Issue 252 | April 20 2012

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fragrances.hugoboss.com

“READY FOR THE CHALLENGE” JENSON BUTTON. WORLD DRIVERS’ CHAMPION 2009

BOSS BOTTLED. SPORT. THE NEW FRAGRANCE FOR MEN

issue 252, April 20 2012

radar

08 Who’s the greatest? Another El Clasico — but between Messi and Ronaldo, who do the stats proclaim is the best?

10 How to run a marathon Expert Martin Yelling takes you from novice to seasoned runner in, er, 12 easy months

12 Draft includers It’s one of the highlights of the NFL — the annual draft of the best college players to do this coming weekFeatures

18 Judd Trump Snooker’s newest superstar speaks to Sport ahead of the World Championship

28 Kye Forte The freestyle BMX star and his old-school moves

30 The outdoor guide Where to stay and what to do, if you fancy a bit of fresh air

44 Scott Overall Why our top marathon runner won’t even finish in London — it’s all about the Olympics

52 The Premier League Round-up of this weekend’s games — still all to play for

extra Time

56 Grooming A very minty theme this week. Very fresh indeed

58 Coffee lover Claire Coffee, an NFL expert who may get your attention

60 Entertainment Featuring Jack White, Bob Marley and Irvine Welsh. Bosh

62 Gadgets The latest must-have boys’ toys on the market

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| April 20 2012 | 07

Radarp10 – Get marathon ready in precisely 12 months

08 | April 20 2012 |

p10 – A perfect fit for a running shoe

p12 – US sports stars of the future revealed

ionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share pitch

space at El Clasico on Saturday on a fresh new

high, both having smashed the La Liga scoring

record with their 41st league goals last weekend. While

the talent gap between these two superstars and the rest

of the planet’s footballers may — with due respect to Xavi,

Iniesta and Emile Heskey — be fairly large, the gap between

the pair of them is clearly narrower than Peter Crouch.

Narrow but, if the numbers are anything to go by,

decisive. In this breakdown of their La Liga stats for

2011/12, two things are clear. Firstly, they’re both

phenomenal. Secondly, Messi has the slenderest of leads

in nearly all key areas. He’s scored his 41 goals at a more

economic rate of shots-per-goal (and in one less game),

has three more assists, is caught offside slightly more

infrequently and has an edge in passing success.

Still, it’s not all bad news for CR7. He’s dispossessed

less: twice each match compared to Messi’s 2.7. Plus he’s

leading Lionel in both boutique ownership (he has two) and

the Paris Hilton stakes (he’s had one) — numbers which

your modern day footballer really respect, after all.

Statistics via whoscored.com

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Best of the best

*average per game

Offside* 0.8

Offside* 0.7

assists 11

assists 14

games 33

games 32gOals 41

gOals 41

shOts per gOal* 6.9

shOts per gOal* 5.6

dribbles* 1.8

dribbles* 4.8

passing success* 81%

dispOssessed* 2.0

dispOssessed* 2.7

passing success* 84%

re you one of those short to

middle-distance runners

who train regularly and

cover varied terrain? If you are,

then you’re far better than anyone

here at Sport, where we term putting

the kettle on as ‘caffeinercise’ — but you

might also be running in the wrong trainers.

So say hello to the right trainers: the

all-new XR Mission runners from Salomon’s

range of door to trail-running shoes. Light,

responsive and with an energy-returning

tendon system, the XR Mission cushions

shocks and improves heel-to-toe transition.

The result? A shoe that’s quite simply easier

to run in. To the kitchen — and beyond!

£90, salomonrunning.com

10 | April 20 2012 |

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Radar

f James Bond was ever to run a

marathon — well, we doubt he'd get

through the first four miles. A

50-year diet of martinis, pheasant and loose

women does not an endurance athlete make.

However if Bond were ever to try, he'd surely

have one of these on his wrist.

The Ironman Run Trainer is the first ever

run-specific GPS from Timex, meaning it can

instantly calculate your pace, speed, altitude

and distance no matter where you decide to

run: be it up the hill of a London park or

fleeing from a German megalomaniac with a

penchant for painting women gold. It also

includes a heart rate timer, hydration and

nutrition reminders, a customisable

split-screen display, post-run performance

feedback and more. Everything apart from

shout, “Do pay attention, 007” at you, in other

words. The ultimate running watch.

Timex Ironman Run Trainer, £275 with HRM

(£225 without), timex.co.uk

Marathon plan

Martin Yelling (PhD) is a former athlete and founder of Marathon Talk (marathontalk.com) a free weekly podcast for runners of all abilities.

