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Harrison Dessoy: From British Talent Cup to Factory Triumph Rider
9 Plays2 months ago
In this episode of The Camino Coach Show, we’re joined by one of the UK’s most exciting young motorcycle racers—Harrison Dessoy. From his early days in British Talent Cup to fighting for wins in the Sportbike class on the Yamaha R7, Harrison’s journey has been nothing short of impressive. Now, in 2025, he takes the next big step in his career, securing a factory Triumph ride with Peter Hickman Racing alongside champion Richard Cooper.
We dive into:
🏍️ The mindset and preparation that helped Harrison rise through the ranks
🏆 His first British Talent Cup victory and the lessons that came with it
🔑 How mental training with gave him the edge
⚡ Transitioning to Sportbike racing and competing at the front
🏁 The excitement of joining a factory Triumph team for 2025
🔥 His future ambitions and what it takes to succeed at the highest level
If you’re passionate about racing and high-performance mindset strategies, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration!
🎧 Tune in now and follow Harrison’s journey to the top!
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Transcript
Introduction to the Camino Coat Show
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Camino Coat Show, where we break down the mental edge needed to dominate, whether you're racing on two wheels or four.
Interview with Harrison Dessoy
00:00:07
Speaker
I'm your host Craig Muirhead, and today's guest is making serious waves in the British racing scene. From battling it out in the British Talent Cup, to locking in a factory Triumph ride for Toyota 25 in the Pirelli National Sportbike class, his journey is a masterclass in grip speed and pure determination. Buckle up. This one's a ride you don't want to miss, and if you're loving these combos, hit like a subscribe so we can keep bringing you more. Now let's
Harrison's Off-Season Preparation
00:00:31
Speaker
get into it. Welcome to the show Harrison Dessoy. So today we're here with Harrison Dessoy. How are you Harrison? I'm very well Craig, how are you? Yeah pretty good thank you, pretty good. So how's your winter been? How's your off-season been?
00:00:44
Speaker
Great. Yeah, it's been a bar of the cold in the UK. It's been a really, really good. i've um I've had a bit of a break since ah the last time I went out. So um at the end of the year in 2024, we did a little test on the triumph um for about a week or so.
00:01:00
Speaker
it was that was good just as a shakedown just to get used to the bike and stuff um i had a bit of a break which was quite nice just through christmas and into the new year um obviously christmas was good start to new year was all right uh cracked on with some training uh physical training and um Yeah, felt like I was in a very good place for um the test ah that I had a couple weeks ago, last week now, sorry. And um yeah, that was really good. ah First test with the team and a week before that, I was just doing some stuff on my own on the 660.
00:01:31
Speaker
Yeah, I was really happy with how I was riding. I was working on lots of different bits from where I needed to improve from last year, which was fantastic. And yeah, at the end of the test, I felt like I was in a really good place. Still a lot more work to do, but um yeah, I was really happy with her of how everything um yeah was in place and excited to get back out next.
Early Racing Experiences and Challenges
00:01:50
Speaker
Thanks for joining us today and if we rewind a little bit, if we go back to your early days and we have a look at your beginning in racing, can you remember your first ever race? I can. I was actually really slow. Well, like everyone else when you start off. but um It was at the cool fab championships. I was on as you do start off on the mini motos. I was very nervous I think actually I've got I don't think I got lapped twice. It was once um So I wasn't that fast to start off with but ah yeah, I remember going back um I was actually in a in the e-pay me team because fab at the time they were doing all the ah But the links with the british ukebikes team british ukebikes teams, which was quite cool you had built by Suzuki they had a team tag Honda
00:02:38
Speaker
ah epay me ah mar ripedo had a team it was really It was quite a really good setup actually because you had all the awnings of what you'd see at a BSB weekend and it was a lot of fun. this like In each team there's about five riders from each class and yeah it was ah it was really good. I remember that was my first year racing and um yeah it was a lot of fun. And what took you to racing in the first place? but you know what When did you sort of think that motorcycles were something you wanted to do?
00:03:05
Speaker
So my dad has always been into bikes. He hasn't raced them since he was young. He's been ah he's always had like a street bike that he used to ride about on the roads. And then when he got to ah about 40 odd, his mates started. They'd been racing for like a couple years.
00:03:22
Speaker
and um We went to one of Dad's mate's race weekends and ah his friends convinced Dad to say, go on, have a go. ah You can start on the um on the MZ, 250 MZs, not really not a fast bike, but it's good fun racing.
