Sometimes it gets a bit boring just reading about rally stuff, so I’ll do my best to bring you some interesting and most likely funny stories from our travels, and we’re never short of those with old “one drink wonder Macneall” around!
Rally GB went ok for us. Sixth overall was not too bad but we had car troubles on the opening leg which lost us over a minute. If not for that, I think we would have done pretty well.
The lead up to the rally was very eventful when the test truck slid off the road in mid Wales. The boys were all OK and it was just after our last day of testing so it didn’t disrupt our preparation for GB.
Petter unfortunately missed a day’s testing… oh well. Losing a day of testing meant Phil (Mills) could take us for some good old fashioned Welsh clay pigeon shooting. Petter tagged along too with his hat that looked like it was stolen from a 92 year old Welsh sheep farmer!!
Shooting’s good fun and Phil is really quite the marksman so he showed us how it was done. Glenn, though, still managed to nearly shoot his foot off and gave himself a massive bruise on the shoulder. (He is quite fragile, though!)
Basically before each event I like to do a solid fortnight’s training, maybe two sessions a day, because it helps not just my fitness but concentration levels for when I compete. I usually like to go for a run each day and accompany that with either a gym session or some sport, usually tennis or squash, and lately I’ve been getting into my golf.
We had a round at the famous St Andrews in Hamilton after Rally NZ, not quite the same as the real St Andrews in Scotland, but just as fun all the same.
Sometimes it can be dangerous sporting it up before a rally. I had a massive blister on my hand for Rally GB after hitting round with a tennis pro for an hour the night before Leg 1, but that’s the risk you take I suppose. It’s a dangerous sport, tennis!
Well, after a big night at the Rally GB after-party in Cardiff (where you will never see a more drunk Sebastian Loeb in your life), Glenn and I are off to testing in Spain, then I’m kicking it down to Bologna for the world motor-show.
No plans for Chrissie yet. I’ll probably do some skiing in France with some mates and then stay on for New Year until I get back into training for next year’s championship. Hope everybody has a fun Christmas in the sun and a Happy New Year.
Cheers guys,
Chris
December 8th, 2006
CHECK OUT SOME SNAP SHOTS FROM ATKO'S WRC TRAIL
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