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JOEY GOUGH - BMX & MTB GIRL

Haven't been on the net for a few days, but the supercross in copenhagen did happen on the sunday after all! All they had to do was say the race was going ahead and the riders would show for sure...

So no qualifying, straight into motos. It was tough being a world cup so I was really pleased to qualify qith a 4th 3rd 3rd. My starts weren't the best, it was certainly a new experience being shut off on that start hill! but I pulled a few moves in the turns and passed on the straights a couple of times. In the semi I had an outside draw, gate 7. I got an ok start but could not get accross, so when I hit the first berm I was about 6th and still in with a chance, but everyone came underneath me and I ended up headed straight for the mens section! The semi's also seemed to be a bit unfairly drawn with all 4 qualifiers from my semi making top 5 in the final. Oh well thats the way it goes.

The wednesday night after I got back I went to the opposite end of the scale, heading down to Braintrees club night race. I gotta say I was amazed when I turned up, 50 riders entered, a pa system going, food, toilets, shops... it was a really fun atmosphere I've not been to a club night like that since the 80's. Well done braintree. I just went for some practice really but entered the race for some more gate and first straight practice and kinda chilled after that. The new track rode good and I finished 4th.

It was pretty dark by the time I was done but a few people were still riding so I took a few snas for the album before heading off home. I'nm off to manchester for a week now until I leave for the Worlds in China next sunday, so the updates may be a bit slow!

More Braintree photos here

Well things haven't been going to good here in copenhagen. They have had problems getting the track to go solid. We had practice this morning but it was soft in places which was a shame, but it was rideable and it was mainly a mellow rhythm that was soft, the first jump and the 2nd straight gap jump were no problem. Anyway, the guys sections were worse and seriously needed work as they couldn't jump the gaps. So it seems when the guys were getting their straights changed the girls wanted that too. So they delayed qualifying for an hour to work on the track and gave us a 1/2 hour warm up. Well the track wasn't any better but for me I didn't really find it any worse and was ready for qualifying, but then most of the girls complained and said it was worse then before and was dangerous. The decision was made to cancel qualifying and just go straight in motos tomorrow so they can work on the track tonight - though word is they can't do much about it- So to me, it seems a little pointless to delay, I am not sure what this is going to achieve. I wanted to get on with it as scheduled, it's my first supercross race and I wanted to do the time trils, but not much point speaking out as I was in the minority by far. Anyway, racing is due to go ahead tomorrow whatever the tracks like, so hopefully no more messing about tomorrow!

Finally summer is here!

I was at home this weekend due to giving the euros a miss in preparation for the SX in germany. With it being a bank holiday monday I didn't have to ride alone today, can always count on the HH crew to get the riding in! 2 spots on the agenda, first to snape to have a mess about on the trails, Ross was hitting up the new line and going SUPER high pulling sweet tables while he was up there. Also thanks to Ross for taking some photos.

After that we headed to Ipswich track to get our race on, it's a long time since I've been there, I was a regular a few years back! Nothing changes it's still damn windy, but the wind was behind you on the second straight so the doubles were feeling small today. Ross was looking local, Jay was popping the 3rd straight backwards, jonny skied the first doubles in a major head wind and steve manualed all of the last straight.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICS

It must be something like 8 years since I last visited Braintree BMX Track. I never really liked it before, but in the last month they have been doing a lot of work to the track. I headed over on Friday night with the HH crew and we had a hell of a session! The 3rd and 4th straights were riding great, wether you jumped or manualed, fast or slow, really good fun.

After I had sufficiently tired myself out I took a few snaps in the sunset...
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS

I had a chill day today, and as luck would have it the MX British Championships was happening just down the road from me in Lyng. i've never been to watch an MX race before it was pretty nuts, loved watching the start it's so crazy how they all go balls out into the bottle neck first corner. I took a few pics check them out, theres more here on my flickr page.

Left: photo courtesy of abitaylorphoto.com

I think this was my first national for nearly 2 years?! Last year I tried to race at sunny Bournemouth, only for it to be a wash out...

The weather wasn't looking great for Sunday's national at Cheddar, but saturday afternoon was sunny and dusty. I was a bit tired from the gym but I was just going to get some good race practice in and that's what I got!

I entered 19+ men, there were 30 riders registered meaning 14 riders weren't gonna make the cut into the semi finals - ouch! Every race was tough, having 7or 8 riders in each moto. I had a 4th in my first moto and 4th in the second, so it was going ok. My last moto was tougher draw and I finished 5th, missing out on a place in the semi's by 1 place! :o( Still finishing 17th wasn't so bad. DC qualified in 16th with 11 points...so not even three 4ths would get you through! In the words of DC - Sheesh! So I hung up my helmet for the day and enjoyed the rest of the racing.



