Top 10 finishes for Burton at UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships

Well known for his daredevil displays around the world and his appearances in television commercials, Andrei picked up a 6^th place in the 20” wheel size class and eighth in the 26” class at the competition which took place in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa from 28 – 31 August.

He said: “It’s a great part of the world and the organisers put in a lot of work, to create a great event.  There are two categories, 20" and 26", so I rode both. I only trained for one day in the whole year on the 20" as I only really ride it for fun, so I am over the moon with being in the top 10 riders in the world with such little practice.”

The trials saw riders from around the world attempt to complete a near impossible obstacle course without their feet touching the ground. All entrants were specially selected from their national governing bodies to compete, with UK riders requiring a top ten in a world cup and top three finishes in the UK championships to be eligible.

Hundreds of spectators lined the course to support the athletes as they jumped rocks, logs and other obstacles. Andrei added: “The whole event had such a great atmosphere; it was a lot of fun and helped me ride to my best. The finals were great, we had a huge crowd of spectators and they were cheering through every section.”

The two top ten results secure Andrei’s position as one of the best trials riders in the world, following an array of impressive finishes this year. He said: “I have had one of the most successful years of my career. Earlier this year I finished fourth in the 26” European Championships and have had a first and second place finish in the British Championships.

“I have not competed in the UK as much as I normally would due to having so many shows, but my plans are to train harder than ever and hit the competitions hard next year.”

Andrei trains with the University of Exeter’s High Performance Unit at the Sports Park on Streatham Campus. Strength and Conditioning Coach Alan Pope praised Andrei’s commitment. He said: “Andrei first came to us to help develop his overall strength with the intention of improving his control of the bike.

“We have been working with him for a few years now focussing on power development across the body. He trains like a full time professional and is one of the most robust athletes we work with. His commitment to the sport is incredible, balancing training, competing and his events business with inspirational dedication.”

Andrei finished: “After working with Alan Pope at the University I now have a much better idea as to what helps my riding and what doesn't. So using this knowledge I hope to continue to improve my riding.”