Picard rides to No 2 at national champs

A tumble, failed spark plug and flat tyre couldn't put a spanner in the works for motocross rider Dion Picard at the recent 2005 New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships.
The nine-year-old Atiamuri School pupil rode away from the competition in New Plymouth with second place in the 85cc eight to nine-year age group.
While he used the first race of the three-day meeting to check out the track, it wasn't long before trouble hit and the youngster thought he was out of contention.
In the first race a failed spark plug had him a lap down on the other riders before getting off the start, putting him 25 points behind the leaders. But he came back to win the next race after leading from the start.
"I knew I had a lot of work to do to catch up," Picard said.
On the second day Picard was leading his first race when he hit a rock, lost control of his bike and fell off. He dusted himself off, climbed back in the saddle and still managed to finish third.
Then, in the semifinals, Picard and another rider made contact on a corner and he ended up with a flat tyre, ending that race in fourth place.
However, the motocross fanatic wasn't throwing in the towel and went on to ride home in second place in the final.
"It's just awesome. I can have number two on my bike for races now. It looks real good," he said.
All this on a bike that weights more than the rider.
His success follows on from his second place win on a 65cc bike at the New Zealand Championships in October.
Picard was only four when he first feel in love with riding bikes after he was given his first BMX bike.
A year later his poppa gave him an old army Briggs & Stratton motorbike but it was sent to the scrap heap, said Picard.
"It was cool to ride but once I started making jumps on it, I cracked the frame, so had to retire it," he said.
His desire is to be just like world champion motocross rider Ricky Carmichael.
"He's the best in the world. It would be cool to be able to ride like him," he said.
Mum, Lisa Picard, said while she thought the sport was great for young children with a passion for bikes to enjoy, safety was paramount at all times for her son.
"He isn't allowed near the bike until he has all his gear on. I'm always taking Rescue Remedy. The speeds these bikes can get up to is quite frightening and every year he wants a faster one," she said.