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Hoyer looks to ride early-season momentum into 2019 X Games

“I’ve been training hard, eating healthier and riding more.”
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2017 gold medalist and 2018 silver medalist from the ESPN Winter X Games Brock Hoyer of WIlliams Lake is preparing for this year’s spectacle. (Photos submitted)

Williams Lake pro snow bike pioneer and racer Brock Hoyer is looking to ride a strong early-season showing into the 2019 Winter X Games later this month in Aspen, CO.

The gold- and silver-medal snow bikecross winner from the 2017 and 2018 X Games, respectively, Hoyer raced to a first-place finish Saturday at the ISOC Pirtek Snocross National Series at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota.

“There was a learning curve with that track,” he said. “It got a little soft, but I’m just trying to get some seat time on it and making as little errors as I possibly could.

“A couple guys ended up getting knocked down from another guy crashing into me but I picked up and got going back. I actually didn’t even know what place I was in. I had to come off and ask my guys what position I was in but I just put my head down and just chipped away at everyone I could and ended up getting back in the lead at some point. It was a wild ride, that’s for sure.”

READ MORE: X Games champion Brock Hoyer sends message from Aspen

New to the ISOC national series, Hoyer had some growing pains adjusting to the rules on day one of the event and was disqualified after finishing second for not going through tech inspection following the race.

“I definitely had some getting used to the rules and how they run things a bit differently than what I’m used to,” he said.

“But the second night went off a lot better than the first.”

Despite that, Hoyer said the series and weekend was a great precursor looking ahead to this year’s Winter X Games from Jan. 24-27 where he’ll be gunning for another gold medal in the snow bikecross event.

“There were definitely a lot of the guys who will be racing at X Games there,” he said. “Some of the faster guys, for sure, and lots of others were out there.”

The races at Canterbury Park were the first for Hoyer this season, and the inaugural X Games snow bikecross gold medalist said it was a great opportunity to get his bike dialed in and to get a taste of competition leading up to this year’s annual spectacle at Buttermilk Mountain.

READ MORE: Hoyer becomes first ever to win X Games snow bike gold medal

“The bike’s all packed away now and getting shipped out there soon, and I’ll meet her in the U.S.,” Hoyer said, noting he’s planning on travelling south to Colorado mid January for some training and practice prior to the X Games.

In Williams Lake, Hoyer has been preparing diligently for this year’s X Games, despite a lack of snow at lower elevations.

“I just go up and ride and make a track wherever I can find snow,” he said.

“I’ve been training hard, eating healthier and riding more. All of the above.

“Plus more testing, trying some different things, dialing in the kits and spending tons of time in the shop. Whatever I can do to make it work.

“I’m feeling good, and feeling ready.”



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Brock Hoyer


Greg Sabatino

About the Author: Greg Sabatino

Greg Sabatino graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 2008.
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