Check out Derek Betcher's website (www.DB44.com), always has some good worthwhile updates and his last one is good about the UCI Supercross tracks. I think the big 4 story hill and "idea" they have is good, but it definitly makes it to where our training doesn't play as big of a role. One example is Kyle Bennett, I don't think he could have had any better of a year, won the UCI World Championships, NBL Pro Title, just missed out on the ABA Title but won the actual race, won just about every national hes been to, but has never made a Supercross main. He qualified second in Beijing on the Olympic track, and qualified first in France at the last round of supercross. You can't say hes one of those riders who has a lot of skill and no power because he can easily pull any Elite out there by a bike to the first jump if hes on, and you can't say he doesn't ride the tracks well because hes qualifies at the top on them. I watched some video of the qualifying rounds from France and he won a couple of those laps by 10 bike lengths or more. When you only get 3 pedals until you drop in and then your pedal strokes hardly mean anything, if your gates a hair late and the person next to you gets out just a little a head of you THAT lap, your off the back and the way the typical supercross track is built, you aren't going to be rubbin elbows down the first straight or passing too many people around the track. I really like the supercross tracks that I have been to, it's something different and is really fun to ride but I can see where Derek's coming from. All we can do is get used to it though and ride it. If you choose to not ride it then you don't have a shot at the Olympics, and I'm sure everyone wouldn't mind be there!
Anyways, up here in Monterey Dean Holdstock from South Africa flew in this past Friday and will be living with Gavin Lubbe (Also from South Africa, moved to Monterey a little over a year ago) until worlds. We rode a lot the first few days he was here. Saturday hit up the trails in Fort Ord and Sunday there was a JB.com Team Christmas party out at Bubba's house so we rode the track we're building there for a while. Did a few random slings and then rode the trails in Watsonville. Had some fun out at the trails, all the MTBers from the Santa Cruz area were out there so it was cool to see some people I hadn't seen in a while and made for a good sesh.
Yesterday I went and did a little shopping for myself and bought a MacBook Pro laptop. Things pretty sick but I have used a PC my whole life so switching over to a Mac will take some getting used to. Definitly liking it so far but I couldn't be anymore clueless with it.
The next few weeks start getting busy again. I fly out Christmas afternoon for Ohio where the NBL/UCI Christmas Classic, week after that is an ABA National in Reno, NV and Liam Phillips will be flyin in and will be staying at our house for a bit, see ya soon yowth! Late - JB