00:03:39
Speaker
and um Yeah, so we started that. I ended up going to a few of um of the race weekends and um that's where it started. I just loved watching him go around. I thought it was really cool. I was like, you know, I want to give this a go. So I said to dad, look, where do we start off? was
Overcoming Crashes and Building Confidence
00:03:53
Speaker
What's the best way? And um obviously, like I mentioned before, we started off with the little mini bikes and um yeah that's how we yeah, that's how we got cracking. You and I first started talking back in 2020 when you were moving into British Talent Cup.
00:04:08
Speaker
Yes. So I remember that you had actually had a bit of a tough off-season at the beginning getting used to the NSF. So stepping up to the full-size bike. How did you manage to be able to bounce back from... It was an incident at Cartagena, wasn't it? You had a crash at Cartagena? Yeah. How did you manage to bounce back from that?
00:04:31
Speaker
i had a couple during that is that the winter from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty and um... actually before the car hane crash at i was out in almaria that's that's that's a lot that photo on the wall there that was from that that was from that test uh... so that's my first proper go on my three i did a wildcard at bsp at branch gp uh... not a couple of months before And um yeah, that test went really well. That was the year British Talent Cup was um sort of splitting from, I think, from Dawner into the MSV bit. And um so, ah like, it was more of a control class and everything was just the standard NSF. So on that test, we switched from Bridgestones to Dunlops, because obviously they those were the tires we were going to have to run.
00:05:19
Speaker
And um it didn't really occur to me that ah different ah manufacturers of tires had different grips. So as we put on um ah some Dunlop, some of my dad's MZ Dunlop scrubs from the really, really sticky Bridgestones, it turns out there's not actually as much grip in between those tires. So I've obviously gone around being young, not knowing the difference at all, just cracked on the throttle and then ah ended up going high in the sky and um yeah didn't have a good time to end that test but I had a bit of a knee injury there I'd like quite a was a I don't want to share the details but it wasn't great
00:05:58
Speaker
um but as obviously went past that and then we went obviously we had the hainer test and then unfortunately had another little crash there so um yeah that that didn't start off great that winter on my first winter on the mark three wasn't ideal but um yeah to bounce back from that i think the main thing for me was doing what i enjoyed which was at that time was relaxed racing so we went back to bemzoo we ended up racing the ninja 400 again i think that's what you need um just to sort of if look you've had a cut i had a couple bad crashes it wasn't
00:06:35
Speaker
I wasn't really enjoying the bike because I was scared that as soon as the twist of the throttle opened, I'd fall off. it was ah There was a lot of stuff going on. So um we just sort of said, look, let's take a step back. Let's go to what we enjoy, go what we feel comfortable with, which I think is is was, well, I think it proved to be a good idea. And um yeah, sort of build up my confidence again. um Ended up ah getting a few podiums at Bemzi, which, yeah, just sort of boosts boosts yourself even more. And um yeah, the following and year, we ended up in Tannenkup again. So I think with bouncing back from bad injury, it's always important to sort of not get too fixated in, oh, you've got to do this, you've got to do that, you've got to go on the same bike, you've got to end up at the same speed as before you left. It's more of a, all right, just take a breath, take a breather, and yeah, just sort of understand how you think the best way to move forward is possible.
00:07:28
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. yeah and and And also it's about learning curve, isn't it? you know You only know what you need when you actually are there dealing with it. So the tire change, the you know getting to to understand what the and NSF is like. yeah and you know We all want it to be instant and and and and perfect, but it's actually all part of the learning curve.
00:07:50
Speaker
So the 2025 version of Harrison that's you know been a race winner is in in BTC, fighting at the front ah you know consistently last year in the so in the sport bike class. The 2025 version, what if you if we had a ah time machine and we could go back to 2020 standing in the paddock of Cartagena, what would you tell your younger self? What advice would you give him?
00:08:17
Speaker
The main thing ah for at that point would be is just two words, relax and enjoy. Well, three. But um I think I got very fixated on lap time, very fixated on, oh, I've got to be fast. It's the first day of the test. I've got to be super quick. So now I'm going to be quick at BSP. And yeah, I think the main thing And ah honestly, I still sometimes, oh, I still have to tell myself now is to relax and enjoy, work on the important things that, you know, if you just take a little step back so you can think about it more when you're out on circuit, it will end up making you quicker anyway. So it's always, I mean, all of bike racing is just a big thinking game. It's whoever basically doesn't think necessarily the most, but thinks in the smartest way possible.
