My article about the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships

[MikeTheBike]

http://biketrials.com/comp/2007-09-09-UCIWorldTrialsChampionships/index.shtml

[stefan]

hey thanks
nice to get an inside look

[Patrick]

thanks for sharing.. This will be a good read as always

[va_tick]

awsome, thanks for such a detailed right up and the pics, looks like it was alot of fun!!

[aki]

Great stuff. Thank you :)

[Ross W.]

Awesome writeup Mike! Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Makes me wish I had the chance to do more comps.

[Megamo123]

Really enjoyed reading it, thx.

[J Trials 31]

Really nice work Mike! Always glad to hear from you. I'm glad our U.S. team at
least got to give it a go. They will definitely improve their techniques from this
year and can hopefully do better next year! Time for us to take down those French, Spainish, German, British, and whoever else is at the top! We will get there eventually!

[THEDEMOLITIONMAN]

One of my friends, who's been a trials rider since the early 90's. Asked me if Super G/JJ gregorowicz was competing today, how would he do at the worlds? As far as I know, he was ranked 2nd or 3rd in the world at one time. I did think it was a great questioin to ask.






Those that know who he is, how do you think he'd do at the worlds today?

THEDMAN

[jda]

Really enjoyed reading it, thx.

x2

[Fred Savage]

Great write up Mike, thanks for the reminder.

Fred.

[MikeTheBike]

One of my friends, who's been a trials rider since the early 90's. Asked me if Super G/JJ gregorowicz was competing today, how would he do at the worlds? As far as I know, he was ranked 2nd or 3rd in the world at one time. I did think it was a great questioin to ask.

Those that know who he is, how do you think he'd do at the worlds today?

THEDMAN

Having started Trials the same year JJ won the Sport class championship (!!) in NEPS and then watching everything he did, often in person, thereafter, I'd say he could stand a very good chance at today's Worlds. JJ's best finish was fifth, as I recall, in Master in Itadori around 1996 or so. That was riding against Bruno Arnold, Ot Pi and many others. He was only about 5-6 points back from first with an overall score less than 10 and said that he felt like he could have had more cleans if he were better prepared. Unfortunately, the next year he was not able to afford to go. That was pretty much the end of his career.

Others have said the same and I have to agree that JJ's best talent was the ability to learn new techniques in one or two tries. I've met others over the year who could learn something completely new in 3-5 tries but, during a comp, that's not good enough. Another thing was that JJ was always confident he could make it, even if he didn't on the first try. I'll have to apologize the other very talented riders I know but I must admit I have never, to this day, seen another US rider as confident and quick to learn as JJ. Ryan Cecil was very, very good before he quit but not even he was as sure of himself as JJ. From what I've seen, James Barton has some of this. He's still a few years younger the JJ was at his peak so James has time.

[lucky13]

Very good account of the goings on.

[THEDEMOLITIONMAN]

Having started Trials the same year JJ won the Sport class championship (!!) in NEPS and then watching everything he did, often in person, thereafter, I'd say he could stand a very good chance at today's Worlds. JJ's best finish was fifth, as I recall, in Master in Itadori around 1996 or so. That was riding against Bruno Arnold, Ot Pi and many others. He was only about 5-6 points back from first with an overall score less than 10 and said that he felt like he could have had more cleans if he were better prepared. Unfortunately, the next year he was not able to afford to go. That was pretty much the end of his career.

Others have said the same and I have to agree that JJ's best talent was the ability to learn new techniques in one or two tries. I've met others over the year who could learn something completely new in 3-5 tries but, during a comp, that's not good enough. Another thing was that JJ was always confident he could make it, even if he didn't on the first try. I'll have to apologize the other very talented riders I know but I must admit I have never, to this day, seen another US rider as confident and quick to learn as JJ. Ryan Cecil was very, very good before he quit but not even he was as sure of himself as JJ. From what I've seen, James Barton has some of this. He's still a few years younger the JJ was at his peak so James has time.

I remember back in 98', being at my first motorama and talking to a guy named Mark Brooks.I asked who the guy to watch was and he pointed to JJ and said he was going to win today.Then I began watching him and just being amazed at his riding and the facts he didn't have clips or clippless pedals.To bad he's not riding anymore, it was always great to see him ride.

thanks for the info Mike,

THEDMAN

[J9]

How old is James Barton and how long has he been riding for?

[MikeTheBike]

James is 17. I'm not sure how long he has been riding.

[CordyBoy]

4 years, 4 hours a day
I think.

[jamesb]

Its 5 years now I think not including BMX. At least 4h/day during the summer.

[Moment Designs]

JAMES B / OBAMA 08 l