For London marathon 2013 entry info, visit virginlondonmarathon.com

If you’re bitten by the marathon bug this weekend, top

running coach Martin Yelling explains how you can go

from couch potato to marathon-ready for London 2013

First three months

“Anyone — even if they’ve never

run a step in their life – can build

up to a marathon in 12 months.

First, get your health checked to

make sure you’re not likely to

keel over at the end of your road.

From there, start gently. Your

goal is to turn yourself from an

inactive person into a regularly

active one. One thing that people

do is go out to run as far as they

can with no progression. Then

they get demotivated because

they struggle or get injured.

Consistency and routine are

golden principles, so set a simple

target like three, one-hour,

periods each week. That doesn’t

mean run for an hour – try

walking or walk-running, any type

of exercise once a week. Then

you’ll build up the amount of time

you can run without stopping.”

months Four to six

“Now is when you need to make

the mindset shift from overall

fitness to being a runner. As

everyone’s start point is

different, that might mean an

hour session of walk-running: six

nine-minute runs with

one-minute walks in between.

Somebody else might achieve

that in the first 12 weeks and

will be running one hour fairly

effortlessly during this three

months. It’s still about gentle

progression; maybe try adding

an extra run in during the week.

As long as your preparation is

right, the more running you do,

the easier it gets. You get fitter,

perhaps lose some weight, your

heart and lungs are stronger

and your muscles get better at

running. It gets easier, so you

don’t mind doing one more.”

months seven to nine

“This is when you get more

serious. The key is to build up the

length of time you can run

without stopping. Ideally, you’d

be up to running 10 miles before

January. Maybe set 12 miles

before Christmas as a target.

The other thing to work on is

pace. What you might have done

in the first six months is not

worry about pace; just go out

and run. Now start to think: how

long do I take to run a mile? Try

varying your pace by running at

three different levels: easy, hard

— and somewhere in the middle;

‘steady’. That way, you don’t go

out and do the same one-paced

plod-run every time. So it’s,

frequency: three times a week.

Distance: 10 miles on at least

one run. And start playing with

pace on at least one run too.”

Final three months

“The risk now is some people hit

January, get excited and do too

much, which can mean injury. You

need to increase in appropriate,

progressive increments. Your

longest run is, say, three weeks

away from race day and it’s 20 to

22 miles. Create your plan by

working back from there. That

gives you targets to hit each

week. Go up to 12 miles, 14 miles,

then 16 miles — then go back to

10 for one week. Around three

weeks to go is when you tail off

to be fresh. Reduce the length of

your runs — but not necessarily

frequency. Achieving a

successful marathon is all about

careful planning. You need to be

patient, improvements take time,

but when they happen and you

toe the start line confident and

competent, it’s all worth it.”

Discover more at www.clarks.co.uk/sailing

Developed, tested and worn by

Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson

Olympic, World and European Champions

Radar

Golden draft

he US college football draft has

become a prime-time TV event in

the United States, as the best in

young talent is snaffled by the big NFL

clubs in several rounds of picks. It’s like

all the fun of a Premier League transfer

window condensed into just three days

(with less Jim White). Plus, in an attempt

to create competitive equality that would

make Premier League overlords spit

their brandy out in disgust, the first

overall pick actually goes to the NFL’s

weakest team of the previous season.

This means that the Indianapolis Colts

(2011 record: won 2, lost 14) are

rewarded for their fabulous ineptness

with the first overall pick for 2012.

But it isn’t always that simple, as

teams can trade their draft positions.

For example, this year the Washington

Redskins have taken the St Louis Rams’

second overall pick in exchange for

better trading positions lower down the

order, higher selections for 2013 and

2014, plus the kitchen sink and their

own mother.

The reason for this extravagant

offering? Some of the best prospects in

more than a decade are set to be swiped

in 2012 — men who will be starring in Nike

commercials, dating supermodels,

earning millions and — hey — maybe even

winning a few Super Bowls in the coming

decade. To give you the inside track,

we’ve take an educated stab at the guys

likely to take the top three positions in

the draft. Remember their names.

The 2012 NFL Draft takes place on

April 26 to 28 in New York

T

Andrew Luck

Likely destination:

Indianapolis Colts

A quarterback prospect so

smoking hot that halfway

through 2011, some NFL fans

actively began campaigns for their teams to

'suck for Luck' lose their remaining games so

as to obtain the top draft pick and nab this

22-year-old prodigy. An NFL-ready 6ft 4ins,

230lb, Luck makes great decisions, has a fast

release, is accurate, efficient and runs his

offense like a pro. Said to be the finest

prospect since one Peyton Manning — exactly

the player who the Colts are trying to replace.

