MattFracy.com

Matt and I are just back from a great trip to Ontario! It was a fantastic weekend, full of some great riding and competition. We arrived at the trials site on Fri AM about 9am after travelling all night Thur on the dreaded red eye flight! We got in a bit of riding even though we were all tired and managed to look at all the sections and the loop. It was apparent that we would be riding in some conditions we are not used to. Deep water crossings and mud! Luckily we had just missed tornadoes in the area the day before, but we were greeted with thunderstorm conditions.

Our plan going into the final two rounds was to be conservative. Matt was one of the few riders making the long trip to Ontario and we knew that he was in the lead in the standings. Day 1 saw Matt ride well, but not with the usual killer attitude that he usually exudes. That was in part due to me, coaxing to Matt the fact that it was important to be steady with no big mistakes and not to take too many risks if possible. The whole event was new ground for Matt having never competed in this type of terrain. As well, the scoring system they used is much different than we are used to in the way that loops scores were not posted after each lap. This made things difficult for us as Matt has always had the ability to raise his game when needed, and without knowing how the other riders in his class were doing, it was a bit of a crap shoot.

Final results on Day1 had Matt down in third place, but a solid podium none the less. First place went to David Tronnes from Alberta with a fine ride. His good placing made Matt take notice, and a quick review of the points after Day1 revealed that Matt would need a strong ride on Sunday to seal the deal and win the Championship! Day2 had almost all of the sections tweaked somewhat, and with the torrential rain that happened overnight, it most certainly made all of the sections harder than day1. Matt was focused and motivated and knew that a win on the day would erase any scenario that would see him not acheive his goal. For me it was such a huge thrill to sit back and watch him put in one of his best rides of the year. It was also evident for me that each and everytime Matt had been faced with the pressure of needing a clutch ride, he pulled through with flying colors. His ability over this weekend to learn and overcome muddy conditions, be agressive and smooth at the same time, was truly a spectacle to behold! It was exciting for me as his minder to hear all the cheers and well wished throughout the day, as well as the many kind words from people who sought Matt out in the pits when the event was over! In the end, Matt was only 2pts away from the win on the day, but another clear cut victory with the pressure on over his closest rival for the championship, halfing his score!

So all of this means that Matt, at the age of only 13, is the National Champion for the Intermediate class in Canada. A proud moment for all of us and especially me, his mom Lorraine, his sister Micaela and all of Matts sponsors who have helped pave the way to his success this year!!! Thanks to all of you! Next is a big celebration this weekend, and some time off. The it will be back to work and the continuation of all of our club trials from now till Decemeber.

After months of preparation, training, and competing, the wait is finally over! This Thursday, Matt and myself and our friends Ian and Devon Dargis are departing for the Nationals in Mansfield Ontario. We are all quite excited, and looking forward to get riding! The bikes are enroute as we speak and should arrive a day before us.

I think Matt is feeling very confident after some good rides at the last event only two weeks ago, and with some more training time on the new Raga replica, it should yield some great results. But, as I have told Matt going into this, it takes consistency to win a championship and although a couple of wins would be really satisfying, winning his first National Championship at age 13, would be much better!

Matt has had a nice week of getting lots of rest, hydrating, eating well, and the ever present workouts with his Mom!!! All of this will hopefully pay-off as it is a long flight to get back east. It sure beats driving though as I did many times when I was riding Nationals in the 80s. It will be an intense few days with lots of riding crammed in! We do hope to see a few sights on the Monday after, before flying home later that evening. For Matt, Ian and Devon, it will be there first time in Ontario. It should be a great experience for all !

We will report back as soon as we can, with results and a full story! Please feel free to post any well wishes, as Matt looks to try and win his first National championship!!

Last weekend saw Matt compete in the last two rounds of the PNTA championship.(BC, Wa, Or), in Goldbar Wa. It was a great event, and thank goodness the temperatures dropped slightly, so that riding was bearable. Even so, the mid twenties was hot enough! Matt was really excited about this event because it was the first time ever to compete on the new bike!

Day 1 started with so much promise, but was disturbed by the fact that Matt woke up with a terrible kink in his neck from sleeping. We had him relax all morning before riding, which meant not as much warm up. A few Ibuprofens still did not help, and Matt found it really painfull to move his neck any which way. The sections were not overly difficult, which meant that a few unlucky fives put Matt in a tight race for first place going into the last lap. The only section that had given Matt any trouble was #10, and we knew that the entire trial was going to come down to that section.  I told Matt that he really needed a good ride there at the end to have a chance for the win. The first two loops, he had scored a 5 and a 3 there. We both took a lot of time there analyzing at the end, so I was so proud of him to come through under pressure to score a magical clean on the last lap to win the event!!! It also was really a learning day to get used to the new 125 Raga bike, which is magical in its own right!

Day2 had similar conditions, except for the fact that it was evident early on that the sections were quite a bit harder than day 1. It was also clear early on that again, Matt recovered well from his ride on the first day, and he was going to be  ON !  It was one of the two very special rides that Matt had this year, almost mirroring his day 2 ride in Ioco earlier in the summer. In fact, on section 4, Matt was the only rider out of all the AM riders, who cleaned this section all three rides. The ride on the second lap was so perfect, I was speechless while he rode it, and it gave me goosebumps!!!! In the end, Matt again had a clear cut victory of 40pts ahead of his next rival.

It was a big confidence builder for him I am sure. The new bike is amazing and is so much better in all aspects compared to last years bike. Now, we have only two weeks to go for our trip to Ontario, and the last two Canadian Nationals which will conclude all the major competitions this year for Matt. Keep your eyes posted here for results and more stories.