{"id":26928,"date":"2023-08-11T17:49:11","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T15:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbuk.com\/?p=11766"},"modified":"2023-08-11T18:36:19","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T16:36:19","slug":"unreal-charlie-hatton-reflects-on-his-dh-world-champs-victory","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/rss_feed\/unreal-charlie-hatton-reflects-on-his-dh-world-champs-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cUnreal!\u201d \u2013 Charlie Hatton reflects on his DH World Champs victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

How the young Brit stayed on track, beat the world’s best and got his own theme song! <\/p>

By James Costley-White\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 11 August 2023 at 15:49 PM<\/p>

\n\n

After his incredible victory at Saturday\u2019s UCI DH World Championships in Fort William and some emotional celebrations in the Atherton Racing pits, we figured it was about time we caught up with young Brit Charlie Hatton to get the lowdown on his race weekend, finals run and what it\u2019s like to be the new downhill world champ.<\/p>\n

Pics by Steve Behr<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Did you have any inkling it was going to be a special weekend for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be fair, yes! After the Fort William Nationals, I was feeling good (I came third, behind Laurie Greenland<\/a> and Matt Walker<\/a>), it\u2019s probably my favourite track, and World Champs is extra special, so I was excited for it. I\u2019d had a really good two weeks\u2019 training, so physically I felt strong and I was feeling really good on the bike.<\/p>\n

A couple of days before we headed up to Scotland, we headed over to Antur Stiniog<\/a> for some laps, and there was a really big British crew there \u2013 me and Rach<\/a>, Joe Breeden, Bernard Kerr<\/a>, Jordan Williams. We had a great time, so I was pretty buzzing after that. I thought if I had a great run, a medal would be possible.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

How did you feel during your finals run? Did you have any idea what the conditions would be like? <\/strong><\/p>\n

After qualis, I knew I was riding well, so that gave me a bit of a confidence boost. I had no idea what it\u2019d be like because we\u2019d all practised in the dry, but Joe Breeden was in the woods for me, sending reports back up to the top on what the track conditions were doing.<\/p>\n

At World Champs, full commitment is always required, but when conditions are so wild, if you\u2019re real confident on the bike and just let it slide around a little bit, that\u2019s the key. I do really like the wet.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

It\u2019s often hard at Fort William<\/a> to know if you\u2019re going fast, but especially with the weather being so different, it was so \u00a0hard to judge, and vison was so much worse, so again that made things harder.<\/p>\n

But it felt like I was at one with the bike, no real mistakes, perfect flow, so I could attack at the top, get through the woods solid and pedal like mad at the bottom! I was absolutely gassed at the finish. I put everything into that run.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

What do you think helped you stay upright and fast while others slipped out or crashed?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The confidence to just keep going and let the bike do its thing and move around a bit. There were a few places where I look back and think, \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t relaxed there, I could have come unstuck\u201d, but that\u2019s the big advantage of the Atherton bike<\/a> and the trust we have in it.<\/p>\n

Andi [teammate Andreas Kolb] will tell you exactly the same \u2013 he made that little mistake in the woods but he didn\u2019t panic, just trusted his bike and rode it out.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

How did it feel sitting in the hot seat, especially when it became clear that last-man-down Loris Vergier wasn\u2019t going to beat your time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honestly, it was the weirdest feeling ever! You\u2019d think the emotions would be flying, but I felt almost nothing. Maybe, like, shock and disbelief that it was actually happening!<\/p>\n

When Andi won at Leogang in front of his home crowd, he was bawling! But I was \u2026 I dunno, I can\u2019t describe it really. The emotions hadn\u2019t kicked in, for sure!<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

After Andi came down, I knew I had a medal so I did start to get a bit excited then. We\u2019ve joked for the last couple of years about going one-two in a big race, but not like it could happen\u2026 and it did! Ridiculous!<\/p>\n

So good for Atherton Bikes, too \u2013 a British guy winning at home on a British bike designed by his teammates!\u00a0 With Andi winning the silver, too, if Rach hadn\u2019t been injured, who knows what the weekend would\u2019ve looked like!<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

Has it all sunk in yet?!<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, definitely not. Throughout the day I get little reminders and I\u2019m like, \u201cWow, it was real!\u201d. It\u2019s definitely going to take a while. It\u2019s been a bit crazy \u2013 like, some of the team stopped for a meal in the services, and this family came and sang them a Charlie Hatton song!<\/p>\n

Anything you\u2019d like to add?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, a huge thanks to so many people who\u2019ve been a part of this. To Andi, for constantly pushing me on and dragging me upwards. To my family and Cara for putting up with everything! [Dad] Les for traipsing me around Europe in his van, back in the day.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

To the team \u2013 Lloydy [team manager Tom Lloyd] and the boys do such a great job; you\u2019ve got the two Bens [mechanics Ben Lovell and Ben Oakeley] pumping up the tunes and bringing the good vibes in the pits; [Alan] Milway and Wayne [Peter] on the coaching and physio; Dan<\/a>, Gee<\/a> and Rach for believing in me; Dom [Platt], our junior, for making us laugh and not minding that we bully him rotten; and to Brownie [team director Dan Brown].<\/p>\n

And to the guys at Athy Bikes who\u2019ve made this beast of a machine. Ed [Meakes], one of the frame builders, had put in so many extra hours polishing the lugs and making it look extra-special, and we had fresh kits from Endura, custom mudguards, brakes \u2013the team partners really went the extra mile! Unreal.<\/p>\n

\"Charlie<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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