TOM SAGAR – AIMING FOR BEC TITLE #3
The final round of the 2013 British Enduro Championship heads to the Muntjac Enduro in the Thetford Forest this weekend where KTM UK’s Tom Sagar is poised for championship honours. Taking five wins during the first five days of the series, Sagar’s form has certainly been impressive this season. Holding a 10-point advantage over his closest rival, Manxman Jamie McCanney, the Colwyn Bay Motorcycles rider has his sights set on securing title #3 this weekend at the Diss MCC Muntjac Enduro…
Tom Sagar: “I’m really excited about the race this weekend. It’s the final round of the season and I’m in a great position to win the championship. At the same time I’m also a little nervous. But that’s a good thing – I’m focused on what I’ve got to do. I know my riding is good at the moment so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it on Sunday.”
How have you been preparing for the Muntjac Enduro?
TS: “I’ve just tried to stick to my training program that I’ve done all year. It’s working well for me and if I changed anything at this stage in the season it would throw my routine off. With the race on Sunday I’ll try get out for a short ride on Saturday morning to loosen up a bit.”
The Muntjac is a course that you traditionally excel on. Why is that?
TS: “The Muntjac is an event that I’ve worked hard to be good at. The course is one of the best of the year but it’s also quite different than every other round of the series. It’s a single check lap that we ride about eight times in the day. Usually the final laps are extremely tight on time with nowhere to rest on the lap. I enjoy it because it’s not all just about how fast you are in the special tests but instead throughout the entire event.”
In February you raced and won in the same forestry that this weekend’s final will be held in. Does that give you added confidence for Sunday?
TS: “That was my first race on the Colwyn Bay Motorcycles KTM and I was surprised to take the win. There were a lot of fast riders competing and to beat them was very rewarding. I rode well in the race and my KTM worked perfect so it does give me an added boost of confidence going to the Muntjac knowing that my speed is good in that forest.”
The competition is expected to be tight with a host of top riders entered. Does that worry you?
TS: “It looks like this will probably be the most competitive weekend of the year. There’s a lot of top class riders entered, so the racing will be tight. Obviously Jamie McCanney is my biggest rival for the title. I’ve got a couple of points in hand over him so that is an added bonus but with so many other riders in the mix I’ve also got to make sure I’m still fighting for the win – I can’t afford to relax yet.”
What’s been the most important round of the series for you?
TS: “I think my two victories in Scotland were the most important of the year. It was the first round of the championship and I wasn’t sure where I would fit in. To come away with two wins in a convincing manner was a massive boost of confidence. They’ve definitely helped to put me in a good position for this weekend.”
How have you enjoyed your first season working with Colwyn Bay Motorcycles?
TS: “Our first season together has been great. I’ve developed a great relationship with Ian Smart and the guys in Colwyn Bay Motorcycles and they’ve been 100 per cent behind my racing efforts. So far everything has gone to plan. We’ve won the European Enduro 2 Championship and now we’re in a perfect position to win the British Enduro Championship.”
What will it mean to win the BEC title this weekend?
TS: “It will be a massive achievement if I can win the championship this weekend. I won my last BEC title in 2008 and I’ve been trying hard to ever since to win another one. I’ve come close a couple of times but just missed the cut. Hopefully at the Muntjac I can finally win that #1 plate back.”