00:09:04
Speaker
So um yeah, I think if I was to go back in the time machine, relax and enjoy are the words I'd say to my younger self. Yeah, they they're wise words indeed. and And as you're saying, you know, a lot of the time, there's this sort of feeling that we've got to prove that we should be there. Yeah. You know, so especially if you step up in a class, it's like, I've got to prove that, you know, that I've got a right to be here. And that's got to be in the timing sheet. But that pressure is actually, you know, detracting from the process.
Strategic Mindset and Racing Wins
00:09:35
Speaker
Yeah. And because we're not actually lo if you if if you did that test,
00:09:39
Speaker
and you were number one on the timing sheet you don't learn half as much as you do if you were number 11 or number 19 in that timing sheet because it's the it's the the scope of you come away thinking oh I've got nothing to learn I'm already great but actually you know that the way to progress and the way to develop more is is is is all in the learning.
00:10:03
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. I think when it is very, very easy, and I'm talking from years of experience of even in testing sessions, free practice sessions, that all you want to be is just first, first, first. And it's obviously that's great. That's always what we want. But it's the work that you put in before. And I think is the most important bit and um staying relaxed, yeah staying focused and just making sure what you're doing for yourself is the right way forward and not for a position on a timesheet.
00:10:31
Speaker
So let's fast forward to better times then. And British Atomic Cup, and a fiercely competitive class. and for you to be able to, you know, have the composure to be able to get ah across the line first and win, I think it was Alton Park was your first race, your first race won? Yeah. So just talk us through that last couple of laps, you know, where I remember it vividly myself, but just talk us through exactly what you had to deal with and, you know, what the mindset was to be able to get that race win.
00:11:08
Speaker
So yeah, that autumn one was very special, only because I'd never ever had a BSP podium before. My first one was a victory, which made it extra special. um But I remember...
00:11:20
Speaker
We'll start off from the first race of that weekend, because that was also ah the first weekend where I was started leading. So I was like, it was completely new to me. I was like, oh, this so I overtook um another rider in front. And um I was like, I just had to say, oh, my god, I'm leading the race. This is sick. So that that was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it there. And I think ah subconsciously, because you're leading the race, you just end up enjoying it. And it was really good. I ended up finishing fifth in that race in the first one.
00:11:48
Speaker
but um to understand what it was like leading enjoying sort of like you're in a race but there's no one in front of you was a whole new concept so that was a lot of fun but um the last few laps of that second race um i had a bit more knowledge of what the feeling was like of being in the front like when people were going to pass you whereabouts especially on the circuit was a good place to pass essentially on the last three four laps i was where whatever position i was sitting in i can't remember um I would have been planning basically where I'm stronger than other riders, where I'm not so strong, where I tend to get overtaken a bit more. Okay, maybe on the last couple of corners at Alton, it's a really, it's a double, very fast double right into a um sort of short straight and then another tight right up through Deer's Leap.
00:12:37
Speaker
then And then I was just thinking, it's like okay, can I overtake here? How how strong are my on the brakes? So it's all on the last three or four laps, it was just planning basically what ah I was going to do, which everyone does as well. But it's obviously whoever makes the best plan ends up winning. So I remember on the last lap, I had to make sure I was either sitting in second, third, fourth, whatever.
00:13:00
Speaker
um heart will put Yeah, preferably top three. um After the front, or the to after turn three, I think it is that long left. um After that long straight, I'll make sure I was in a podium position there. And it was perfect. On that last lap, I said L1 on the board. On the digital board, it said last lap. I remember I was like, okay, perfect. I mean, second or third or whatever. And um it was just always thinking, always planning. It's like, okay, right, break here. Just do what you usually do.
00:13:31
Speaker
um I went round ah shell oils through the chicane, that was fine. I think I was still in second or first. I remember getting overtaken into hissies. That was an interesting bit because I was a bit like, oh okay, right, I'm not in position. I want to be anymore. And then I got someone, but I don't know.
00:13:47
Speaker
But I remember coming into that double right, I was in a fantastic position, ah probably in second, um and then just went through it, just stayed calm, and then I just made sure that my exit was perfect coming out of that double right. Okay, maybe if I loosen off a little bit, I can get on the gas a bit sooner, and then just whacked it on. And I remember being able to slipstream the rider into um that final corner after that little straight.
