Catching up with Eddie Jaywade
The EMX85 championship will be decided this weekend in Loket and one of Britain’s best hopes is Eddie Jaywade. Eddie has been riding the Spanish and British Youth championships so far this year as well as the EMX qualifiers.
He has been riding well so far this year and leads the Spanish championship which is a great achievement, hopefully he can clinch the title at the last round.
Eddie is hoping for success at this weekend’s EMX85 championship at Loket. We decided to catch up with him to have a chat with him.
Gatedrop: You are racing in England and Spain this season, can you talk me through how your season is going?
Eddie Jaywade: It was going really well, up until my accident in Portugal I was in a strong place in the BYN after finishing third in round two and with the hard pack tracks coming up I was confident I could have a really strong finish, but with missing round three it will be impossible to win the championship now.
In Spain I have a fourteen point lead and one more race there in October, hopefully I can hang onto that championship. In the EMX qualifiers I had to miss the first round as it clashed with the first round of the BYN so I was up against it. In Italy I didn’t get the result I was hoping for even though I was second quickest, in the races I made rubbish starts and had to push which led to a few mistakes in the races. In Slovenia I knew I had the speed and with good starts I lead both races until I got involved with the backmarkers. In Portugal I felt confident of a win, but with less than 2 laps to go and a ten second lead I finished up in an ambulance instead of the top step and out of the top ten qualifiers.
Gatedrop: I believe you live in Spain, what’s the racing like there compared to the UK?
Eddie Jaywade: Awesome, the tracks are really technical and we always get sighting laps which I absolutely hate not having in the UK. We ride with the National MX1&2 classes and its great to watch the likes of Butron, Larranaga, Zaragoza, Prado etc and pick up some great tips.
Gatedrop: This weekend is the EMX85 championship at Loket, have you set yourself a goal for this weekend?
Eddie Jaywade: First of all I have to thank the guys at the RFME (Spanish federation) for pulling all the stops out getting me into the final. I know the starts are super important, because everybody’s quick. I will just do the best I can.
Gatedrop: Do you prefer sand or hard pack conditions?
Eddie Jaywade: I like both but just don’t get chance to ride sand very often.
Gatedrop: Rene Hofer comes in as a hot favourite for the title, who else do you think will be strong this weekend?
Eddie Jaywade: Rene is a great rider, he rarely makes mistakes, we have had some great battles, he is big and heavy and I am only little and light. Guyon and Cristino are strong from our qualifying group but I don’t know any of the other favourites riders from other groups so we’ll see.
Gatedrop: You are still studying at school, is it hard mixing school and motocross together?
Eddie Jaywade: Yes, in Spain you have to pass your exams each year or repeat the same year again. Thankfully I’m through. My school and teachers are fantastic. they support me by setting me work while I am away and letting me sit the exams when I return. The teachers have a whatsapp group to keep up to date with how the weekend’s racing is going.
Gatedrop: Also, what do you study in school?
Eddie Jaywade: We don’t get to pick subjects until you are 13 so I am still doing a mix of everything. I enjoy Maths, science and sport.
Gatedrop: The World Championship is also coming up at Russia, will you race that event and what goals have you set yourself for that event?
Eddie Jaywade: Mum & Dad aren’t keen on going to Russia and the costs involved are too much. They are saving up for Australia next year!
Gatedrop: You are probably Britain’s best chance of winning the EMX85 title, does it feel good to be one of the best riders in your country at your age?
Eddie Jaywade: I don’t really think about that, I just love riding, trying to improve and learning new stuff.
Gatedrop: Do you have any plans for next year yet? Will you move up to the 125 or stay on the 85 for another season?
Eddie Jaywade: I am still one of the youngest in the 85 class and I am not big enough for the 125, although this class is mega in Europe, you have to be 15 in the UK to ride. Hopefully i will start training on one at the back end of 2017.
Gatedrop: Do you have a rider that you look up to?
Eddie Jaywade: Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac because they all have great technique and I watch them to try and improve my style.
Interview: Andy McKinstry
Pic: Colin Mcilhagger
