OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
Some are even family members of the riders , and active riders in other championships themselves .
Their fathers were even friends before either Alvaro or Mario showed up on plant earth , never mind planet racing . Both Mario and Alvaro still live in the same town they grew up in . “ I went to work with Alvaro in GPs in 2013 , and continued since then ,” said Mario . “ My work in the race is to make sure that Alvaro is only thinking about the race . The suits , boots , helmets , I look after . I have rapid service arranged with Scorpion helmets , Sidi , etc , to make sure it is all ready all the time .” Mario has his own work table and storage areas inside one of the HRC trucks that would make a medical surgeon ’ s instrument table look messy and cluttered . Everything is laid out to the millimetre , all the riding gear , and special tools and spares to keep it all in perfect condition . It is like a colourful table setting for a royal banquet . Nothing out of place . As well as doing this travelling job , Mario also has his own paint shop back home , where he works between races . “ I paint helmets , cars , bikes , all ,” said Mario . One quirk of Mario ’ s working life with his old mate Alvaro is that although he travels everywhere with him , only Alvaro drives the hire cars . Even if it is for hours at a time to get to races or airports , aftr along trip . “ I am only the co-driver , looking at the map on the phone shouting , ‘ Left ! Right ! Left ? Stop !’” Yet another kind of almost accidental professional Rider Assistant , is Alex Lowes ’ guy , Dave ‘ Rocky ’ Ryan . He ’ s as much Alex ’ s personal friend as an employee , but there is really no old-timers motorcycle connection , unlike Mario and Alvaro ’ s mini-bike pre-school bond . Rocky is a recently retired pro boxer . A fighter . He first met Alex Lowes in the gym they both worked out in and they both had the same strength and conditioning coach , Kirk Gibbons . “ We used to train together in the mornings ,” said Rocky . “ At the beginning I probably knew zero about bike racing but we ended up spending a lot of time together , playing golf , going out for meals with friends . I am a few years older than Al - although I don ’ t look it - and I said ‘ when I retire from boxing I will come and travel with you , help you out with whatever you do , be your assistant .’ I think 2016 was my last fight and from 2017 that is what I have done - be Al ’ s assistant .” Rocky has been called Rocky for years , a nickname that has a long history . “ I was called Rocky from the very time I went into the gym at seven years old . There was a guy there who called me Rocky from day one , and it has stuck ever since . Everyone knows Rocky from the films but not everyone knows a boxer ’ s own name ,” said Ryan . Rocky is very apt indeed as he became a more than handy boxer and even got to the level of Super-lightweight Commonwealth Champion ( a global competition for ex-British Empire countries ) and WBC International Champion . Rocky had no motorhome driving role , although he stays in his part of the motorhome with Lowes on weekends . Somebody else drives the rig to and from races . Alex and Rocky travel together by plane and car to races , and Rocky makes sure all Alex ’ s gear is ready , in between rounds as well as on the even busier race weekends . “ I am just taking the stress away from him ,” explained Rocky , probably speaking for all his fellow Rider Assistants when he said , “ he does not have to worry about his kit and so on and solely concentrate on the riding with his Kawasaki team , Marcel and all . I am keeping everything in there for him making sure that things run smoothly .” With Rocky being an ex-boxer and all , I cannot resist the analogy that he is
EXCITING CONTENT
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