On The Pegs 54
really tough obviously . I ’ m sure if he ’ s really interested in doing it somebody will give him a good bike and he ’ ll be on the best equipment and be able to do it and have a legit shot , but you step away for a couple years and those guys step it up each year . Maybe you don ’ t really realize it just watching , but you know as a rider when you get out there on the track and you start doing laps and you ’ re like , I know where I once was . You always have that in the back of your head and you ’ re not there , it doesn ’ t play in your favor . I know that feeling . He ’ s more than capable of going out there and winning and being a great competitor . But at the same level , it might be a tough ask . But he ’ s still definitely capable of winning races and fighting for podiums . But it ’ s all a mentality .
So he went out at the top of his game like you are . Are you afraid that in a couple of years you ’ re going to regret this and think , I got to get back in it ?
I ’ m actually more excited about the stress being gone of having to uphold an image that is rather unrealistic . Like I said , I ’ m content . I ’ m happy with what I ’ ve been able to accomplish . There ’ s nothing left to prove . I can ’ t say I ’ m not going to wish I was out there , because at the end of the day I ’ m still more than capable of being out there and having good results and probably still be the favorite to go into the next season to win the championship , but you can ’ t look at it like that . I made my decision and I ’ m pretty set with what I ’ ve done . Maybe in the next couple years it might be tough , like “ I can still do this ,” or whatever . You ’ re going to have those thoughts , but at the end of the day it ’ s more relaxing to just be hanging out and not have the stress of having to be the guy . I ’ ve done it for so long . The fear of losing is greater than the joy of winning . That ’ s why I want to go out on top . There ’ s nothing left to prove . What ’ s two more championships ? What ’ s one more championship going to mean ? But if I lose , what ’ s that going to mean ?
I know you love golf . Are you able to go and just relax and play it , or does that competitiveness take over there too ?
In all honesty , I can ’ t do a sport without getting pissed off . It doesn ’ t matter if I ’ m having the greatest day of my life or having the greatest race of my life . I ’ m still going to come in and I ’ m going to bitch about that one thing that I did wrong . It never leaves your body . That ’ s why I ’ m probably not going to be able to ride for several years before I can actually get some sort of enjoyment out of it , because I ’ m always going to bitch about how I could have done this when I was in better shape or riding all the time . I do get enjoyment out of other aspects , but I feel like I ’ m getting the enjoyment out of it because of the competitiveness in me and not