OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
simplicity and being comfortable ,” said Sykes . “ I am on site , at my place of work , if I am injured I can go and lie in the motorhome and keep cool , get treatment in there in private . It is my place of rest and where I do my thinking - and relaxing , I have always invested in a motorhome and it is an investment in your work . I am here to do a job . I went for mine because it is a trailer . I am a big believer in them . I have had American motorhomes in the past but they have been stuck at the side of the road because a ten pound part has failed , and then you cannot get it for months . Because it is a trailer , if the ‘ donkey ’ breaks down you only need to get a new donkey in to get it to where you need to go . That is my feeling and that motorhome cost less than what a European camper would . It is a little bit of outlay on your job which gives me a lot more in return . If my team clothing gets dirty , we wash it in there . I have a wardrobe of clothes and shower products in there that stay there . I chose that model because it has a nice garage in the back and a king size bed that drops down in the garage so that my brother - also my rider assistant - can sleep in there . It is his private space in the evening . In the day the bed goes out of the way , it becomes my changing room and where I get myself together before riding the bike .” Simon Bentley , Tom ’ s driver but also Michael van der Mark ’ s rider assistant for 2021 , reckons they can get … “ Four or five hours sleep extra over a weekend , just because you go from here to there in no time , watch two hours of TV and then go to bed .”
“ I have always been a motorhome fan , because for me it is all about simplicity and being comfortable ”
EXCITING CONTENT said Sykes .
“ When the motorhome was broken down in Madrid ( for a long time ) we did the hotels thing , and had a little trailer on the back of the motorhome so I used that . It had a little bed in the trailer so I still had a place where I could get out of the way , but it was not the same as all the home comforts of the motorhome . From my dad ’ s point of view , you have a cupboard full of baked beans ! Andy , who drives my motorhome . He is like having a wife and mother all in one ! When we arrive my bed is all folded out and he comes in in the morning and makes me breakfast . I feel real spoiled to have that . He is my motorhome driver but also my rider assistant .” For Sykes , his choice is an articulated trailer style - very big - Motorhome , moved around by a proper HGV tractor unit or at a push a big engined flatbed truck with the right docking plate fitted into the bed of the truck . Sykes said , “ I have always been a motorhome fan , because for me it is all about
The size of Sykes ’ Motorhome inside is impressive , and it is a heavy thing , despite the lack of engine , as Simon explained . “ Tom ’ s Motorhome weighs 14 tonnes , so it is better off on the back of a real tractor unit . It is 38 foot long . All riders are different but Tom is pretty self sufficient so you keep the maintenance of it , clean it outside , set it up when you get there , get the satellite , electricity , water so that all of that is running . Tom likes to sort out the inside , so he is no bother at all .” Rea ’ s driver is also his personal assistant , Kevin Havenhand . He , like the others , does the minimum driving of the motorhome itself possible , and of course where he has to drive it depends on the calendar . But it is not constantly on the move or anything , and the
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