 
FREEMAN, From Last to World
Champion!
After missing Finland and being 44 points
behind Davide SORECA (I – Honda), Brad FREEMAN
(GB – Beta) made the comeback of the season and
clinched the title in the very last test of the
season… So, it was time for us to talk with the
2017 Junior World Champion about this crazy season
and his improvements…
Hello Brad, how do you feel as Junior World
Champion? Did you have time to celebrate this
title?
Brad FREEMAN: "It feels amazing! To say
I'm Junior World Champion seems so surreal, but we
did it! I'm so proud of our achievements this
year; we went from an outsider for the title to
being the dominant rider in a pretty short amount
of time. And yes, we celebrate a lot! What's the
point in winning if you don't celebrate it? The
only problem was I didn't expect to win the title
and so had no plans at all… maybe that's why it
feels so good?!”
What a year it was! How did you feel when
you got injured before Finland?
B.F: "It's being an amazing year, a real
breakout year for myself! When I got injured at
the start of the year I was devastated, it just
felt like I had threw it all away before it had
really begun. I remember lying in the hospital in
Italy basically crying to my Team Manager (Jarno)
saying sorry for ruining the year like that. I
told myself… 'that's it, the championships gone.
Why is this happening to me again?' He and the
team were so good with me, they were patient when
I needed it and I definitely would not have won
this world championship without them! I think we
surprised ourselves this year!”
 "Jarno
literally just took my helmet and said you can do
It!”
When did you realize exactly that you still
had a shot on the Junior title?
B.F: "I was gaining back a lot of points
in the championship but I still thought it was too
far away. We went to Portugal for the last 3 GPs
and I said to myself 'OK, I need to finish ahead
on every day from here to win this title.' On the
first day in Portugal I had maybe my worst ride of
the championship; I wasn't focused at all and came
away with a 4th place finish. At the end of the
day I was so angry… I thought 'I've worked so
hard all year for every point and then I go and
throw them away like that!' I said to those close
to me I think the championship has gone, but they
said no, a lot can happen in the final five days
of racing! From this point on I was so focused on
winning the World Championship! I rode hard but
smarter than before, won the final five days of
racing and with it the Junior World Championship!”
You were comfortably leading on Day 2 in
Germany, but then lost a lot of seconds in the
last lap. What happened exactly?
B.F: "On day 2 in Germany it was the
dream scenario! I had taken the lead in the World
Championship for the first time in my career, and
was 30 seconds up with 1 lap remaining to be
crowned World Champion! I was just about ready to
back the intensity down a little bit and bring it
home safely. I started the final enduro test, and
after three corners had a stick go inside my rear
break lever jamming it on! I thought no, this
cannot be happening! I had two options… either
stop and try to fix the problem but lose a lot of
time or risk it and see what played out. I risked
it, I thought after the bad luck I've had this
year I wasn't prepared to give this championship
away like that. I rode the whole enduro test with
the rear brake on and lost I think 15 seconds. I
exited the test and the rear brake disc was
glowing orange! I've never seen anything like that
before. I tried to fix the problem with the tools
I had but it was impossible, I needed a new
system. I left the test for the extreme test and
immediately lost my rear brake all together! Now I
was just starting to panic… because I knew I
would have to ride the extreme test with no brake.
I said to my team boss before the test 'I'm not
sure we can do this', and he literally just took
my helmet and said 'you can do It!' I made a good
time on the test! Only losing 5 seconds, leaving
it to a showdown on the final cross times! It
might have looked exciting from the outside, but
it was worrying times from inside the helmet!”
 "I
always kept sort of aiming to progress…”
Looking back to last year, did you think you
will be able to fight for the World crown the year
after?
B.F: "Honestly I believed in myself, I
always have done… I'm not the most confident
rider ever but I'm confident in my own ability.
But I knew it was a big step! I remember my first
GP in France 2013 was the day Matt PHILLIPS won
the Junior Title! I finished 9th in the 125cc, and
can remember looking at their celebrations and
thinking 'How can I possibly grow up and go that
fast?' the following year in France was when Matt
won the E3 World Title and I won the 125 class...
it was actually quite cool to see that I was
making progress and so I always kept sort of
aiming to progress just like he did! But I
definitely didn't think I could do it within the
space of four years. 2016 was a great year for me,
but I knew ultimately I need to have these good
performances in the World Championship.”
Let's talk about the Beta Boano team. From
the outside, it looks more as a family than a
simple Enduro team…
B.F: "It's just one big family! They're
all a great bunch of people and a big reason why I
won the World Championship! I signed with the team
in the knowledge that they had a good bike, but
mainly what they have done with riders before and
how they have helped them to grow up. I went out
to Italy training this winter actually living in
my van, where I became good friends with my
teammate Matteo CAVALLO and actually started
living in his home! I can't thank him and his
family enough, they are some of the nicest people
I've ever met and I'll forever be in debt for what
they did for me! Everyone just gets on so well,
I've got a great relationship with my mechanic and
I think that's what sets us apart from others…
we're a very serious team, but we have a lot of
laughs along the way which I think is so
important!”
 What
are your plans for next year?
B.F: "My plans for next year have
changed maybe five times throughout the course of
2017! I have kind of been waiting to see what was
going to happen this year with the championship
and where we finished but with winning the title
in my first year it blown it wide open! I think I
will go senior now as it's the natural
progression, and inside I also feel like I'm ready
for it and ultimately that's the best time to go.
I'll be staying with Beta Boano again and I think
that's going to help me a lot in my first year in
senior! But really, I just want to keep
progressing as a rider and keep having fun! I've
had more fun this year than any other, and that
shows in my results. I just want to have a good
winter behind me and I'll show up ready for the
start of 2018 season!”
Brad FREEMAN Digest
Name : FREEMAN
First Name: Brad
Nationality: Great Britain
Date of Birth : July, 5th 1996
Place of Birth : Rugeley
Bike: Beta 300 RR
Number: 12
Prize List :
2011 : Fast Eddy Hare & Hound Youth Champion -
GBXC Hare & Hound Youth Champion - Youth
British Extreme Enduro Champion
2012 : 125cc British Sprint Enduro Champion - Fast
Eddy Hare & Hound Pro Champion - GBXC Hare
& Hound Pro Champion - Youth British Extreme
Enduro Champion
2013 : 125cc British Sprint Enduro Champion -
Expert Overall British Enduro Champion - Expert E1
British Enduro Champion - Expert National Off-Road
Champion
2014 : Under 20 European Enduro Champion - 5th
Overall European Enduro Championship - 125cc
British Enduro Champion - 4th Overall British
Enduro Championship - Vice Under19 British Sprint
Enduro Champion
2016 : Overall European Enduro Champion - 4th
Overall British Enduro Championship - 2nd Overall
British E2 Championship
2017 : Junior World Champion
|