A no-brainer, as Americans say. That is, if it

weren’t for the man pictured above.

How the USA’s sporting superstars of the future are chosen next week

Coverstar

eaders, we’re after a favour. And we

know we can rely on you.

See, it’s like this. A few months

ago we produced what we think is the best

front cover of Sport ever — a haunting

close-up portrait of Gazza (below) that was

so stunning we didn’t think we’d sully it with

any words at all. And now the good folk at

the Professional Publishers’ Association

have named it in their shortlist to win the

prestigious Cover of the Year award for

2011. Rightly so, we cry.

But we need votes, and lots of them. That’s

where you come in. Go to www.ppa.co.uk/

coveroftheyear, admire the great work our

rivals have done but then remember to vote

for Sport. We will be eternally grateful.

Thank you.

R

Issue 230 | October 21 2011

Robert Griffin III

Likely destination:

Washington Redskins

Andrew Luck was considered a surefire

overall first-round draft pick until the

explosive emergence of RG3. The dynamic

Baylor Bear (that’s Griffin’s college team, not

his Mom’s nickname for him) actually claimed

the Heisman Trophy for outstanding college

player 2011 due to his supreme athleticism

and cannon of an arm. At 6ft 2ins on his

tiptoes, he’s slightly undersized for an NFL

quarterback and has had injury problems,

which makes Luck the safer pick. However, in

2011, Griffin was probably the fastest

quarterback in any form of football and has

the potential to be a future ace.

Matt Kalil

Likely destination:

Minnesota Vikings

While the likely numbers one and

two in the draft are both fancy

dan quarterbacks, Matt Kalil is

the kind of hero regular Americans can really

get behind: a dead-eyed, 306lb, 6ft 7in

offensive tackle nicknamed ‘The Hammer’.

Fleet of foot for a man of his ample size, the

22-year-old also has excellent awareness

and Mr Tickle-length arms. All told,

he’s ready to go straight into the Vikings’

starting line-up, should they choose to select

him. Plus, if his NFL career falls through, he

can always pick up a job scaring the crap out

of kids outside a haunted house.J

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14 | April 20 2012 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc

18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ

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Email: firstname.lastname@

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EDITORIALEditor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)

Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958),

Alex Reid (7915)

Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901),

Amit Katwala (7914)

Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: Hannah Engelkamp,

Claire Nash

COMMERCIALAgency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991)

Advertising Managers:

Paul Brett (7918), Kevin O’Byrne

(7832), Steve Hare (7930)

Head of Brand Solutions:

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Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852)

Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

Digital Marketing Manager:

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Managing Director: Adam Bullock

PA to Managing Director:

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Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd

Printed by:

Wyndeham (Peterborough) Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2012

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility

for the content of advertisements

placed in Sport magazine

£1 where sold

Hearty thanks this week to: Martin Yelling, Ivan Hirschowitz,

Django Fung, Jess Trendle, Bridget

Gray, Sophie Jewes & Daniel Sullivan

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

2008

Total Average Distribution: 304,700 Jul-Dec 2011

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facebook.com/sportmagazine

N eptune Collonges, that grand old stager who for so long raced in the shadow of stablemates Kauto Star and Denman, finally had his

moment in the sun. But he won’t be

remembered for winning the most thrilling

Grand National finish of all time, but for

winning the race in which the Gold Cup

champion had to be destroyed.

I have previously argued fervently

against those animal rights activists who

want the National banned. You may as well

ban all jumps racing, for any horse can fall

at any fence, on any track, and never get

up again. And let’s not think the National

fences are just wheeled out for one race a

season then wheeled back until next year.

But, like many who love racing, this

year’s race left me with an empty feeling

afterwards. That Synchronised, a terrific

racehorse who was among the bravest

and gamest in training, had died left me

questioning where I stand on the National.

I am not especially proud to admit that it

was the quality of the horse that died that

made me rethink. I suspect I’m not alone in

the fact that if it had been two 200-1

outsiders who never made it home, we

would not be asking so many questions.

My view is the race can be changed on

a very small scale and become safer. The

big thing would be to reduce the number

of runners from 40 to 30; the sheer chaos

of the National definitely contributes to

some falls. Also I’d have a longer run to the

first fence just to give jockeys a few more

seconds to find more running room and,

to put it simply, relax into the race a bit.

