point was that we have a habit of playing it safe with riders who haven't done the job before, expecting them to do it "this time". How many young riders in the past have picked up rides by doing the MXDN as a bit of a wildcard and had a good result. Pretty sure Hunter Lawrence got his GP ride after a good ride at the MXDN unless I'm mistaken? For every rider who might sink at the pressure, we might get one who clicks, and moves up a level from the experience. Nobody is offering GP rides to someone getting top-5 in the British champs.

My comments about Conrad are mostly out of frustration tbh. He's got a mega talent but it's been frittered away wasting time at home. Coming through the pack and winning by a minute looks great but imagine if that speed had been nurtured and pulled along in the GP's? I know he had some bad advice early on but that's a while ago now. He's matured and could've tried again any time in the last 5 years or so.

He's the benchmark in the UK and I can't help feeling the overall pace at home has gone down meaning his outright actual speed has been flattered, so his confidence gets knocked every time he rides the big events, after being "the man" the rest of the year. He needs to commit to a season of top flight racing where it'll be hard to start with but the pace will come. But; his window for that must be getting small by now. Dipping in once or twice a year is pointless. Matterley last year showed he can do it, but he needs to be able to do it every week, abroad as well as at home.

 

Twigster wrote:

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to...

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to Hunter/Jett, so I'm not sure it's like for like and especially not going across the Atlantic to a track like Ironman. Next year with it being Ernee, you could definitely make the case a bit more for someone like Askew/Heyman and/or Mustoe but again, lets let these kids develop and make sure they are ready a bit first. Get them a couple wildcard GP rides or EMX first, I mean Mustoe is still 16 isn't he? Give him time! 

Conrad I think is burned at GP level by the big teams, they aren't going to take the punt any more almost no matter what he does in the UK or MXON. MXGP right now is a bit of a closed club where your face has to fit or your talent has to be out of this world, and the costs of trying to compete there all year-round are insane. His plan this year to do a couple rounds in the US was the right one but he picked up an injury and had to miss out, I'm sure he will have another crack next year and as you said he has the talent to turn that around in time. Gilbert too I think is still improving, honestly I thought both of those guys rode as well as we could have asked this weekend given the step up in level, location and logistics of it all. 

mikeandrew wrote:

I haven't followed GPS for a few years but looking at the results from this year why wasn't Sterry and Watson racing? I'm sure even Searle...

I haven't followed GPS for a few years but looking at the results from this year why wasn't Sterry and Watson racing? I'm sure even Searle could of put in a shift.

So poor.

Twigster wrote:

Searle didn't want to go, he's enjoying his life away from this level and after all he's done for MX here I'd say he deserves it...

Searle didn't want to go, he's enjoying his life away from this level and after all he's done for MX here I'd say he deserves it. Watson was picked but Beta wouldn't give him a bike, Sterry/Gilbert was a coin-flip and probably bike-related as well. 

Jason XCmtb wrote:

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their...

That's a fair comment about throwing someone young in before they're ready but the euro GP riders are doing the EMX, then GP's while in their teens. The "sustained" approach to moving up the ladder has been starting way too late for our riders - if it happened at all. If we've got 17,18,19 year olds who are completely unable to handle a big event then they've already missed the boat. Hopefully that's changing with the 125 races etc and we're getting riders doing high level home events earlier to get them prepared.

My point was that we have a habit of playing it safe with riders who haven't done the job before, expecting them to do it "this time". How many young riders in the past have picked up rides by doing the MXDN as a bit of a wildcard and had a good result. Pretty sure Hunter Lawrence got his GP ride after a good ride at the MXDN unless I'm mistaken? For every rider who might sink at the pressure, we might get one who clicks, and moves up a level from the experience. Nobody is offering GP rides to someone getting top-5 in the British champs.