00:14:14
Speaker
And I just didn't care what was going to happen. All I said was I'm breaking later than him. And and um that's what i did that's what I did. Broke later, managed to come into the corner into the last corner first. ah Didn't really realize it and just pulled up the gas and and and ended up crossing the line first, which was incredible. it was I couldn't literally couldn't believe it.
00:14:34
Speaker
um that I'd won the race, but it's so it's all in the plan that you do. You've got to be able to have that capacity in your brain to, as well as riding fast, know exactly where you're going to make an overtake, where you're stronger, where you're not as strong, where people will overtake you.
Adapting to New Bike Classes
00:14:50
Speaker
It's all a thinking game. But yeah, that was a very special moment, but all from yeah making a good plan.
00:14:57
Speaker
And that sort of rarified air of of, you know, getting to the front of a race and then, you know, getting the win. Did that then make things clearer for you moving forward that I've done it once I can do it again? Yeah, definitely. Once you get that first one,
00:15:14
Speaker
that is just the feeling is unreal because all you want to do is chase that more more and more and more so um yeah definitely yes it was a feeling that okay you're right i want to do this again i wanted to do this again it didn't necessarily make the job easier because um it's still hard enough to get to get on the top step at BSB but you still just have to equally work as hard as you have been and even harder as the season goes on to make sure you progress those results because it's not just you that wants to win that weekend either the whole grid does so you've got to do the the different things that uh compared to everyone else and work yeah equally as harder so
00:15:56
Speaker
And you actually become the target for everybody else to chase. Exactly, yeah. So the challenge moves on, doesn't it? Whereas you've obviously had a clear goal trying to catch the front runners, you then get to the front runners, you then beat the front runners, and you become the goal that everybody else is chasing. Yeah, yeah exactly. It's a bit of a target on your back when and you're the fastest, but ah that's that's that's the case, that's what you've got to deal with. so and And obviously if you transition now, last year you moved up to the the new sport bike class and you rolled a Yamaha R7, so a brand new bike obviously for you and for the for the class. and How was the transition of moving from the NSF in British Talent Cup through to the the the more production based R7?
00:16:42
Speaker
It was, um for me, it was obviously was strange coming from what is classed as a GP bike with the NSF. I just told myself as soon as I jumped on the R7 or as soon as I decided that we were going to do that was try not to stress at all about the differences that were there. So obviously there's the power difference, the weight difference, the hand.
Joining Pete Hickman Racing
00:17:04
Speaker
There's so many differentials in between the two bikes and I just thought the less I could think about that and concentrate more on what I'm doing how I'm riding the bike and just ride it well then that worked for me that was that was the main thing was to stress less about oh maybe it won won't be a good bike maybe I won't fit and just crack on with the job and just get myself in the best place possible in terms of yeah switching machinery so you're actually dealing with what is then rather than what you imagine might be different with the with the bike yeah
00:17:41
Speaker
so Which again makes it clearer doesn't it? So it's a simpler task then if you're only dealing with what is happening. Well it took takes up probably a lot less brain space so you can think about other stuff. It's the goal of what you have or what you want to achieve becomes a bit more clear instead of worrying about what isn't going right and what's going wrong. It's just yeah there's more of a open mindset, more of a growth mindset. You have to approach it especially when you've got a no ah yeah new to jump on.
00:18:10
Speaker
So you're now going to move to another new bike this season. So and you know moving to the championship winning triumphed team, Pete Aitman Racing. and How did that come about and what does that mean for you to move to that team? oh I know the two mechanics that ah worked with Richard Cooper last year that won the championship, ah Mickey and Leon.
00:18:32
Speaker
i and I was first met them ah that weekend where I won my first race at BSB at that autumn weekend so I've known Mickey and Leon for a good ah must that three years now and uh... yeah we will we will we've always just sort of got along always had hello and we've bumped into him in the paddock so it literally it came about for me going to see them literally just going to say hello uh... in their tent that they had uh... last year and uh... i wasn't at the start of the year obviously i wasn't
00:19:03
Speaker
thinking at all about riding the Triumph obviously because I was still getting used to the R7 even mid-season I was the same just popping in and saying hello it was only until sort of the closing stages where Coops Richard Cooper said to me like what are you doing in the tent like what do you want I just literally just said look I'm just coming to say hello and um Obviously we got chatting and he thought, or he said to me, that jumping on the triad from their bike it would probably be a very good step for me. um Having good results on the R7.
