The young blokes coming home to Oz,,If you catch him out on a good swell,let him know he's a bloody great Aussie Hero 
As the rain and cold begin to blanket the UK and Europe, one of many Australian sports people are just weeks away from boarding a plane back to the sunny warm shores of our Great Southern Land.
One such aussie hero is Chris Holder.
By the time this article hits the streets, Chris' overseas campaign will be done for 2010.
It would be an understatement to say that Chris has had a busy year. Riding for 3 teams in 3 countries and competing in his first year in the SGP series, Chris has learnt alot.
"Yeah its been a massive year for sure. I have struggled a little this past couple of months. It's a big learning curve and I believe that I will be much better for it next year". says Chris.
You have to put into perspective what an athlete like Chris does on a weekly basis. He is not only a great speedway rider but he is his own manager and does all the business dealings and contract negotiations for himself. Flying between three countries consistently as he rides for Poole in the UK, Lejonen in Sweden and Torun in Poland and then several countries for the SGP rounds.
It's really no wonder why an athlete like Chris can get tired and drained from this kind of relentless schedule. It's not all plane flights either. Often there are drives of up to 14 hours to get to the next event, with only the thin foam mattress to keep you off the cold steel of the team van. On many occasions throughout his international campaign Chris wouldn't see his own place for weeks on end. So you can imagine how difficult it would be to stay on top of your health and fitness as well as be totally switched on and ride in one of the worlds most dynamic and hectic bike sports on earth.
"I'm thinking I may do things a little differently next year. Mainly in the way I handle the workload. Some of the guys race in Europe only and not the UK, this means they have up to 40 meeting less than I normally have. So I think I need to manage all my commitments in Europe better". Chris says.
With a smarter race schedule, Chris will be a lot fresher physically and mentally for the 2011 SGP series.
Chris continues, "I learnt a lot this year about that series [SGP]. Some of the tracks were my weak link and I know what to do to correct that for next year. It's a matter of riding better for the conditions. Some of the tracks were real slick. The guys I'm racing like Hancock and Golob have the experience to do this. So I will be working on being more consistent and stronger on the tracks that I typically find challenging".
Chris said that he has been happy with the bikes that he was running overseas this year. The equipment was definitely up to the challenge and Chris plans to keep it the same next year.
At this point I have to say that watching the final round of the SGP series was literally nail bitting for me personally. Sitting inside the top eight with a good buffer of points for a large percentage of the series, Chris found it difficult to gain a good haul of points in the last two rounds in particular. With two rivals making the final and fast gaining points on Chris, it was a tense 4 laps to see if Chris would make the automatic qualifying top eight or not.
Chris tells: "Well yeah it was pretty intense to make the top eight in the end by just one point. I was thinking whatever happens, happens. Just quietly I was really relieved". [laughs]
"Im really looking forward to taking some time off back home in Oz, recharge the batteries and get ready for the Australian titles".
Chris along with his Australian sponsors, Castrol, Unifilter and Rampant Clothing will be putting on a riders and media day in the new year, where Chris will talk about riding techniques, setups and life as a rider overseas. There will also be a master class coaching element to the day where Chris will actually show these techniques and help juniors and seniors hone their skills on a speedway bike. So stay tuned for dates and availability coming up later this year.
A keen surfer, when the waves are about, Chris will be looking forward to going out for a wave with his dad as soon as he gets back. Chris's dad Mick says: "Yeah it will be great to have both Chris and James back home, it never gets any easier seeing them off, so we will be real happy to have them back. I'll give em a week on the lounge then they can come to work with me". [laughs]
If you haven't witnessed a speedway event yet, you need to. A lot of the big names are heading back to Australia for the National titles. Also on show will be the up and coming riders trying to showcase their talents against their fellow countrymen. So it will be a great series no question.