My comments about Conrad are mostly out of frustration tbh. He's got a mega talent but it's been frittered away wasting time at home. Coming through the pack and winning by a minute looks great but imagine if that speed had been nurtured and pulled along in the GP's? I know he had some bad advice early on but that's a while ago now. He's matured and could've tried again any time in the last 5 years or so.

He's the benchmark in the UK and I can't help feeling the overall pace at home has gone down meaning his outright actual speed has been flattered, so his confidence gets knocked every time he rides the big events, after being "the man" the rest of the year. He needs to commit to a season of top flight racing where it'll be hard to start with but the pace will come. But; his window for that must be getting small by now. Dipping in once or twice a year is pointless. Matterley last year showed he can do it, but he needs to be able to do it every week, abroad as well as at home.

 

Twigster wrote:

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to...

I can see where you're coming from on putting some kids in MXON but the problem is we don't have anyone with talent levels akin to Hunter/Jett, so I'm not sure it's like for like and especially not going across the Atlantic to a track like Ironman. Next year with it being Ernee, you could definitely make the case a bit more for someone like Askew/Heyman and/or Mustoe but again, lets let these kids develop and make sure they are ready a bit first. Get them a couple wildcard GP rides or EMX first, I mean Mustoe is still 16 isn't he? Give him time! 

Conrad I think is burned at GP level by the big teams, they aren't going to take the punt any more almost no matter what he does in the UK or MXON. MXGP right now is a bit of a closed club where your face has to fit or your talent has to be out of this world, and the costs of trying to compete there all year-round are insane. His plan this year to do a couple rounds in the US was the right one but he picked up an injury and had to miss out, I'm sure he will have another crack next year and as you said he has the talent to turn that around in time. Gilbert too I think is still improving, honestly I thought both of those guys rode as well as we could have asked this weekend given the step up in level, location and logistics of it all. 

Snapper wrote:

Tend to agree with a lot of what you're saying. But look at what Tommy was doing at 16. And Mackenzie, Nunn, Malin before him... Then...

Tend to agree with a lot of what you're saying. But look at what Tommy was doing at 16. And Mackenzie, Nunn, Malin before him... Then look at where Askew and Heyman are at what, 18/19? They'll never make it at world level, it's just too late, unfortunately. Of course, I'm happy to be proved wrong and maybe i'll eat my words at some point.

Hopefully Mustoe can step up again next year. I think this year was his first in the adult classes, so he has time. But his time's running out already when you think that de Wolf started in MX2 at 16.

 

Jason XCmtb wrote:

You only need to look at the British Champs to see how shallow the talent pool is. Guys who retired from top-flight MX years ago are...

You only need to look at the British Champs to see how shallow the talent pool is. Guys who retired from top-flight MX years ago are still winning races, and the rider dominating at home winning races by 30+ seconds gets blown away when he goes overseas. It's dire...

There's some good riders coming through but unfortunately we've had a decade where the old guard retired/stayed at home etc and the ones coming through decided to stay at home being big fish in a small pond. While our riders were pot-hunting in half-empty championships here, the MX world moved on and left us behind. That might sound harsh, but that's the truth. People can blame money, opportunity etc but the reality is that we're technically years behind everyone else.

AssangeMX wrote:

Things are so bad in Britain, most of the pubs and fish n chip shops are closing.

AssangeMX wrote:

Things are so bad in Britain, most of the pubs and fish n chip shops are closing.

bluesmoke wrote:

Theres an invasion going on. Just like here in the states only worse for the UK.

AssangeMX wrote:

Things are so bad in Britain, most of the pubs and fish n chip shops are closing.

bluesmoke wrote:

Theres an invasion going on. Just like here in the states only worse for the UK.

Beeby wrote:

The great irony of Brexit: it was sold as a way to stop “too many foreigners,” and instead it’s led to more — just from different...

The great irony of Brexit: it was sold as a way to stop “too many foreigners,” and instead it’s led to more — just from different places.

EU free movement ended, but the new system made it easier for non-EU workers and students to come.