00:19:37
Speaker
competing at the front consistently. He thought it would it would be a really good fit. So um I spoke to Pete Hickman at Donington at the final Donington round. um We ironed out some details, said, okay, right, if I join the team, it'll be this, this, this, and I'll get this and that. And um yeah, we sort of, I spoke to Dad over like the next few weeks and then made a decision that brands at the final brands to go with Pete for for um for this year. So yeah, it literally came about just from the bottom of my head and then saying hello. And then when Coop said ah there's a possibility that I could be racing for his team next year, obviously I jumped straight on that and obviously you thinking about the details and if it worked and yeah, that's what we went for.
00:20:23
Speaker
there Good action to where to be popping your head through the tent and saying hello yeah each weekend. So Richard Cooper, ah championship winning rider and you know, ballistically quick in just about every class that he's raised in. What do you hope to gain from having him as a teammate?
00:20:40
Speaker
um So with Coops, with the test that we had last week, he was um obviously doing a bit of rider coaching, he was just riding for himself. ah It was really good to have him just to watch and understand what he was doing out on circuit. So obviously, one championship last year, we know he's really quick, his way is ways that he adapts to different conditions, I think correlates to how he translates to like line and breaking and stuff out on circuit. So he's very, I think he's just a very good thinker and he's very good to just change and adapt to what he's doing to the bike and to sit behind him and to watch that and then check through off the bike, like the lines, what he's doing differently, um whether he's breaking harder here, breaking a little bit later, whether he's applying a bit more rear brake, stuff like that. um
00:21:27
Speaker
it was really really good to chat with them about so to have someone with that experience and to work through with them i think will well won from the test this year but this last week i've already taken a really good step so i think yeah the more i can work with coops the more i can keep pushing forward so Yeah, you definitely learn an awful lot from a faster rider. You know, if you're the fastest in the team, but it's it's more of a ah difficult to make that step and yourself. But when you've got ah consistently the the the information ah from a faster rider, it's the it's the best way to to evolve for sure. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:22:06
Speaker
And what what do you feel about the the team moving up to a factory supported team? How is that going to change for you compared to the teams you've been with in the past? I think it's been interesting with yeah working the difference between the PHR a lot and previous teams.
Balancing Preparation and Mindset
00:22:23
Speaker
um For me, yeah the environment feels a but a lot more relaxed than it has done previously, which I think, one just in general, is fantastic and is what you need.
00:22:34
Speaker
um it's like everyone gets along it's all not that like i haven't been in teams where they haven't before obviously there's been a few bits but yeah to be a part of the phr team that do yeah everyone just works in sync and works really well obviously even on just the first test where we've um we've where we've worked together like off on track and when we're at the circuit it's like we're focused we know what we're doing we're making changes we're testing different bits we're not Focusing at all on how fast we're going just trying to find little bits little bits little bits like that and um Then away from the track It's not so much about bikes and just literally chatting like you would usually with a group of mates And I think for me especially that is quite important just because you make sure you're switching off there's been times before where sometimes you just
00:23:24
Speaker
all I was thinking about was what I'm doing, what I'm doing away from the circuit and yeah you just burn out essentially. So for me, yeah, the most important bit was um though having a really relaxed environment.
00:23:38
Speaker
At this level of racing, it's small details that make big differences. You know, those gains come from every component adding up. So what do you feel? Is it mindset? Is it preparation? Is it racecraft? What do you feel is nearly to fight right at the front of of that class?
00:23:56
Speaker
I think, in all honesty, it is a balance of everything. I think you've got to be fast, you've got a good racecraft, you've got to be able to make a move where sometimes you think, oh god, that's getting a bit tight, places like that. Your preparation has got to be good off the circuit, so sleep, diet, warm up, all that physical stuff also has got to be, like,
00:24:21
Speaker
at the top of your game um and then yeah how you're working ah after a session during a session what you're doing in out on circuit whether you're changing way breaking stuff like that again i keep going back to the it's all about a thinking game but also thinking in the right way so for me is a balance of everything something that i'm really working hard on uh this winter so changes in diet changes in sort of scheduling my day so a sport bike is often the first session of the day so it's waking up early even at home to then just doing stuff fitness early stuff like that it's just making sure you're in a routine you're in the best place possible so that even when you're at home it's similar to how it would be at a race weekend
00:25:05
Speaker
So um yeah, it's just mental preparation and sorting yourself out. So it's less of an unknown basically when you come to a race weekend. So you're in that environment and you're ready to go. Now it makes a lot of sense because we all know that a race weekend can be chaos. So if you've got a structure that you have built and you're working towards, the chaos is going on around you, but you've got the structure to stay grounded. Yeah. i and and And that applies to being on the bike as well if you look at the end of the races where you've got that pressure for the result you've got a pressure of these other people fighting for the results and if anybody looks back at any of your races in in sport bike this season there's been a lot of of close battles. What do you use to to to keep that clarity and keep that composure for those final laps.
