Next British World Champion

[as iow]

While Dougie still has a chance of winning another world championship,time is not on his side. So who do you think could be the next British world champion, who has that extra somethink that makes him stand out. Here is my list, agree or disagree.

1 Sam Haslem

2 Alex Wigg

3 Ross Danby

4 Jack Challoner

5 Jonathan Richardson

6 Nigel Crellin

7 Ben morphet

8 Jake Evens-Luter

9 Chris Stay....Sorry

10 Lee sealey

[steve]

Only one that I have seen ride myself is Alexz Wigg. I have seen many young riders before they were WTC standard and Alexz is as good if not better than any I have seen.

[nigel dabster]

Without wishing to sound like Lane it really more depends on the way these youngsters are brought on, maybe more than there innate ability.

Out of that list how many are as good or better than Steve Saunders at a comparable age?

As a for example, from the top I don't think Sam is that much different to Steve in ability at that age (16?), but Steve didn't do it either. Why?

Perhaps the ACU academy under his guidence can produce the next British w t champion but maybe not. I know it was a serious uphill struggle to get Alexz even on the academy in the first place. Manchester united take kids under their wing at 7/8 so why shouldn't we? Spain's licence costs something like

[cota kid]

I would include Michael Brown it that list.

[steve]

Out of that list how many are as good or better than Steve Saunders at a comparable age?

As a for example, from the top I don't think Sam is that much different to Steve in ability at that age (16?), but Steve didn't do it either. Why?

Surely you're not implying that Steve Saunders didn't make it are you? Ok so he wasn't officially world champion (I seem to remember he was for 15 mins! until someone put in a protest and Honda/Fantic wouldn't let Steve counter protest) But that's another story.

I have trained with the Spanish, french and English federations and it's quite obvious why the Spanish are so far ahead. Like Nige said it's the way these youngsters are bought on. Alexz is now approaching a crucial stage of his career, if Alexz was Spanish he would be training with the federation at least one day during the week (more in holidays) under the guidance of a former world contender. As he became old enough to enter World events everything would be paid for and organised inc. travel, mechanics and catering. If that's not enough you may be signed to ride in the Tarres team where you would live and train with the worlds greatest ever rider (in some peoples opinion!) Practicing on some of the best terrain in the world.

Having said all that none of the above has managed to produce a rider to beat our own Doug Lampkin!!! - Perhaps all you need is sheer bloody dertermination and Lampkin jenes!!!

[as iow]

I would include Michael Brown it that list.

Michael is out of youth trials, and need's to get into the UK top 10 this year to be on track. But i think he should be signed up to the T.T.T. Beta team because he is definately a winner.

[nigel dabster]

I was saying that steve never was WTC because he never was, fair or not.

My point about it although I didn't make it clear was that with the guidence back-up etc. he could have had it for a couple of years.

I have serious doubts about Michael Brown he is starting to go the way of Tom Sagar and to a less extent James Dabill. He has real abilty as do they all but where was Raga and Bou and Fajardo at their age? How old is Blasueik as well?

[chris]

How old is Blasueik as well?

He is not as young as you would think, he was riding in the Adult European Championship way back in 1998, so he must be about 23ish

Cheers

Chris

[morph]

I applied to the acu to get my son Ben Morphett (11)on the acu accadamy. Now i no he is to young to match there criteria. He won every british championship trial, ymsa trial, ymsa 3 day(won every day) and he rode the ymsa trial on 30/12/04 doing the b class route and won that as well (no results in tmx) Without help all our up and comming boys will suffer

Whats that saying you cant teach an old dog new tricks

[pro]

I think the ACU needs new blood, the people who are left to pick the Academy squad doesn't know the up and coming youngsters and doesn't seem to care if they can't make exceptions for younger talented riders. At the end of the day they are given a certain amount of money to help the talent which they don't seem to be doing that well!

There are a few lads in this country that need that extra bit of help.

[as iow]

As far as i know, last year there were eight girls in the ACU trials acadamy, and just four lads, somethink not quite right there. They all get there traveling expences to the training as well. When will the F***in A.C.U. realise that those of us who are into trials for the love of it and not just the money, would cladly take are kids to Steve for a days training for free if we had the chance. I agree that Steve should be aloud to run the training program as he see's fit, and not with one hand tide behind his back.