Net migration today is roughly double pre-Brexit levels.

So in trying to pull up the drawbridge, they just moved the door.

Jason XCmtb wrote:

Pretty sure Brexit isn't responsible for 1,000 fighting age men slinging their documents in the sea and coming across the sea in boats every day. That'll...

Pretty sure Brexit isn't responsible for 1,000 fighting age men slinging their documents in the sea and coming across the sea in boats every day. That'll be more to do with the French waving them off at the coast, Border Farce picking them up a mile out to sea, and our corrupt politicians, Serco & Blackrock having shares in the contracts to house them, with our taxes being hiked to pay for it. It's a gravy train/money laundering operation and they won't be stopping it anytime soon - there's too much money being made. Not to mention the 27,000 Afghans allowed to stay because of the "data breach", with their families bringing the number to between 250-300,000.

But hey; it wouldn't be an internet forum without someone crowbarring Brexit in somewhere 🤪

Jason XCmtb wrote:

Pretty sure Brexit isn't responsible for 1,000 fighting age men slinging their documents in the sea and coming across the sea in boats every day. That'll...

Pretty sure Brexit isn't responsible for 1,000 fighting age men slinging their documents in the sea and coming across the sea in boats every day. That'll be more to do with the French waving them off at the coast, Border Farce picking them up a mile out to sea, and our corrupt politicians, Serco & Blackrock having shares in the contracts to house them, with our taxes being hiked to pay for it. It's a gravy train/money laundering operation and they won't be stopping it anytime soon - there's too much money being made. Not to mention the 27,000 Afghans allowed to stay because of the "data breach", with their families bringing the number to between 250-300,000.

But hey; it wouldn't be an internet forum without someone crowbarring Brexit in somewhere 🤪

Beeby wrote:

I get the joke — but Brexit isn’t being “crowbarred” in; it’s the main driver of why migration looks so different today.Ignoring it would be like...

I get the joke — but Brexit isn’t being “crowbarred” in; it’s the main driver of why migration looks so different today.

Ignoring it would be like discussing the NHS waiting list without mentioning COVID.

 

scott_nz wrote:

I can’t wait for the argument on who gets Nixon Coppins on their team 

scott_nz wrote:

I can’t wait for the argument on who gets Nixon Coppins on their team 

Muscle-Milk-KTM wrote:

He’ll probably ride for Team NZ then change his alliance to Team GB, seems to be the norm these days. 

scott_nz wrote:

I can’t wait for the argument on who gets Nixon Coppins on their team 

DeStouwer wrote:

I think GB is a bit in the same situation as Belgium at the moment. Low level at the national championship (Belgium doesn't even have one...

I think GB is a bit in the same situation as Belgium at the moment. Low level at the national championship (Belgium doesn't even have one anymore), tracks closing down, young riders can't afford a full season in the EMX-classes, etc.

The only difference is that Belgium has some exceptional talents like the Coenens, Liam Everts and Jarne Bervoets, but that's not because of the Belgian federation or help from the government, it's because their family had the abilities (and the heritage of their name, in case of Liam and Jarne) to travel across Europe to get them to learn.

After this generation of young riders, I'm afraid we're in a drought aswell.

OT wrote:

With respect, we should forget about team GB for the next 10 years or so. British MX is now about who has the best motorhome and...

With respect, we should forget about team GB for the next 10 years or so. British MX is now about who has the best motorhome and bike/gear.

Kids here are not hungry, and when you look at any of our greats from the past 15/20 years, they've all raced in Europe and beyond during their 85cc career etc. 

We just have to hope so fresh talent comes through who have the funding to race in Europe. 

OT wrote:

With respect, we should forget about team GB for the next 10 years or so. British MX is now about who has the best motorhome and...

With respect, we should forget about team GB for the next 10 years or so. British MX is now about who has the best motorhome and bike/gear.

Kids here are not hungry, and when you look at any of our greats from the past 15/20 years, they've all raced in Europe and beyond during their 85cc career etc. 

