Besides putting finishing touches / adjustments on equipment , riders will typically take the day to walk the course and evaluate the terrain . Alex was able to lean on friends , and fellow Sherco riders , Logan Bolopue and Pat Smage and learn how to read the obstacles that he was going to have to face . Admittedly , with all his trials training and littleto-no big-bike experience , he was approaching the course from a trials mindset , trying to figure out exactly where to hit each rock and how to transfer from one obstacle to the next , much to his friends ’ amusement . Logan ’ s dad , Lewie , was also on-site , helping serve as his son ’ s pit crew , but also available to help answer questions that Alex might have throughout the weekend .
For those who don ’ t follow trials , Lewie can also be found acting as Alex ’ s minder at the national trials events , helping to catch bikes , provide mechanical and nutritional help , and be Alex ’ s right-hand throughout the competition .
When Saturday morning rolled around and everyone was gearing up for the first qualifier , one very important piece of the puzzle was missing : boots . As they had been shipped to the AirBnB where the Sherco team was staying , it was mere minutes before racing started that they arrived . At least the weather decided to hold out for the weekend , with clouds gracing the start of the first of many races .
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 76