Mid Season Report.


Can't believe its already August! I guess time goes pretty quick travel over several continents riding your bike, especially when you're having so much fun doing it.
This season has been great in terms of results and overall progression, starting with a great coach and friend Tom Murray I'm feeling the best I've ever felt, and winning two races and gaining 4 podiums throughout the race season in the USA, I'm currently in Belgium writing this from an Airbnb in lovely Hasselt, out here doing some kermesse racing for a few weeks, things are going well and I'm enjoying being back in Europe and seeing friends and family.
I've decided to come back to Europe for the foreseeable future, mainly to get back on the scene and compete in bigger races, America was amazing dont get me wrong but I always had this voice on my shoulders telling me that I was totally isolated and that big European teams just didn't really care about my results or progress over there, America is so big that it almost becomes a bubble for racing and teams, not many continental teams travel outside the continent to race and take in European riders and I slowly started to notice that, which in short is why I have returned back to Europe to pursue bigger teams over here, anyhow I'm happy with this decision and all is going well.

After returning to England from San Jose I decided to enter a few national rounds and even the national circuit champs just to see where I was at against the continental lads back home, first up was national champs in Sheffield which yes was a little optimistic for my first race back, but what the heck I've done hundreds of crits in America, this is where I was wrong, the style of crits in England are completely different to America, not necessarily the speed but the aggression and cornering, its so hard to move around the group on the narrow roads of old town squares at 30mph, and to top that the continental teams just dont want to know about you and will do anything to make you have a negative race by pushing, shoving and shouting words I haven't heard since high school, I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to go race abroad for a bit before returning home, It can get out of hand but I guess that's racing these days, not much respect, this is why I love Belgium, the riders all seem to be aggressive but in a safe way where there aren't half as many crashes as UK racing.
Later that week I raced Beverly which was a little better for myself, more of a leg speed kind of race and after getting to the front a few times I rolled in 20th or so, a similar pattern followed in Colne the week after and Barnsley too.


My aim is to still turn continental in the next year or two, I'm only progressing and I hope to show I'm worthy soon, training and racing are going well and It's only a matter of time.

Id like to thank Team KTM for taking me under their wings for the remainder of 2017 and of course the Dave Rayner fund for their continued support, all the above and more could not be possible without them, go give them a follow on twitter to see what we all get up to!
@daveraynerfund

Colne GP.