SAND TRAINING

Stan took an excellent opportunity to sit in with some training for the UK GAS GAS team as they prepared for the season and primarily the first British Enduro Championship event (The Muntjack), Norfolk, in late February.

This was the second of two purposely organised weekends to assist the team prepare physically and mentally for the coming season. Stan ventured out on the Sunday for the first time since returning from the Dakar Rally and was keen to get back on his smaller and more manoeuvrable KTM250 Six Days.

The day was set in Hampshire on a non-disclosed training area with the 3 GAS GAS riders, Ashley, Gareth and Bradley, joined by Steve Plain of Steve Plain Suspension, Rob Sartin of Talon Engineering, Al King from K4 ATV and Dave who organised the weekend's location. In addition the group had the pleasure of David Knight's company for two days who showed exactly what the new BMW450 can do.

The training concentrated on timed loops in deep sand and got all the riders thinking of how to get around a 2-3 minute loop as fast as possible, changing lines and practising various techniques to maximise the benefit.

Sunday seen the predicted 'Russian' weather close in from the east and hit the training location by mid-morning. Sand froze to the spokes of the rider's wheels, plastics and engines, primarily giving the KTMs a problem with carbs freezing, but this didn't deter a full day's riding and David setting a fastest time of 1min 56secs nearly 10 seconds ahead of the nearest rider, which is impressive on such a short training loop.

Everyone progressed well over the weekend and it's now just putting everything into practice as the season opener looms.

Thanks to Steve Plain and Rob Sartin for all the help with riding and suspension. Best of luck to the GAS GAS boys for 2009 and to David at the WEC on the BMW

At the minute Stan will not be competing at the BEC in Norfolk due to the entries being full when he returned from Argentina, but still looking at an late entry if possible.