Next British World Champion

[nigel dabster]

Absolutely.

I am a great believer in hard work but what does PB k mean by that? Yes doug has worked exceptionally hard but under GUIDENCE. This is what is required if we are to give any of the list at the top the chance to reach their full potential.

By the time they reach 16/17 they need to have evrything in place otherwise it won't happen.

The ACU need not pour thousand and thousands into it it needs to put in place a system which will alow the best youngsters the chance to shine.

An analagy would be that the best teacher in the world in a shed will produce children that can read and write far more quickly than one which can't. Which gets me back to the Steve situation that regardless of what he achieved surely he is one of the better placed riders who should (somehow) be given more time to nurture and advise.

As an aside when Alexz won in Euope last year it was down to the 3rd and final round and it was his dad Julian minding for him. Nothing wrong with that but this was a case where some extra help/back up would have been great. Somehow these lads need a bit more help. I could have minded for him but my skill was surpassed when he was 9, and perhaps we should be thinking about people like Steve Colley to mentor these hopefuls at bigger events/trips tp spain???

[tordijarres]

With apologies to all the very talented riders in your list, the only "young" rider I have seen displaying "real class", is James Dabill. However time will tell whether or not he has the complete package. He does now have the "Spanish-Connection" that seems to be deemed necessary. Perhaps he could also do with a sports-psychologist too.

Nigel Mansell was not the world's most gifted (and certainly not richest!) motor racing prospect in his early years. But even though (and maybe because) he is seemingly such an arrogant T?!T, with irrepresible self-belief, and undoubted determination, he went on to be world champion.

[toofasttim]

Nigel Mansell was not the world's most gifted (and certainly not richest!) motor racing prospect in his early years. But even though (and maybe because) he is seemingly such an arrogant T?!T, with irrepresible self-belief, and undoubted determination,  he went on to be world champion.

I recently read Mansells "autobiography" (didn't know he could write), until then I was not a Mansell fan, nor am I one now but I do have more time for him. Previously I lost respect for him at the Aus GP where he through a tyre. In the book he reckons not his fault, and blamed Williams who reckoned his tyres would last. When does self-confidence become arrogance? Jeez, beginner to black belt in karate in a year! Sufficient skill to be a golf pro. I reckon, in his case, it's just supreme self confidence. Mansell knows all about self-sacrifice too.

Back to the subject: Why can't the US/Aus/SA/NZ etc produce a W/C? Simple you must ride at that level from as early as possible. That means moving to Europe, riding with the Lampkins and so on. Spain has the right idea using Jordi as mentor and throwing the good prospects at the w/c early. None of this namby pamby junior world championships for Toni Bou. Straight in at the deep end.

Money? Look at Shane Watts in enduros. Went to Europe, ate raw spagetti and slept under the team van. That's determination, something Doug's got in spades.

My 2c worth.

[cota kid]

I started to read Paula Radcliffe's autobiography, got two thirds through but couldn't finish it.

[jordi]

never mind , you will finish the next one in record time

[perce]

I started to read Paula Radcliffe's autobiography, got two thirds through but couldn't finish it.

I think you've been reading the Kinell book on how to get lost, couldn't you find Cold Knuckles today?

DOMINIC COLEMAN SHE G RI 12 31 32 53 21 50 31 53 53 55 35 25 MM MM 33 32 53 M/S

[as iow]

What the hell has all this crap got to do with the original subject ?

Stop it now or i will tell my nan and she will come and spank the lot of you.

[rabie]

r2wtrials : "Of course the ACU is a large company with loads of your money !!"

and is it the right way to spend the ACU member's money on hiring this guy (proable want a few K or more) to permenatly be training kids ???

and even if you did every sport would want the same - no matter how small, etc.

the cost would be in

[subira]

I seem to remember that the National Lottery funds various 'Performance Plans', but from memory the sport had to be an Olympic event.

There's heaps of grants been given to Tennis, Rowing, Cycling, Triathlon etc. At national, regional and local level. Both for individuals and clubs (equipment and facilities). I know Trials isn't an Olympic event, but has a recognised British, European and World Championship structure.

Surely someone in one of the organisations, has sat down with UK Sport or the regional orgs. (eg Sport England, Sport Wales) to review whether a grant could be obtained for Youth development ? Or maybe they haven't.

[rabie]

you can access sports council money but its hard because you've got to be very involved in the relevant sports politics to get it - football, rugby, cricket, tennis and athletics steal most of the money (I'm told) and then you have to present a very car fully filled in plan (that is very PC, satisfy hippy this and tree hugging that) to get it

we've done it twice i think for MX in our part of the world (out of London sports council) but its very hard and the avenue we took has since been closed (i think)

rabie

[steve]

What's clear here is that we all agree a set up like Team Tarres would greatly benefit a rider. What we need to do is plan for the future, we need to be setting up a team GB and looking for funding. It may be from sponsors, acu or perhaps Dabsters got some spare change!

With the greatest respect to Steve Saunders I don't think he is the best man for the job, the best man for the job is Dougie Lampkin. Yes I know he's a bit busy at the moment but there's gonna come a time not too far away when he'll be looking for a new job and who better to train the next British World champion than the last British world champion?

Surely Dougie's name can pull in the required sponsorship as it did for Team Tarres.

Perhaps the acu need to employ someone that can set this up - someone like Niel Crosswaite perhaps? Look at the great job Niel did bringing major sponsors from outside the sport to Sheffield. How about it Martin, would Dad be interested?

Now is the time to start putting the wheels into motion, or perhaps they already are? Dougie must have considered his future after he wins title 8 or 9!!

Edited January 24, 2005 by steve

[Andy]

Dougie must have considered his future after he wins title 8 or 9!!

If you have a look at his profile on his newly-revamped website

"Future after trials: To run my own trials team & hopefully help young riders to achieve the same success as me"

[pbkendal]

two small points,

acu has loads of money? says who, and, would all the members agree to use money in this way. put a small increase on levy, insurance, membership or entry and its like world war III. so would it happen or even work.

lots of names banded about, but are the best riders, the best teachers/coaches? steve saunders i think qualifies, but do the others.

look at football(did i really say that!) was wenger or ferguson the best players? think the answers no.

am i right in saying kurt nicoll started riding at 14!(mind he never made it either, did he dabster. wasnt a world champion!

[steve]

To be fair to Dabster the topic is next British World Champion. He doesn't deny that Steve wasn't an awesome rider just pointed out that he was never World Champion.

As for the best riders not always being the best teachers, I think with Dougie you could learn a whole lot more that just riding technique.

Riding at the top level for so long he knows every trick in the book. It's all the little details that make that extra 1% the difference between 1st and 5th sometimes. A lot of which he has learned from his Dad, most of which learned from competing at the very top for so long.

If it was pure riding technique then I think Raga or Cabastany may have won last year. Many riders over the years have been so close but didn't quite make the very top step. Bosis, Miglio, Bird, Saunders. Now more than ever you need the whole package and I think the best person to learn from is the best in the game - Dougie Lampkin.

[glenn]

Just read this thread from beginning to end for the first time today, very interesting.

Just like to add a couple of things.

In my mind dougie would be the man for the job, not because of better riding skills, but because he has the mind of a winner. In most sports its not necessarily the fittest person or the most skilled person or the person who has trained the hardest who wins, it is the person who needs/wants it the most that succeeds.

Dougies 11 world titles are more to do with his mental approach to the sport than shear skill, it