00:25:58
Speaker
I think the main thing is just staying calm. You're in a such a flow state when you're racing, it's sometimes easy to sort of think, okay, I'm just gonna push harder, and sometimes it's better to relax a bit more. And ah yeah, I think for the last couple laps of any race, what you're doing, even if it's a practice session as well, where you're pushing on a bit more, it's yeah, staying calm, staying relaxed, just making sure you're still working on bits that you wanna do ah even, yeah, for the whole session throughout.
00:26:28
Speaker
And we talked about it earlier with the Cartagena, you know, where testing right at the beginning of your career in in in BSB, but every racer has setbacks. You know, everybody has things where, you know, there's a curve ball and and and and it hasn't gone to plan. What do you feel that you have, how have you coped with those setbacks? And the, you know, what have you learned from them to be able to be a better rider and and and build resilience moving forward?
00:26:58
Speaker
Well, you always learn from your mistakes. that's It's important to learn from your mistakes so that they don't happen again. And that was still's still the case now. I still make mistakes with what I'm doing in terms of whether that's pushing too hard on the training session or um getting a bit ah too comfortable at home whether it's not doing stretching stuff like that it's all learning and just improving bit by bit um is the most important thing and then it's like little wins in your mind where you know okay right i've improved a little bit here i've improved a little bit there and it's just yeah i think the more you can progress within yourself each day is yeah as soon as you get to a race weekend it's it'll be in tip top form
00:27:44
Speaker
And on the flip side, what's your
Motivation and Pre-Race Rituals
00:27:47
Speaker
proudest moment? you know What do you look back and think to yourself, this is why I do this. This is why I stick to my diet. This is why I go for 5K runs or 10K runs it when it's raining, snowing, you know pitch black, whatever it might be. and you know What's your proudest um reward, do you feel? I think it's a very good question, Craig. i think At the end of the day, it's a lot of doing it for myself and for family. It's the effort, the amount of effort that we've put in to get to where I am now, to be a part of the PHR team. It's a very good team. Obviously, they won the championship last year. comes from ah lot A bit of that has come from having good results last year on a bike that was obviously it's new to everyone.
00:28:36
Speaker
um But yeah, I think the internal motivation, and not necessarily motivation all the time, but the discipline you need to give yourself is yeah is just doing it so that you want to succeed, you want to do well, but you also want to do it for your family. And um yeah, it's just making it worth it, all the hard work, so that when you're on a top step at a race weekend, you can look down on like, yeah, when you're on a top step at the podium and think, oh, that was worth it, all that hard graft.
00:29:05
Speaker
so Yeah, it's the best feeling in the world, yeah? Incredible. It makes up all makes up for all the hard bits, which is crazy because there's a lot of hard bits, but the winning definitely makes it worth it. What's the one pre-race ritual technique process that you use and that you'd never skip? Probably.
Favorite Tracks and Racing Number Origins
00:29:28
Speaker
ah my warm-up it's only lit my physical warm-up it's only 10-15 minutes but it's for me it proves that I have to be in unprepared I'm ready um physically okay to get on the bike and yeah it just sort of gets you in a in a place where you think okay right so I'm scrapping what I've done before my focus now is right what I'm doing to get ready for out on circuit so physical warm-up sometimes a bit of music um
00:29:59
Speaker
getting into my suit 10-15 minutes before a session. ah so All that routine that you need makes you perform a lot better. What's your favourite track? Favourite track? The one, I think my favourite BSB track is Donington. I do love Donington. It's my favourite track. It's so flowing, it's so smooth, I like it. Although it's sort of not interrupt the flow but the loop. And um Godard's, I really like how it sort of switches it up a bit. um And then my favourite track probably in general is either Horeth or Port amount.