But there will always be fallers in the

National; it is a great race, a real test of

horse and jockey. If we want to celebrate

that fact, we must do so in the knowledge

that sometimes it will not end well.

Ashley Young’s new-found reputation

as, let’s say, someone who goes to

ground easily is unfortunate. He’s a

good player but one thing we cannot

abide in this country is the player who

goes looking for a penalty. Even if there

was contact, his theatrics do him no

credit, which, in an unusual step, Sir

Alex Ferguson basically told the world

afterwards. Is there scope for a player

to be booked for diving even if he has

been fouled?

Once again – in the light of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final – the calls come for goalline technology. It does miss the point that Spurs were well-beaten regardless of that one decision, but increasingly, as discussed here previously, match officials are struggling to keep up with the modern game. One word of warning: goalline technology is the thin end of a very large wedge.

A national dilemmaTwo more horses die in the world’s greatest horse race: so what now for the Grand National?

Agree or disagree? Tweet us @sportmaguk

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Runners and riders do battle with Aintree, but do they need

more room to manoeuvre?

Reader comments of the week

@simoncaney.I love da

paula Radcliffe piece,#51

on your list.The pun at da

end made me laugh so loud

every1 on da bus was

staring at me.

@landlord44

Twitter

@simoncaney great

Olympic feature today, must

have been a few heated

boardroom debates nailing

down that order? Is the

editors word final?!

@AliFoster2

Twitter

Disappointing you’d put a

drug cheat as more

memorable than the

greatest sprinter of all

time.

Richard, via email

@sportmaguk

@simoncaney Great

countdown but no.57 -

Betty Robinson is quite

possibly the greatest

story ive ever heard.

Should def be no.1

@Si_Margolis

Twitter

Chris’ comment sums up

everything that is right

about Sport. The range

and variety means it’s

awesome 4 some1 who

thinks that sports sections

are normally saturated

with FB+Rugby.

@Manda_SW, Twitter

Realise your potential by

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today’s primary schools. As a primary school teacher you are responsible for shaping young minds and laying the foundations for their future. The rewards for primary teaching start immediately and you could receive a £9k* bursary to train. What’s more, primary school teachers are on the same pay scales as secondary teachers with their salaries rising by an average of around 30% after the first four years. To find out more search‘teaching primary’ or call0800 389 2500.

Rewarding Challenging Teaching

*Conditions apply. See education.gov.uk/teacconditions for full details.

16 | April 20 2012 |

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If you’ve ever wondered what life might look like for

a piece of bum waste being flushed down Pat

Keller’s toilet, then you really should talk to your GP

about some stronger medication. This is clearly a

shot of Pat Keller of the USA riding a rapid during

Olympic trials in the Whitewater Slalom. But hey,

come back next week and we’ll do you another shot

of a sportsman doing something that looks vaguely

like something else. That’s our cast-iron promise

to you.

Wet and wild

Radar Frozen in time

| 17

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18 | April 20 2012 |

Judd Trump

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| 19Photogra

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Judd Trump is box office. The

The 22-year-old Bristolian’s

rapid, attacking play, audacious

shot selection and penchant for

the long pot means he has been

carrying the ‘most exciting new

talent since Ronnie O’Sullivan’ tag around

with him almost since he turned professional

five years ago.

And, last year, Trump started to live up to

his billing. He outplayed John Higgins for

much of the World Championship final, firing

in two centuries to build a 10-7 lead and then

making breaks of 104 and 99 to go 12-9 up.

Higgins eventually prevailed, rallying to take

a fourth world title 18-15, but was quick to

credit his victim with playing “a brand of

snooker I have never seen before”. Trump’s

performance was credited as being the chief

driving force behind the BBC’s highest

viewing figures for the final in five years.

That was more than enough to get the

headline writers and snooker supremo Barry

Hearn excited. But the boy-band hair,

‘maverick’ bow tie and referring to himself

as an ‘international playboi’ on Twitter,

coupled with a throwaway remark during

this year’s Masters, led to comparisons with

another nonconformist: Manchester City’s

erratic-in-every-way striker Mario ‘Box

Office’ Balotelli.

“I said I kind of like Balotelli,” says Trump,

by way of explanation. “He’s just himself and

he doesn’t change for nobody. Obviously I

don’t want to be him — I want to be myself.

But I do admire some of the stuff he does.

He’s just so cool about it.”

So, no setting off fireworks, then? “No. I’m

not that kind of person.”

