Jack Reading "Fighting Back"

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We learn very little from the good times. When things go bad, that’s when the important lessons are learned…

Over the last 7 years Jack Reading has become a stalwart of the DH World Cup scene. From 2012 to 2017 he attended 41 World Cup races, failing to qualify only twice. The 2016 and 2017 seasons were particularly good; winning his first British Downhill Series race, achieving World Cup top 20 results and being selected by British Cycling to represent GB at World Championships in Cairns, Australia where he finished 25th.

Coming into 2018 he was brimming with confidence but things didn’t quite go to plan. The first half of the season was a constant struggle; crashing and failing to qualify out in Croatia at Round 1 of the World Cup set the tone. No matter what he tried at the following 4 rounds he just couldn’t find the confidence and with it the speed.

The turning point came in late July; after spending 2 weeks at home shredding his local trails he headed out to Mont Saint Anne for World Cup Round 6. After getting into a good groove in practice, what felt like an easy qualifying run placed him 15th and the confidence returned; he was back in the game. At World Cup finals in La Bresse he placed 21st on a prototype bike he’d never ridden before; then, at only his second ever EWS race in Ainsa, Spain he finished 29th with a 6th and 15th on two of the stages.

The 2018 season was most definitely a tale of two halves. A learning experience that has made him stronger and even more confident of a successful 2019.

We caught up with Jack in early September and shot him shredding those local trails that helped to turn his season around...
Credit: A film by Dead Pixel Films http://www.deadpixelfilms.com
Produced by The Mammoths https://www.themammoths.agency
Starring Jack Reading
Shot, Cut and Directed by Cal Thomson
Produced by George Thompson
Aerial Cinematography by Ron Gilmour
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