Dion Picard off to the USA

The event also known as the Winter Olympics brings the best Motocross racers to Gatorback Cycle Park, Florida, to compete in three days Supercross followed by three days Motocross battling it out for the Olympiad Champion. Dion is more than excited at putting his MX and SX skills up against America’s best finalising preparations for the trip ahead. I caught up with Dion in between gym sessions, bike motos and chill time to see how it’s all going before flying out to the USA.

Sharon Cox: The past few weeks must have been full on, with great results at Taupo Extravaganza winning 14—16 years 250cc 1-1-1, and now this huge opportunity to compete in America. How are you going?

Dion Picard: Good, I’ve got my fitness back, I have a new personal trainer who has worked out a new training programme and I feel like I’m riding good. I felt 100% going into Taupo Extravaganza.

In September you competed in Australia’s Junior Motocross Championship, how did that go?

There were unexpected things that happened, crashing...I’m not really known to crash, and I expected to get top 3, but that’s Motocross. Suzuki Australia were great, they helped me out last year and this year too with a brand new RM Z250F, we took all my suspension over. My fitness was good, bike set-up was good, just a bit of bad luck with crashing, but that’s racing.

It was in Australia that you met Colleen Millsaps from America and the opportunity to race in the US has come about from this...what has come together?

Last year Colleen was in Australia as well, I pitted with her and met other rider’s from MTF (Millsaps Training Facility) that had come to compete in Australia with Colleen. This year, Colleen must have been watching me. She asked Dad ‘would Dion be interested in coming over to MTF to ride a 450cc?’ Yea, I was pretty excited. From there we’ve been just talking and organising it all and I fly out on November 11th. Pretty awesome really.

The event Mini O’s or Winter Olympics sounds a huge opportunity to put yourself against US MX rider’s The event schedule is really different from anything we have in NZ with 3 days racing Supercross then 3 days racing Motocross...how have your preparations, training and bike time been going?

Yea, I’m a little bit nervous, I’m not so much worried it will just be a bit different going straight from Supercross to Motocross. Colleen has said that we don’t have to run SX suspension as the SX track is not really full scale, its kind-of tame SX layout. My training at home has been to build up strength on the 450cc and instead of training hard out for 12 minute motos I’ve been training for 18-20 minute motos. Mainly I’ve been training on Rotorua track it’s pretty hard pack and fast.

The Mini O’s event is pretty full on with 56 SX classes and 57 MX classes, the event is in Florida...what will your plans be when you arrive and up to the event?

When I get there, I’ll go to MTF with Colleen, settle in, and keep my fitness up and the best bit Colleen says ‘we can just ride all day whenever we want! Then it’s a 3 hour drive from Georgia to Florida and compete in the Mini O’s event.

Lastly, will Dad or any of your family go with you?

I’m doing it by myself, yea I’m a bit nervous about it. But Colleen has given me an awesome opportunity, has put in alot of effort to get me over there and I’m just going to give it my best as shot.

Dion at the Taupo Extravaganza.  Photo coutesy of Guy Maxwell / Mad Max Photography.

Dion’s results and how it’s all going will be up-dated on www.moto-media.net and Moto-Media Facebook.