MotoX Training Article
Training is a pivotal aspect of any athlete’s success. The results they get in major competitions is not only down to their ability, but their determination in becoming the best.
Apart from Tommy Searle, there has been a shortage of British motocross riders competing for the world title in either the MX1 or MX2 class over recent years. Where the problem lies is anybody guess, but after taking a recent trip to a motocross training school, the answer seems pretty evident.
N-GAGE is a training school that specialises in developing a rider’s psychological endurance as well as their physiological. Unlike the numerous David Beckham Soccer Academy Schools, N-GAGE does not have the state of the art facilities, nor does it have the crème de la crème of backroom staff. What it has is something much less glamorous.
Situated miles away from civilisation, N-GAGE is a training facility that is unlike many others. Rather than having a standard track, the field is split up into various sections calculated to develop each individual attribute. There is an oval track which tests the riders braking and cornering, with a specially designed short track next to it which allows them to put their cornering practice into a more realistic environment. All other aspects of racing, such as starts and jumps, are equally situated and Gary Wright, who founded N-GAGE, states that this is one of the main problems in motocross training today.
“Most training facilities do not have specially designed tracks to help develop a specific attribute. Most places just have one track and that’s it,” he said.
“To me a rider is not going to learn how to take a corner properly if he has to worry about going over a jump straight after the corner.”
Whilst many training schools boast the highest calibre of ex professionals, their coaching ability has been questioned by many experts and Gary believes that this is a fundamental problem within the system.
“Most schools that I have visited employ former British Champions based on their credentials as a rider rather than their skills as a coach,” Wright said.
“To be in the position to develop a rider, you need to understand the whole concept of riding a bike. By employing ex professionals you are primarily being given the knowledge of how to ride a bike at the highest level rather than learning the stages in getting there.”
Only cyclists and boxers compete at a higher work rate than motocross riders, which ultimately means that the physiological aspect of a rider is pivotal in their development. Gary stresses this in the programs he devises for his pupils with swimming one of his main training methods.
“I set individual targets for my pupils and in terms of swimming, I aim to get them to do a mile in less than 30 minutes. This will help their stamina which will be the difference in winning and losing after a 40 minute race.” he said.
N-GAGE primarily focuses on long term development rather than short term and for this to happen, riders lifestyles are developed as well as their riding ability. Aspects such as nutrition are altered and analysed to meet the demands of the sport.
“N-GAGE only use Optimum Nutrition prescriptions the same used by World Champions and the very best Athletes on the Planet. Each Athlete has their own plan to ensure they have the right fuel at the right time. It is very important to note that N-GAGE puts a huge focus on this area especially recovery foods.”
Gary offers a range of programs catered for different rider abilities. Classes include 1 – 1 training, group sessions, cornering practise and even female only lessons. However, due to the size of the school and the nature of the facilities, it is hard to promote his company to riders from other countries and believes that word of mouth is what has attracted most of his pupils.
“We went to Iceland a few years ago and met up with some riders over there. Since then we have been able to attract one or two riders to come and train with the school but it was a matter of finding the pupils rather than them coming to us.”
The training has had its flaws which may explain why we have not produced a World Champion since Jamie Dobb back in 2001. The governing body, the ACU, fund academy riders from the ages of 13 – 17 but no noticeable riders have come through the ranks. Wright believes this is a key issue in our pursuit for the next World Champion.
“The ACU spend around £40,000 on helping a number of riders. This is very little compared to the £80,000 the Italian governing body spent on Antonio Cairoli alone and as you can see it helped him to become World Champion.”
Becoming the next Jamie Dobb is by no means an easy step and to do so will take much more than just raw talent. Pain, will and determination is just part of the game and the rider who goes through that outside of racing will no doubt reap the benefits within their racing.
