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2001 PredictionsChris Akrigg  Cost: £15m Bike: Pace Chances: where the Nationals are concerned Akrigg looks dead set to win overall in the elite class just as he has done for the past few years on the trot. You might even see him win every round getting him a cool 75 points in the fantasy game. But where he won't be scoring will be at the Essex competitions as he doesn't do any of them, it's odds on that he won't attend any of the Essex rounds scoring himself a big fat zero in that vital area, and as there are now 10 rounds for EBTC that is a lot of fantasy points he will be missing out on. Nationals Prediction: 1st Overall EBTC Precition: N/A Martyn Ashton  Cost: £5m Bike: Cannondale Chances: Nationals wise it would be a very big suprise should Ashton attend any of the events and even if he was to no doubt he would compete on an out of class rule so he wouldn't effect the championship points, which is just what he did a few years back when he was last at the Nationals meaning no fantasy points sadly. Also on the Essex BikeTrial scene you've probably got more chance of winning the lottery than seeing him at one of the 10 rounds this season, so in other words i would be very suprised if he didn't get zero fantasy points all season hence the mere £5m price tag Nationals Prediction: N/A EBTC Precition: N/A Ian Cooper  Price: £6.5m Bike: Raleigh Chances: Last year in the Nationals he had a mixed season, coming an impressive 3rd in the first round he followed it up by not attending most other rounds and getting a few below par results at the oher rounds he attended, and with him being so involved in demos to earn a living it is very unpredictable if he will be at the Nationals or not, with the three big guns (Akrigg, Hawyes, E.Tongue) no doubt being there that leaves him fighting for fourth place with Matt Tongue and Stuart Matthews on paper but his form at competitions seems to be very irratic and i don't think he will score that many fantasy points. At the Essex rounds he won't attend so that's no fantasy points there Nationals Prediction: 9th Overall EBTC Prediction: N/A Barry Huskinson  Cost: £4.5m Bike: Megamo 26" Chances: Last season the young gun was between classes at the Nationals changing between the Junior, Senior and Elite class so he didn't do as well as he could overall but when he settles to the elite class where he belongs I think he could do really well, obviously a top three place is out of the question but I think he, Stuart Matthews and maybe Ian Cooper will be fighting for 5th place. That should be a good amount of points over the course of the season if he continually manages 5th and 6th places as I think he could well do. He is a regular attendant of all the Essex rounds and last season was the overall champion, which is quite an achievement, he didn't attend the 1st round however due to lack of bike as he is changing bikes at the moment. I don't think he will manage to win this season with Stevie Thompson such a force now he has converted to 20" Megamo but I think he will get a lot of 2nd and 3rd places giving him an amazing amount of points should things go to plan all season. Nationals Prediction: 6th Overall EBTC Prediction: 3rd Overall Rich Johnson  Cost: £4m Bike: Saracen Chances: Nationals wise I would be shocked if he was at any of the rounds as he is strictly a demo rider only at the moment, he hasn't been at a national for years. That's no fantasy points there then Same applies for the Essex rounds, no points again Nationals Prediction: N/A EBTC Prediction: N/A Darren King  Cost: £3.5m Bike: DMR Chances: At the Nationals last season he didn't do very well in the elite class with low results all season, but i think he has the potential to get some very respectable results as in the 1999 season he managed to finish 6th overall which is great. If the luck is with him he could be pushing for 8th, 7th or maybe even 6th place at the rounds this year. He could well pick up a few fantasy points this coming season At the Essex competitions he had a very mixed year last season sometimes coming near bottom and sometimes coming an impressive 4th touching 3rd, in the 1st round this year he managed 4th place just a few dabs off 3rd and i think he will have a good season this time and should pick up a lot of points from these competitions. Nationals Prediction: 8th Overall EBTC Prediction: 5th Overall Richard Lynch  Price: £4m Bike: Monty 26" Chances: Richard is a bit of a mystery to me, he seemed to come out of the blue a bit last season when he beat Martin Hawyes and came 3rd at one of the rounds, he also managed a very impressive 4th at another round proving his giant killing (pardon the pun!) was no fluke. But as an independent rider the amount of fantasy points he will get this season really depends on how many events he attends. I think he will either be a big hit this year or not really make a mark in the Elites. He doesn't attend Essex rounds so no fantasy points there Nationals Prediction: 7th Overall EBTC Precition: N/A Stuart Matthews Price: £6.5m Bike: Megamo 26" Chances: Last season at the Nationals was very mixed with an impressive 4th place at one round yet he didn't attend some due to injury. If his injury has cleared up i think the old timer could well get consistent 5th/6th places without the worry of Stevie Thompson who will be in the new 20" specific Elite class. He definitely has the experience to gain a lot of fantasy points during the season. On the Essex side of things he will be at all the events he can ride as his father does run the club! The Essex terrain is where he is best suited and a superb 2nd place in the 1st round suggest he could well