We just have to hope so fresh talent comes through who have the funding to race in Europe. 

Twigster wrote:

I think we have to be careful on the whole race in Europe thing a bit. There’s a different culture over there to racing which I’m...

I think we have to be careful on the whole race in Europe thing a bit. There’s a different culture over there to racing which I’m not sure Brit riders tend to really grasp well enough (and just as importantly nor do their families/managers/trainers etc). There’s a few kids gone in the last few years trying to make that work and bombed it, so getting the guidance right is huge (that’s where Coppins for example is likely to be so well set up) if he pushes on and keeps developing. 

For me the first step has to be getting the set-up in the UK right, everything else should come together above that if that works then. 

My suggestion for what it’s worth… 

BSMA, NORA, AMCA, ACU etc agree standard classes for schoolboy mx. Have standards in place for rider safety (mandatory chest protectors, helmet checks and scrutineering again). Set proper standards on track prep and get rid of this flat-track rut-riddled harrowed shit with awful borderline unsafe jumps. Club championships run  Feb-June and points qualify you for youth nationals (meetings and club champs carry on after but qualification for nationals is finished). Youth nationals to be run by ACU with strict rules on production only bikes, run July-September.  I’d have a structure around that working with the clubs to do coaching for young riders at all levels at club days and more detail like training/off-track stuff for anyone scouted as particular talent. Maybe some support in terms of bikes and so on if you can make that happen for some who we might lose when the bank of mum and dad hits empty. Pay for all that by taking a cut of all races run for adults only to go into a pot to fund youth development. Have a dedicated team at the ACU to work on commercial growth for the sport who’s only job is to find sponsors and work with bodies like national lottery on funding. 

You can look at things like helping riders into Europe and working more on the elite level as well, but if we don’t take lessons from other sports and sort out the grass-roots then we will just keep drifting towards mx being basically badged as a sport for yobbos as it is now. I'm also pretty aware that anything we write here probably isn't going to make a jot of difference either way!!

 

Thisusernameisavailable wrote:

Im not sure we should take from the adult rider's contributions to fund youth development. I mentioned that idea to a group of friends. Largely, these...

Im not sure we should take from the adult rider's contributions to fund youth development. I mentioned that idea to a group of friends. Largely, these guys couldn't give a f*ck if the youth develops! They're in it to enjoy themselves, nothing more, certainly not to fund others. It was mentioned that ALL the kids are awarded trophies at EVERY SINGLE event they attend these days, which is a lot different to the 2-3 we would get a year in the 90s. (Summer championship, winter championship & one-off summer two day event) If monies wasn't spent on giving everyone a trophy, that would go some way to contributing. 50s, 65s, small wheels, big wheels, 40 per class, averaging £10 per trophy = £1600 per meeting. x 10 round championship = £16k, times how many clubs are doing the same? twenty?? That's 320k spent on plastic trophies. That said, the little tike who is finishing in 30th place cherishes that trophy & he CGAF if the youth develops either at that point. But no, I don't think adult racing should subsidise the youth development. The adults are keeping the club level sport alive as it is by paying the most already. If we took their entries and money away, there wouldn't be any youth meetings. They wouldn't be financially viable.

DeStouwer wrote:

I think GB is a bit in the same situation as Belgium at the moment. Low level at the national championship (Belgium doesn't even have one...

I think GB is a bit in the same situation as Belgium at the moment. Low level at the national championship (Belgium doesn't even have one anymore), tracks closing down, young riders can't afford a full season in the EMX-classes, etc.

The only difference is that Belgium has some exceptional talents like the Coenens, Liam Everts and Jarne Bervoets, but that's not because of the Belgian federation or help from the government, it's because their family had the abilities (and the heritage of their name, in case of Liam and Jarne) to travel across Europe to get them to learn.

After this generation of young riders, I'm afraid we're in a drought aswell.