Snow bike pioneer Brock Hoyer is hungry to add another Winter X Games gold medal to his arsenal.
Hoyer, 30 of Williams Lake, became the first person ever to win a snow bikecross gold medal at last year鈥檚 Aspen X Games 鈥� the first time the sport was held at the event 鈥� and wants to put the rest of the world on notice he is only getting better in the sport.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the plan 鈥� to show how hard I鈥檝e been working and to go down and win another gold medal and bring it back home,鈥� Hoyer told the Williams Lake Tribune. 鈥淚鈥檓 even more prepared this year after realizing what needs to be done in terms of changing [bike] setups and all that.鈥�
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This year鈥檚 2018 Winter X Games will once again be held in Aspen, CO., from Jan. 25-28. To prepare for the elevation change and to get acclimated to the conditions, Hoyer is heading south of the border early to train.
鈥淚鈥檓 way more prepared this year,鈥� he said. 鈥淢entally and physically more prepared and feeling really good on the bike. It鈥檚 been going really well in that respect.鈥�
The summer of 2017, however, wasn鈥檛 so favourable.
With a background as a professional motocross rider before transitioning into the fledgling sport of snow bike racing, Hoyer typically utilized the summer months as off-season training.
The province鈥檚 wildfires of 2017, particularly in Hoyer鈥檚 training grounds of the Cariboo, didn鈥檛 do him any favours.
With the backcountry closed and an off-road vehicle ban enforced due to the wildfires, Hoyer started looking at other ways to train. While downhill mountain biking, he sustained an injury forcing him to require surgery.
鈥淏eing hurt set me back a bit,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I just had to work harder to catch back up, that鈥檚 all. With the backcountry closure I crashed mountain biking and tore a ligament in my thumb. Had surgery the next day and started the road to recovery. I had a cast on and was still in the gym working to get back.鈥�
And since snow conditions have allowed for it, Hoyer has been back on his snow bike training up at Yank鈥檚 Peak in the Cariboo and putting in work in the gym.
鈥淚鈥檝e been working with a trainer, Tyrel [Lucas] from Total Ice Training Centre, and he鈥檚 been helping me get back to where I need to be strength wise,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 just training as hard as I can. Doing more bike prep, more testing. I haven鈥檛 even gone back to work [since the injury] getting ready. I鈥檝e just been totally trying to focus and get prepared for this race.鈥�
Asked whether he thinks he鈥檒l have a target on his back after winning 2017 gold at the X Games, Hoyer said he鈥檚 not too worried about it.
鈥淚 felt the same way going in last year,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody was gunning for me, anyway.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to do my best to repeat. I鈥檝e been working harder and putting more time and effort into it and hopefully it will pay off.鈥�
sports@wltribune.com
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