Harvey opts for riding over rugby
He’s played for Nelson Bays and the Tasman Makos B team but Loui Harvey has kicked rugby into touch this year as he chases the Enduro World Series. He spoke with reporter
I have always loved riding bikes. I guess as time went on my passion for riding grew, and I decided that it was something that I would like to pursue. I tried to do both for a while but it just became a bit much. I put a lot of energy into rugby and was happy with where I had got to. I am excited to see what happens with my future in mountainbiking.
Firstly, I needed to become a member of the Enduro Mountain Bike Association (EMBA). This allowed me to gain series qualifying points throughout races. There are a certain qualifying races held all over the world that allow you to gain points. I competed in the 3 Peaks Enduro in Dunedin and one of the 2W races held in Rotorua. I was fortunate to gain enough points from those races to qualify for the Enduro World Series.
This year is going to be all about learning. Obviously, I will be trying to do as well as I can, but I know that I have a lot to learn before I can start setting real targets. If I can get some good results, that will be a bonus. It will be a long season, so making sure that I prepare well and stay injury-free will be my main goal.
My girlfriend Jess and I are both working full-time and saving as much as we can. I was very fortunate to get a job at Oaklands Farm almost immediately after finishing my job at Nelson Intermediate School and Jess is working at the Nelson I-site. The Nelson Mountain Bike Club have been very supportive, as have B-rad Cycles and Hyperformance Hwardware, and I am hoping to organise a fundraising race soon. I also started a Givealittle page which has had a few donations so far https://givealittle.co.nz/ cause/louimtb any support would be greatly appreciated.
Jess’ family live in Sweden so we will use that as a home base. However, we will be on the road for the majority of time as we plan to race other races separate form the EWS as well.
I managed a good result during the Top Gun weekend but rode a bit safe at the Dodzy (DME). I am training pretty hard at the moment and am feeling that I am making some good progress.
This is the hardest question, but I would have to say 629. The terrain that it is built down is awesome and it has a variety of different sections. It is a back country ride that can be easily done after work and a bit of grunt to get to but it is always well worth it.
Nelson has huge potential. This year we have already seen both some of New Zealand’s best mountain bikers and some international riders come to Nelson to ride and train, so the word is slowly getting out there. We lack in basic facilities that other places like Queenstown and Rotorua offer, such as bike washing stations, showers and toilets easily accessible from the mountain bike trails. The Nelson Mountain Bike Club are doing a fantastic job of promoting mountainbiking in Nelson. Name: Loui Harvey
Sport: Mountainbiking Occupation: Currently a milkman Date of birth: October 18 1990 Instagram: louiharvey