00:30:37
Speaker
So okay ah and you've written you've written both of those. Your racing number, Y55. So 55 is because of my last name. So with the D-E-S-S bit, ah the SS we replaced with the two fives. So my mum actually ah said, why are you're not using so my first year racing was 144, because my dad was 44 when he was racing MZ. And I was like, 44 was taken, so we'll just whack a one in front of it, and then it'll probably keep me there. But then um it's like my mum kept banging on, saying, why don't you just use 55? Because it works so well with the last name.
00:31:14
Speaker
I was like, she's got a really good point. So that's where that came from. And then ah that's where we got the the design from with the 55 in it. Yeah, cool. And what about a track that you haven't ridden? What's one that's on your bucket list that you would want to ride? I really want to do a mandalika. That looks awesome. Just the fact that it's abroad and in Indonesia, it looks like an awesome circuit. It looks really, really cool.
00:31:42
Speaker
Okay, it'd be interesting if they add that onto the BSB calendar. That'll be, yeah, bit a bit of a trick for that one from Cadwell Park.
Fitness Regime and Future Ambitions
00:31:50
Speaker
Who's your favourite rider growing up?
00:31:53
Speaker
Mark Marquez, I think, in his era when I was like getting into bikes a lot more, he was in the area where ah it actually got boring because all it did was win. and um it was yeah that was I think that was something quite special, especially on um on the machinery he was on. It was just quite unreal to watch, to be honest.
00:32:15
Speaker
Yeah, he's sort of more might now that either people love him or hate him because you know of of of whether the rosy thing or whether they were, and like you say, too dominant. and It got a bit boring, but I think this season could be really interesting with him on the the factory Ducati. It could be ominous for everybody else.
00:32:35
Speaker
Yeah, I think with the fact, I think there'll be a little bit, not necessarily at the start of the season, but mid towards the end with Peko and Mark. I think, I mean, Ducati know that they've employed two, like, number one riders.
00:32:51
Speaker
and not one of them wants to be in number two so it'll be um it'll be really cool to see that but also the likes of of uh fabio i mean the i know at the sapang test he looked really well yamaha made a really good step um i mean acosta and the ktm he uh you'll i'm sure you'll uh want to push on for the championship this year um yeah a lot of few a lot of changes and i think yeah it's going to be a really good year in gp i can't wait Yeah, it's going to be an interesting year, isn't it, for sure? And what about BSB? When you look at BSB, there's a few changes there as well with new riders coming in and some riders retiring and stepping out. Yeah, with the Superbike lot this year, obviously, Kyle will be back, Tommy will be back. um Ryan's gone, doesn't he, to World Superbikes. Yeah, Brad Ray's back.
00:33:45
Speaker
I think Glenn Irwin will be very interesting this year because it will be properly keen to to take home the big trophy. um but yeah But also a sport bike as well. I've seen that there's a few few more new people coming in which I'm really excited for. It's always good to um have some fresh faces. So ah yeah, and that should be good.
00:34:07
Speaker
Good, good. So what would you be doing if you weren't riding motorcycles? Tell you what, someone asked me this question that last week. I think, so I love my fitness at the moment and I used to swim a lot when I was younger. um And I love my cycling now and I love my running. So I think by default, I'd have to be a triathlete, which is very, very hard.
00:34:33
Speaker
It's like some of the stuff that, like some of the stats you see is just ridiculous. After a 2k swim, like an 8k bike, they can still run a 5k in like 14 minutes, which is just unreal. But um I ah ah love swimming, running and and cycling, so probably something, something, if it wasn't being a triathlete, something sporty for sure.
00:34:56
Speaker
And you've you've done a couple of triathlons, haven't you? I've done ah i've done one, ah it's I think it's called Aquathon, where it was it was just a 400 metre swim and then a 5k run and I didn't really pace myself properly, I ended up sort of burning out on the run. But um it was good fun, it was it was really good fun, it was a very different experience which I quite enjoy. so So as a goal to try and do ah ah a triathlon at some point? Yeah, I mean, definitely this year with the way that, I mean, my cycling is pretty good at the moment, my running is is getting a bit better, swimming, usually if I can keep my fitness, I'm i'm pretty good ah in the water. So yeah, for sure, even just to try one out, i I'd love to enough to have a crack um with the full triathlon.
