Emyr Davies – Twenty14
It’s fair to say Emyr davies has had a pretty fine year in 2014. He’s had some pretty special results and the trajectory seems like it can only go one way into 2015.
Nailing 5th spot at the final round of the BDS, 8th position at this years Mega, 60th at the Meribel World Cup and a whole heap more quality results the length and breadth of the country Ems is a man on the up. We caught up with the Team Ride It Out rider to get his thoughts on the 2014 season.
First things first – 2014. Best season yet?
Ai butt! 2014 has had some unreal good times and some good results to boot too!
It’s been a hard few years before this season. With trying to finish uni, and in 2013 my girlfriend was ill with cancer so it was a hard time for us both! Think I’m on a rebound year of goodness! I’m just glad to be here racing with me and me missus healthy!
Without her I’d be no where near where I’m at in life now.
Like so many others you’ve been on 275 for most of this season. Has that had any impact on your overall pace? Does it make a difference on the DH bike?
Yeah, I was a bit unsure of it all to be honest, having never even tried a anything but a 26″ my whole life.
I literally built up my 275 wheels and frame the night before Fort William World Cup practice. That first practice run I knew the bike was faster! I don’t think it’s just the 275 wheels that make a big difference though. My new Morewood 275 frame is a lot longer, slacker and lower than the old 26 version, these factors combined give the rider more room to play with, more room to get wild while still being able to remain in control. It genuinely feels you can get away with a lot more on big wheels!
That 14th spot at the Mega. How did you nail that amongst all the carnage?
Haha! Yeah some week that was! The weather was horrendous! Living out the Toyota Hiace was hard! The majority of my time was spent in an underground car park hiding from the weather!
The race itself was nuts! We didn’t get to practice the glacier all week because there was too much snow, so I had no idea what to expect!
I had a mint start being in 3rdish on the snow until an unexpected corner on the glacier came up and I got tangled in some crash netting!
The rest was wild, something like 5/6 crashes, and some serious bonking! I managed to pass a shit ton of squids who couldn’t ride the muddy tech stuff, and then the mud got so bad I had to walk for 10mins unclogging the wheels every 20yds or so! Ha what a race!
Some video footage would suggest that you probably would have placed even higher than 14th had it not been for some riders not exactly playing fair. What do you reckon?
Well I was pretty pissed off about that to be honest! The bit where you had to walk for 10 mins was a traverse that came back on itself, and maybe 4-5 riders cheated and took a massive straight line missing all the traverse, and all the walking. Fucking cheating French! I know they were all French cos I found em after and gave them a right piece of my mind!
You’ve done a fair few World Cup rounds this year. How have you found them?
Yeah, done all apart from Australia and South Africa.
It took me a long time to figure qualifying out in the previous years, whereas this year I’ve qualified strong in most of the rounds, with an all time best of 32nd at the last round in Meribel. Finals I’ve had a bit of bad luck though! Pedals smashing, and a freak 5 minute thunder storm in Fort William but that’s just racing I guess. I’m confident I’ll be smashing finals next year!
This year my racing has just sort of clicked, I don’t really get that nervous before a run anymore.
I think that it’s just took me a while to realise that the people I’m racing against, these people that I used to idolise, are just skin and bones like me, no different. So there’s nothing stopping me beating them.
More in store for 2015?
Hell yeah! There’s plenty more in the tank for next year! The World Cup calendar looks prime next year! Some proper tracks! I’m gonna be training harder than ever this off season, and taking forward what I’ve learned this year to give it some noise next season. Can’t wait.
Your 5th spot at the last BDS. That must be massive confidence boost for the end of the season going into 2015?
Yeah, I kinda said that I wanted to podium at that race the week before. And I felt my form was good, so self belief made it happen. But so stoked to pull it off! A podium at a BDS is as good as a top 20 at a World Cup the level is insane in the UK right now. And to be that close to all the boys, only 0.7 off 2nd place! Now I now I can run the pace of those boys, there’s nothing stoping me from doing the same each race next year.
Finally, what are you expecting from next season?
Cause baby ain’t no mountain high enough,
ain’t no valley low enough,
ain’t no river wide enough,
to keep me from getting to you, baby!
Sorry got carried away there!
Next season, I’m expecting to be up there batting with the boys for some top 30 positions at World Cups and a take a top 5 overall at the British Downhill Series…While having as much fun as possible along the way!
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Twitter @emsdavies1
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Photos By – Sarah Barrett