Jake Whitaker

Hi everyone sorry haven’t been able to write up anything on here for awhile as we went to Paris for a bit of a holiday and I didn’t want to take my laptop for security reasons. Anyway I had a great time and it was awesome to be able to see even more of the world. One of the highlights of that trip would have to be the Eiffel tower. It was really massive and to be able to stand under it and look up and see all the huge beams of steel going everywhere was really something. We also went and saw it at night time when it was lit up and all the flashing lights were on.

We used the trains to get around as its the quickest and cheapest way but it wasn’t the nicest as there was lots of beggers and people living on the ground in all the subways. We had a nice hotel just out of Paris which was good but the only tv chanel we could understand was CNN the news channel so we knew what was going on in the rest of the world because there was a couple of wet days and that was our only entertainment.

The trip back to England was good but seemed to take longer than the way there. We went on the Euro star the train that goes under the sea, so just that on its own was an awesome experience doing about 300km.

I have now got my bags all packed up ready to go to the airport tomorrow to fly back home. I’m really looking forward to getting home to my own bed and seeing everyone. It feels like I have been away for ever.

Today I rode in a British youth championship and once again found it hard, but it wasn’t that the sections were too difficult it was that the trial was held under non stop rules so as soon as you stopped it was one point lost, so it was really frustrating when I had some awesome clean rides but then still have lost some points for stopping.

All the sections were in a very wet and muddy gulley with heaps of roots everywhere. I had some good rides today but on a few sections it was hard enough just trying to get through the mud so I just had to push the bike through.

We were in a bit of a rush after the trial so I wasn’t able to have a good look at the results but from a quick look I finished around ninth on 91 marks lost which isn’t too bad considering it was my first non stop trial.

We were ment to be traveling to Norway this week for a European championship and another youth championship but that plan has gone down the drain as Luke isn’t able to drive the van because he isn’t old enough so thats a bit of a bugger. We can’t even go practising here in England because we don’t have a driver to drive us places. So we have decided to take the bikes back to the shop tomorrow and go and have a look around London and then head to France for a week for a bit of a holiday.

I would like to be doing some more riding while I’m over here as every time I’m on the bike I’m feeling stronger but these things happen and there isn’t anything we can do about it so were just making the most of the time we have here.

This afternoon we went out to the local practise ground with another rider. It was really good riding with some one else my own age and at the same riding level as me, because we were able to push each other along and towards the end of the ride I was doing things that I wouldn’t of thought about doing at the start of the day.

There were some good rock steps that we were doing and on the side of a steep hill so it had all the stuff that I needed to practise. I started riding at about 6.30 pm and went on to 9.30pm. It was a bit different riding at that time of the day but it didn’t bother me because I was so keen to be on the bike.

These next couple of days we might try get out for another practise and we will be getting the bike ready for this weekends British Youth Champs.

Last weekend we got to the trial site on Saturday afternoon. The weather wasn’t the best, we had no power and couldn’t find fresh water anywhere. Sunday morning I slept in and was woken up with Luke telling me i had 15 minutes until we were going on the practise lap. It was not nice having an empty stomach and having to climb 12 sections of cliffs.

After the practise lap i got more organised and had a good meal and was ready for the next five hours of minding. I would ride a trial any day before putting my hand up to mind again.There were some massive rock steps that I had to catch the bike on and only missed it a few times.

Luke wasn’t happy with his performance but its all a learning curve and he knows what he needs to improve on.

Yesterday was a rest day for Luke so we hit the mall and just had a look around the local town.

Now we are currently in Yeovil and are jacking up a practise for tomorrow night with a few of the local lads.

Today We went to one of the biggest theme parks in the UK Alton Towers and I have never been more scared in my whole life. We got there nice and early hoping that most people would come a bit later in the day so we wouldn’t have to Que up for the rides for ever but no there was already thousands there. The first ride we got on was mental, and the words that were coming out of my mouth would not of impreased my Mum.

Some of the rides I was to much of a woss to go on but Libby wasnt scared at all. I couldn’t belive some of the stuff she was doing and it wasn’t even much of a big deal for her so i was getting showed up buy a chick. HAHA

After about four hours of getting the living day lights scared out of us it was time to go. Walking out the gates of that place was such an awesome feeling and I would much rather ride in a world championship trial than go back to another one of those places again.

These last couple of weeks we have been talking to the TRW boss about next year quite a bit and there might be an opportunity for me to go live in Italy at the end of this year and join the team and ride for them next season.

This is some very exciting news for me but also slightly scary as it’s a long way from home and I’m already starting to miss home now.

I got to have a ride on one of the TRW 125’s and was very impressed with the amount of power it had and how easy it was to flick around despite it being a bigger and heavier bike than the Gas Gas