Masters had Quarters, Steve Williams won his quarter easy with his new storm trooper look, but stuffed his gate in the semi and got taken out in the first turn, scratching his new lid in the process. Ady had a full days racing what with quarters in the 20" and racing cruiser too. He rode a great quarter making a come back on the 3rd straight to go through, but didn't make the main. He came from 4th to first on his cruiser though to take a deserved win! Paddy made a long awaited BMX comeback after a spell on the saftey cycle, he rode really good making it through to the semi's but ot tangled up in the Williams/Allen carnage in the semi. I don't like this B final pump race malarky though, it's boring. We wanna see some 30+ carnage! In the A main Jessop was back on form, storming away from the start. Paul Tracey was chasing him down only to be pimped by Ives in the last corner.



The 19+ Final was possibly the most bizarre race I've ever seen. With the rain making the tarmac corners super slippy Burnham winner Marco D understandably wasn't keen on risking injury so close to his assault on the Euro and World titles. He was out of the race from the start, I'm unsure if he hit the gate, wheel span, or just decided against it. Tom Palmer, Tony Flemming and Michael Pinnock were battling at the front of the pack, Ross tricker and Scott Waterhouse just behind them. What happened then I am not quite sure! one by one they managed to slide out round the each berm, it was chaos! Ross gained and lost 3rd place three times in his first ever A main, and Scott kept his composure and went from 5th to 1st to take the win!



Finally, Pro was all about our man Tuffy! He'd been winning races all day and was looking like he could take the win. He was leading main 1 only to make a mistake on the third straight allowing Wozza to smooth on by. In main 2 Tuffy was fourth heading into the first corner. As the clipped in guys slowed up the slippy first turn, Tuffy let go of his brakes, stuck his foot out and came out in 1st! It was all down to the last main. Tuffy got the snap, but was pulled by wozza into the first turn, this was the way it sayed all the way to the finish, but it was enough to give Tuffs the overall win! Nice one!

Below: Photo courtesy of rhodopsin photography

Bit slack on the updates again with spending some time in manchester and then a week at the UCI centre in Aigle. I don't have a laptop so it aint easy!

Anyway, after a weeks training on the supercross track in Aigle we drove just down the road to Echichens for rounds 9&10 of the European series. I'd heard good things about this track, but I wasn't sure about it when we turned up, partly due to the amount of rain they had, and it was loooong!! By our practice though it had dried up good, I got all the jumps done and was enjoying it.

Saturday I had a good start getting 2nds in my motos, which gave me a good lane choice in the semi. I've been working on my gates since Douai so I went in confident! I went into the first turn in 4th and after the doubles on the second straight the top 4 pulled away and I made my 3rd consecutive main! The main didn't go so well for me, not such a good gate and from the outside too, I was trailing and came in 8th. Click here to watch my Semi from day 1.

Sunday I was going good again 2nds in the motos for an almost exact replica set up of saturdays semi. I was in the mix but going over the doubles into the first turn it got tight, I got squeezed onto the inside landing on the grass and slipping into 5th. I chased hard but to no avail. Shanaze won both days in her first race back after a spell on the velodrome.

I won't be going to germany but the next international for me is the Supercross the following week in Denmark. Really looking forward to that as it will be my first ever Supercross race!

No updates for a while, i've been kinda busy. No Races but getting some good training in even with the crap wether we had. A couple of weekends back we had a lot of snow in Norwich, There was not much chance to get any BMXing in. So I headed of to chicksands to try out the Flow MTB instead. It was a bit muddy there for chicksands but still waaay drier than anywhere else! Plenty dry enough to do the triple on the 4X anyway! The new bike ruled, it's so light and I just felt at home on it straight away.

Last weekend I did some gates at norwich with steve it was mighty cross windy but we got some good sprints in. So after the gate session we swung by snape trails with Tricker. Only one line was riding but just good to be out and riding the bmx and out of the crazy side winds! Steve provided ross and I with some comedy crashes during hs 360 attempts, think he was trying to trash his new hardcore hobbies team top first time out. Good effort though!!


This week I have been in Manchester doing some training with new coach grant white and Team mates Shanaze, Marcus and Kelvin. It's been really good training with those guys were getting a good team atmosphere going, I'm enjoying my time up here and getting loads out of it. Funny times chilling at shanaze's place as well.

Along with the Gym and spint sessions, we hit up Rotherham the other day and today we'll be going to preston, i haven't been there before so look forward to that. I had a bit of a crash yesterday during Grant's bunny hop time trial challenge in the velodrome car park... luckily the only injuries sustained was a bruised swearing finger and some stinging knees and hands! What a flamin gallah. Due to this I have now been relegated from the Hardcore Hobbies A team to the Hardcore Nobbies B Team.

Laters!