Kiwi motocross legends Ben Townley and Niki Urwin are keen to get their mxprotege scheme off the ground, so to speak, and here they outline their plans for the coming months.

Following a strong initial reception to the concept of mxprotege, Townley and Urwin would like to provide more detail on the concept, and the first year’s plan of events.

“Our vision for mxprotege is aimed at the elite level of the sport inspired by our mission statement. Our core aim is for riders between the ages of 13 to 18 years of age. If you feel you may be a good candidate for selection and fall outside this age bracket then we will also welcome your application.

“The deadline for applications is April 15, 2012. Your application should include a self written letter explaining why you should be a part of mxprotege and a brief CV.

These should be sent to mxprotege@hotmail.com or mxprotege c/o 105 Hawkridge Heights, Bethlehem,Tauranga, 3110

“We will be aiming to run three camps that are three days in length, based around a central North Island club event. These will be held during the winter months so some flexibility will be needed from applicants so we can make the best of the weather and track conditions.

“These camps will be conducted with a high expectation of our applicants. We will be covering every aspect of being a high performance athlete.  Things such as cardio training, weight training, nutrition, forming benificial relationships, attitude, public relations, recovery and body management, picking a career path, and maximising overseas opportunities.

“We will be teaching the fundamental techniques to unlock your potential speed. This will be done through new technologies such as GPS tracking, video analysis and helmet cameras.

“We will also cover how to get a bike setup for your individual tastes, and how a professional rider’s bike should handle.

“As off-bike training is a large component at these camps, we will expect you to provide your own, running, swimming and mountain bike equipment. This is a must.

“These camps are high performance and expectation is to come with an openness to what we have to say and a willingness to push yourself to the limit. These are seen as two very crucial points and underperforming in either of these areas may lead to dismissal from the squad.

“We will be watching all applicants till the cut-off date. The earlier you apply the more time we have to observe you at these events and a better chance you will have to impress us.

“Good luck,” – Ben Townley and Niki Urwin