Junior motocross champion Braden Plath’s world title dreams on hold
Ever since he was crowned the World Junior Motocross 65cc champion in 2018, Braden Plath had his sights sets on a follow-up campaign.
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Ever since he was crowned the World Junior Motocross 65cc champion in 2018, Braden Plath had his sights sets on a follow-up campaign.
The 14-year-old Edmonton rider bypassed last year’s Junior Motocross World Championship in Italy, choosing instead to channel his focus into a blockbuster return at this year’s event.
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You could imagine Plath’s heartbreak when he found out the 2020 Junior Motocross World Championship, originally scheduled to take place from August 8-9 in Greece, would not be taking place this year due to the going COVID-19 pandemic, with the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) delivering the devastating news in an official announcement earlier this month.
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“It’s been a mixed year,” Plath said, reflecting on a whirlwind last six months.
“At the start we had pretty high expectations because we were training to go to the Worlds but then all the COVID stuff happened and we didn’t really know what was going on.
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“Now we know it’s cancelled, and most of the other races are cancelled as well, so it’s been a pretty rough year.”
It would have been the ideal year for Plath to contest the 85cc class, which is restricted to riders aged 12-14, as he will be ineligible from next year.
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He said he plans to return to the world stage for another title tilt upon stepping up to the 125cc class, where he will be eligible to compete until he turns 18.
“The next time I do it will probably be in another two or three years, when I’m more comfortable in the 125cc class,” he said.
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Plath said he had just recently started training on a new 125cc bike, which was being finetuned for any race meetings that may go ahead later in the year.
“The first ride on it was really hard but then I got used to it pretty quickly,” he said.
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“Now it feels pretty normal, but my arms hurt a bit because it’s a lot bigger bike.”
Plath said he had been keeping up his training program, despite limited opportunities to race this year, with a focus on off-bike training and fitness.
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“I’m cycling pretty much every morning and when I get home from school it’s either gym or more riding, so I’m still training hard like I usually would,” he said.
“I need to be a lot stronger for that bigger bike, so my strength and cardio are the focus, so I can get used to riding that bike as soon as possible.”
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If COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, Plath is hoping to compete in this year’s Sunshine State Series, the Queensland Motocross Championship and the Australia Junior Motocross Championship, to be held at Rockhampton from September 26-October 3.
Originally published as Junior motocross champion Braden Plath’s world title dreams on hold