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Spain's leading Indoor riders seem to have a very different technique from yours, with many haVing come from a cyclo-trlals background. Would you agree that your technique Is better-suited to outdoor riding, and do you see any need to improve your indoor style? They do have a very good trick-riding style, and when you look at some of the things that Cabestany, Raga and Freixa do, it's fantastic. But they're a lot smaller riders, and it's a lot easier for them to practice that way of riding in Spain, because everything is so much grippier. If I could choose which style to have, I'd still have mine, especially outdoors. They still make so many mistakes. Beta; I got on so well with everyone, it was like being in their family. When I changed bikes, I had to really push myself again, which certainly didn't do me any harm. Now I'm getting close to Jordi's record of seven titles - that motivates me. I think top and bottom of it all is the fact that I still enjoy riding my bike as much today as I did when I was 10 years old. If I have a weekend off, I ride a bike. I just love riding motorcycles. You now live on the Isle of Man. How are you finding /lfe there, and why did you move away {rom your family home? It was very difficult to move away from my family, as we're very, very close. But I moved to the Isle of Man for a few reasons. Obviously there's the financial benefit, but I can also practice pretty much anywhere I want, which really helps. I think now, especially in the Winter, I'll spend more and more time in Spain, in Barcelona. I've bought a house there, and it'll make things easier for the indoors, too, as we're riding every weekend for the first three months of the year. You're learning Spanish and spending a great deal of time in and around Barcelona. Will you be setting up home there in the near future? No, not at all. Obviously, it's more of a central European base for the indoor season, and the Q A Your mental strength, will to win, and dislike of losing set you apart from your competitors. Why do you think your ability to "dig deep" is so much greater than your competitors'? Simply because I hate losing that much. When some people lose, they've forgotten about it by Sunday evening, whereas I'm still thinking about it the middle of the next week. I absolutely hate losing. I even hate it more than Foggy [former WSB champion Carl Fogarty], and he hated it. I've spoken to him a few times about it, about how much he hates losing, and how much he beats himself up about it. I'm the same; it really does affect me. I can't shut off from it or think, "It'li be all right; we'll win next week." It drives me mad for a week. factory is there, too, but I'm also spending more and more time with Amos and learning quite a few things from him as well, to be honest. It's good to have a change. I've ridden everything around my parents' home in the UK; I've ridden everything in the Isle of Man, too, so it's good to train on fresh terrain. But no, I won't be moving there on a fulltime basis. How does a professional sportsman like you Invest his winnings and salary? I buy property. I love it. I've bought quite a few barns and done them up, and it's something that I will seriously consider doing when I retire from riding. Four-stroke power will soon grace the World Trials Championship. How do you feel it will change the sport, and do you think the new generation of th umpers will be harder to ride? That's extremely difficult to know, because firstly, I don't know how they work; secondly, I don't know when they'll arrive; and thirdly, I've never been on one. The simple answer to that is that when Amos [Bilbao, Montesa test and development rider] tells me it's ready, and he's happy with it, that's when I'll do it, and not before. I'm definitely not going to get pushed on to it, that's for sure. It has to be better than what I'm riding now before I'll even go near the thing, let alone ride it in competition. It seems that you're not the favorite to win the '03 Indoor title but are the firm favorite to claim outdoor crown number seven. How important are indoor titles to you, and, barring injury, do you think you can win back the Indoor crown? Yeah, the indoors are important. But one mistake, and you don't make the final; it's that close. The trials have been getting a lot, lot easier; there were three or four trials last year where if you lost more than five marks in the opening lap, you didn't make the final. I don't think that that's a World Championship. Obviously, the easier it is, the more people can do it. If they're difficult trials, then nobody's going to beat me. A a U Q A a • e can you shed any light on Montesa's fourstroke plans? w~en I was in Japan, I begged them for a look, but they wouldn't even show me a drawing. I n _ _ lIS • NOVEMBER 13, 2002 47