Comment: Be prepared for anything at Matterley Basin

There are just two things I feel you should know about the weather and this weekend’s British Motocross Grand Prix at Matterley Basin – if it’s sunny and warm then wear a t-shirt and if it’s anything other then you should probably wear a coat. You’re all very welcome…
As everyone obsesses over what the weather might – or might not – do I feel that we should all take a leaf from the Scout Handbook and ‘be prepared’. In this case, that means wearing suitable clothing and some stout footwear.
I actually tried this for the first time ever at the Hawkstone International and had a whale of a time – insert joke about getting stranded on a sandbank and harpooned right about here – as I managed to stay warm and snug despite the inclement weather.
Being prepared on that occasion was certainly better than my normal winter MX experience of rocking up in jeans and a hoodie with a pair of sneakers on my feet and hating life right up until I’ve defrosted somewhere around Charnock Richard services, in the car, on my way back home.
I’m planning on making a full weekend of it at Matterley and so I’ll be taking a few spare sets of outer layers and possibly even a spare set of undies and socks n’all.
It’s absolutely 100 per cent important that I don’t get too cold or wet because if I come back with a sniffle then the missus will banish me to the shed until either my sneezing has stopped or I’ve actually died of Coronavirus. She’s nice like that…
As things stand, conditions at Matterley Basin are prime and provided wise decisions are made in the last-minute track-prep – and when isn’t it? – then the racing’s gonna be fairly special.
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We’ve been fairly lucky in the past with conditions at Matterley but the racing is always exciting whatever. The point is that you’ve got nothing to fear and the show will go on – you just need to be there to enjoy it in all its glory…
While Matterley will run it’s a little bit disturbing that the first round of the Italian Enduro Championship has been cancelled due to an outbreak of Coronavirus.
It’s not the only sporting event to have been culled in Italy due to the virus as several Serie A football league games have been called off n’all.
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It’s good to see that appropriate action is being taken but I’m not sure that an outdoor sporting event poses the same risk as a supermarket or shopping mall, say.
Whatever, I just hope that the UK remains relatively unaffected and the sporting calendar remains intact…
It’s hard to believe that it’s 19 years ago that an outbreak of Foot and Mouth put an end to all off-road motorcycle sport for around six months. That enforced break had a hugely negative effect on certain sectors of our industry and it’s not something we need to happen again.
Unlike 2001 where there was still an opportunity to ride at purpose-built facilities on a non-competition basis, a clampdown on medical grounds is almost certainly gonna be a full-on ban on everything.
Scary thought, huh? So stay safe, have an awesome weekend, wrap up warm – or don’t if it’s sunny – and remember to use your hand sanitizer on a regular basis…
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