[pbkendal]

dougie lampkin

7 x outdoor champ

5 x indoor(is it?!)

did he train in spain(as a youth)

get acu money

have an accademy

moan!

you are born with what u are born with

then its down to hard work

if its money? wheres all our champs from the lottery funding to other sports

and yes! steve saunders was and still is a top man

he made it! he just needed that extra bit! to be world champ

but he still made it in trials!

best of luck to all our up coming riders, but put the bowl away! it makes it easier sometimes, but only raw talent and hard work will get you there.

[as iow]

dougie lampkin

7 x outdoor champ

5 x indoor(is it?!)

did he train in spain(as a youth)

get acu money

have an accademy

moan!

you are born with what u are born with

then its down to hard work

if its money? wheres all our champs from the lottery funding to other sports

and yes! steve saunders was and still is a top man

he made it! he just needed that extra bit! to be world champ

but he still made it in trials!

best of luck to all our up coming riders, but put the bowl away! it makes it easier sometimes, but only raw talent and hard work will get you there.

YOU are 100% correct but sometimes that talent needs to be steered in the wright direction. Not everyone has a Ex world champion as a father.

[neonsurge]

I have a theory on this. I'll confess that I do not have a detailed understanding of the operational structure of the ACU and know even less about the equivalent organisations in other countries so if anyone feels the need to put me straight on any inaccuracies in this post, please do. However, I've often wondered if the relative lack of support for up and coming youngsters in off-road motorcycle sport (and trials in particular) is a consequence of the monolithic nature of the governing body. I know that the ACU has a trials and enduro committee but I'm sure that whatever committment those people propose to make to the trials community must ultimately be approved at some higher level (especially where such committments involve significant funding) and in today's world that inevitably means some kind of potential return on investment analysis being performed. That kind of work is usually undertaken by people with no real understanding that the returns are likely to be in either the very long term and/or not financial - prestige and recognition may be the only tangible results.

"Welcome to the real world" you might say and in many ways I'd agree. But once again, remember that the ACU is responsible for all forms of motorcycle sport and if a purely pragmatic approach is taken to grass roots investment (as increasingly seems to be the case), then it's the more high profile disciplines that will receive the majority of the support. And in the UK that means road racing.

Just about every one with a passing interest in motorcycle sport (and at a stretch, sports fans in general) have heard of the likes of Neil Hodgson and James Toseland, even if only because of the BBC's coverage of WSB and brief mentions on Sport Personality Of The Year and the like. Most people know what motocross is, even if they remember it as "scrambling". But most people also have no idea that the sports of trials and enduro even exist and that's the problem: No public perception means that any investment by the ACU above and beyond their core responsibilities as the governing body is likely to be considered to be a loss leader in a purely financial sense and is therefore less likely to be approved. It's a vicious circle.

One obvious solution that's already been mentioned is an increase in membership and affiliation fees, but there's no guarantee that the increased revenue will filter back into the sport from which it originated. Motorcycle sport is almost unqiue in that the governing body is responsible for all levels if all of the diverse disciplines that fall under the catch all heading of "motorcycle". Take the FA, the LTA the ASA - there's a big difference between the highest levels of a sport and the sunday afternoon pub league but it's still fundamentally the same sport with the same rules so it's far easier to effectively distribute what funding is available to the areas that would best benefit the sport as a whole. Motorcyling isn't like that.

How about breaking up the ACU into its component parts and giving each subsequent division autonomy over its organisation and finances in relation to issues that affect that discipline directly? The "parent" organisation could handle the more run of the mill aspects such as liability insurance etc. but the divisions would be responsible for planning their own budgets and development. This would allow the people with most knowledge and experience the focus their efforts where they will be most effective.

This isn't intended to be a criticism of the ACU, just an observation that maybe it's become something of a multi-headed monster and motorcycle sport as a whole may benefit more from lots of single headed monsters being looked after by a benign keeper (if you see what I mean).

Edited January 22, 2005 by neonsurge

[golfpro]

Whilst Dougie may not have trained in Spain or had wads of ACU money thrown at him. I'm sure most of us would swap those things for being brought up within the Lampkin clan. The experience, advice and help from within that family for Dougie as he was growing up was surely as priceless as it was unique.

Raw talent, is indeed the most important basic ingreedient. Bur raw talent needs skilled tuition and polishing to produce the finished article.

If my lads could, they would practice and work hard on their bikes every day. However they would improve far quicker and learn much more if they were doing so with several other similarly skilled youngsters under the wathchful eye of someone like Steve Saunders.

Hard work and raw talent are vital but probably not quite enough.