Downhill racer, Scottish National Youth and Junior Downhill Coach, Dirt School founder and our very own New Riders tutor Chris Ball has just been appointed UCI Mountain Bike Technical Delegate. Which is a long-winded way of saying he’ll be in charge of making sure each of the 14 UCI events (DH and 4X) are exciting, safe and meet the highest standards of international competition. It’s a critical, high-pressure role, involving liaison with event organisers and riders to ensure all technical and sporting aspects of the World Cup races are delivered.
“After years of only seeing World Cups from the riders’ perspective, I’m really looking forward to working with the UCI in a professional capacity and helping to further develop this fantastic sport at international level,” explained Chris. Look out for Chris appearing in a red UCI bib and telling people off at the Fort William World Cup from June 6-8. For more on Chris see our New Riders Skills feature on p190.