00:35:40
Speaker
And you look at the fitness levels of the riders at the top of the game now, and and they they they potentially could be triathletes. Yeah. I know Elisha Spargo, well, he's joined the professional cycling team, isn't he? I Fire, he's ridiculous when it comes to cycling. I know that he's really good. So um yeah, I mean, it goes to show that it's not just um ah riding in circles as fast as you can. There's just so much more to it, which is really good.
00:36:10
Speaker
Yeah. And that physicality also is a confidence booster, isn't it? So when you are in those last laps at a hot, sticky Alton Park or something, yeah in the or Thruxton, you know, again, it's ah it's one of those that's always a ah hot weekend and you've got those last few laps, you know, you've got it you've got the margin, you've got the the space to dig deep and the more that you've trained away from the track,
00:36:35
Speaker
the more confidence you've got that you've got a a potential ah game changer compared to the guy next to you. Yeah, yeah, exactly. When you work hard, you graft hard, whether it's um you're doing your strength cycling, swimming, running, whatever, as long as you know that you've worked equally, well, harder, as hard as you can within yourself, then there's no reason why you can't say on those last few lapses that, oh, well, I've trained better than you, so I'm going to beat you.
Goals with Pete Hickman Racing
00:37:03
Speaker
That's the mindset.
00:37:06
Speaker
So looking forward to 2025, you've signed for Peter Hickman Racing, and which is which is great. It's a solid foundation for the British Championship. What can the goal be for your first season with PHR? So ah darwin I've also gone through this a lot because it is important even when obviously during the winter is not to just not to focus on like anything massive so that not to focus on the championship straight away. For me, my main goal for the season is to say stay as consistent as possible running at the front with podiums, front rows, wins, whatever. The more consistency I can get then the happier I'll be with myself and then wherever that leads me at the end of the year then.
00:37:55
Speaker
that's how it will be so it's taking each weekend step by step so free practice sessions you work on this working on this qualifying you set a good lap in the race objective is to podium win whatever and then it resets to the next weekend f1 fb2 is practice practice quality set a good lap and then so on so it's not setting your ambitions so high straight away it's yeah taking it little bit by little bit and then sort of you keep a level head everything stays more controlled um to what you'd like it to be so you stress less you're more relaxed yeah everything just sort of comes together and um yeah you've got to have a good structure. And then looking further ahead where do you see yourself in five years time?
00:38:46
Speaker
I like to be racing in the World Championship, ideally on the Moto2, that'd be really nice. I think I'm more than capable of doing it as long as I keep working hard in what I'm doing and um ah and yeah how I'm working. I've got the right people behind me to sort of push me forward if I can get, like obviously do my part, which is to get the results. um So yeah, I think it's more than possible to do, it's just yeah keep grafting.
00:39:14
Speaker
Great, great, great. No reason why not, is there? Exactly. like So, and if you have one piece of advice for a young rider who's watching BSB on the weekend and sees you on TV, you know, ah and has the aspirations to try and get to to to that level, what piece of advice would you give them?
00:39:36
Speaker
Yeah, just take it step by step. I think that's the exact route I've done is you you learn so much when you're younger, with especially when you get introduced to the sport for the first time. um When you start getting to a higher level, you um start understanding more about like look what we've just said with the fitness and the mindset and stuff like that and structuring your weekend.
00:39:57
Speaker
and um Yeah, one piece of advice is just take it take it as it
Conclusion and Social Media Wrap-Up
00:40:02
Speaker
comes. And then when you start to think, okay, I can give this a proper good crack is when you start um making yeah sort of pushing a lot further into what you can what you think you can achieve. And what about people that are watching this or listening? How can they follow you through the course of the season? What's your socials, et cetera?
00:40:22
Speaker
Uh, so my Instagram is Harrison underscore to saw a 55. Um, my Facebook is Harrison to saw a 55. Uh, LinkedIn is just my name, Harrison to saw it. And, uh, you can find my website with updates on, uh, the racing season, testing, uh, a bit of merchandise at www.dissourration.com.
00:40:45
Speaker
Perfect. Great stuff. Well, thank you very much for joining us today. It's been great catching up. ah All the best for the season and and we'll speak soon. Yeah, thanks for having me, Craig. It's been good. That's it for today's episode of the Camino Coach Show. If you enjoyed this conversation with Harrison, share it with your friends and leave us a review. It helps us keep bringing you incredible stories from the world of racing. Until next time, go well.