gain an amazing amount of points during the lengthily 10 rounds this season. If he keeps away from injury i think he should manage 2nd or 3rd overall in the championships which would mean points of around 70-80! Nationals Prediction: 5th Overall EBTC Prediction: 2nd Overall Martin Hawyes  Price: £12m Bike: Giant Chances: At the Nationals this year there is little doubt that he will manage at least 3rd overall this season although he should be looking for 2nd place realistically. I doubt that he will beat Akrigg and it all depends on the level of focus from young Eddie Tongue who could easily have got 2nd overall last season had he turned up to the 1st round. I personally think that Ed Tongue will finally get the better of Martin this year and come 2nd overall but if Martin gets the 2nd and 3rd places I predict he will get this season he will get a lot of fantasy points. He won't attend the Essex events so no fantasy points there Nationals Prediction: 3rd Overall EBTC Prediction: N/A Stevie Thompson  Price: £8m Bike: Megamo 20" Chances: With the new rules at the Nationals of separate classes for 20" and 26" bikes that leaves Stevie on his new 20" Megamo in a good position as last season he was the only 20" elite rider, it has been rumored that the absolutely immense young talent of Kurt Brain could be moving up to Elite but even still this virtually hands 2nd place at every round to Stevie on a plate or even 1st could be in his sight even if Kurt moves up. I think he will gain a phenomenal amount of points this season. Also at the Essex comps it looks like he could end up the overall champion depending on if Kurt Brain attends any more already winning the 1st round this season with some ease. I would be surprised if he didn't at least come 2nd overall this year and with the massive 10 round season again he is inline to score even more points. I predict that Stevie will easily be the highest scoring rider this season. Nationals Prediction: 2nd Overall (20" Elite class) EBTC Prediction: 1st Overall Paul Thomson Price: £3.7m Bike: Monty 26" Chances: At the Nationals i think he would be doing well to get 6th place at rounds with the ever increasing talent of elite riders, i think that he will manage a few 7th places this season but only time will tell He should do quite well at the Essex rounds being a local rider and knowing the terrain well, but with the massive elite class this season I'm not sure if he will manage top 5 placings every round with the likes of Kris Leeson and Barry Deeks only just managing to get championship points at the first round. Nationals Prediction: 10th Overall EBTC Prediction: 7th Overall Ed Tongue  Price:£12m Bike: Pashley Chances: For the 2001 nationals Ed has a great chance as ever, I don't think he is yet capable of defeating the mighty Akrigg but I think he should finally beat Hawyes this season after so many near misses for 2nd overall in the championship. He looks set to gain a lot of fantasy points as he will surely be doing battle with Hawyes for the spot behind Akrigg. It all comes down to how focused and dedicated the man himself is after losing out to 2nd spot for silly reasons in the past such as missing markers in a section and getting 5 dabs for it, meaning that it moved him from 1st place in one round down to second. He won't be doing the Essex rounds so no hope for fantasy points there Nationals Prediction: 2nd Overall EBTC Prediction: N/A Matt Tongue  Price: £8m Bike: Pashley Chances: He seems to have a habit of finishing in 4th place overall seeming a different standard from most of the hopefuls that finish below him, but no where near the standard of the big three of Akrigg, Hawyes and his brother Ed Tongue. I think he will have more of a fight on for his famous 4th place this season if Stuart Matthews stays away from injuries, it should be a fight between the two and maybe Ian Cooper if he isn't doing demos and attends all the rounds for 4th place but I think Matt will come out on top again as most of the time he beats Matthews by a reasonable amount of dabs and I don't think Ian Cooper will be at all the rounds this year just like the last. He could be a very useful member to a fantasy team. It is unlikely that he will attend any of the Essex rounds, however saying that last season he did attend one of the rounds finishing in 2nd place behind 20" master Stevie Thompson. But if he does I think he will be likely to get either 1st or 2nd place depending on results from Thompson, Matthews and whether or not Kurt Brain attends. So there is an outside chance he may pick up fantasy points from the EBTC 10 round series Nationals Prediction: 4th Overall EBTC Prediction: N/A below I have picked the ultimate team that I feel will score the most points (if money wasn't a factor) It takes into account who does the Essex BikeTrials and the Nationals and does well at them both making them more likely to score the most points, you will notice that it isn't the strongest team on paper i.e.- take Martyn Ashton for e.g. who on paper should be better than Stevie Thompson but in reality he doesn't do any of the two competitions that count for fantasy points and so won't score as well as Thompson who does both and does well at both also. Ultimate Fantasy Team (if money wasn't a factor) Riders Selected from Elite Category Rider 1: Chris Akrigg- Pace- £15m Rider 2: Stevie Thompson- Megamo 20"- £8m Riders Selected from the Senior/ Junior/ Expert Category Rider 1: Kris Leeson- Leeson- £6.5m Rider 2: Jon Taylor- Pashley- £4m Rider 3: Simon Harvey- Saracen- £3.5m Rider 4: Kurt Brain- Megamo 20"- £7m My Prediction of overall results at 2001 Nationals 26" Master Class-
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