You can see why the comparison is

tempting. Trump even arrives for our

interview in his red Spider F430 convertible

Ferrari (we hear him before we see him),

which he parks up outside his snooker club.

But as soon as he walks in, it’s clear that he

is not that kind of person at all.

Table mannersQuiet and unfailingly polite, Trump seems

almost bewildered by the attention he

receives as he obligingly tries on different

suits for the camera and sportingly lies flat

out on one of the club’s tables. The ‘club’ is

not, as we had imagined, a dark, smoky back

room guarded by a passive-aggressive

barman. Instead, it’s a modern office unit set

in a quiet business park on the outskirts of

Romford, out of which Trump’s manager,

Django Fung, operates.

It’s also where he happens to have five

championship-standard snooker tables. The

“I like Balotelli. He’s himself and doesn’t change for nobody”

tables — and the ‘green room’ next door,

complete with a view of the adjacent B&Q

— are there exclusively for the use of the

small stable of players managed by Fung,

including O’Sullivan and Trump’s 20-year-old

flatmate, Jack Lisowski.

The pair live “five minutes down the road”,

with Trump uprooting from his native Bristol

to find a better standard of practice

competition and improve his game nearly two

years ago. He describes the move as “a bit of

a gamble”, but it seems to be paying off. To

that World final, he can add the semi finals of

this year’s Masters — beating O’Sullivan

along the way — as well as victories at last

year’s China Open and

the UK Championship

in December.

“It was a little bit of a

gamble,” he repeats, for

emphasis. “But I wasn’t

improving where I was.

It’s good fun up here. It’s

nice to get away from

the parents and just do

what you want to do. I do miss them now and

again, but it’s nice to have your freedom.”

Is there a danger, then, of that freedom

having a detrimental effect — especially with

the lure of a The Only Way is Essex social life,

as well as London a quick Ferrari ride away?

“It can be hard to dedicate yourself,” admits

Trump. “But this is what I’ve wanted to do my

whole life and I know this is the age when I

have to knuckle down and do what I’ve got to

do. We’re pretty good, we don’t go out that

often... and we know snooker comes first.”

He’s certainly dedicated, practising as

often as seven days a week during the

season, unless he is away playing in a

tournament. “It’s down to us,” he says. “If

we’re doing really well, we can ease off the

practice and still do well in tournaments. But

if we start losing then we’ve really got to try

and punish ourselves, get in here every day

and sort it out.”

Trump speaks with a level of maturity that

makes it easy to forget he is only 22. Maybe

it comes with the quiet confidence honed by

winning tournaments against grown men as

an eight-year-old at Bristol’s Keynsham

Snooker Centre. Or perhaps it’s a by-product

of being talked about — by Steve Davis, no

less — as the spearhead for the next

generation of snooker stars. Does he feel a

sense of responsibility to be the poster boy

Hearn would so dearly like?

“Yeah. You don’t want to make a fool out of

yourself, but you want to promote the game

and not say too many stupid things. [You

want to] enjoy yourself and show people that

it’s good fun what you’re doing and get other

people into the game. Snooker doesn’t get

half the publicity most other sports get, so

it’s hard. And when snooker isn’t in the

limelight, you’ve got to promote it to the best

of your ability.

“There are times when you’re getting beat,

you’re not playing well and you’re sat on your

chair, and you just want to pick up your chair

and throw it on the table and just get out of

20 | April 20 2012 |

Judd Trump

A. Sauvage Long Clerk Suit & shirt

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Clae Strayhorn shoes | €105.00

from www.clae.eu

there. But you’ve got to look like you’re

enjoying it, and I think people take to that

when you do.”

Snooker’s saviour?What about reading headlines labelling him

‘snooker’s saviour’ — does that expectation

weigh him down?

“I just ignore it, really,” says Trump. “It’s

good to be known as that, but there have

been a lot of players in the past who have

had that label and kind of underachieved,

so I don’t want to be like that — I want to

be known as someone who achieved his

potential.”

‘The Ace’ (though he much prefers “just

Judd”) smiles and shrugs when Sport asks

him what that potential might be. He will

expand on his ambitions, though — namely,

the World Championship.

“Everyone wants to be world champion,”

he says. “I don’t think you’re truly

remembered unless you win the World

Championship. That’s something I want to

do, and quite early on. And then get to

number one, and hopefully stay there for

four or five years.”

Is he confident of making a start on that

this year? “I feel good,” says Trump. “This

year has gone so fast for me — it’s been like

a rollercoaster. It’s

going to be nice to get

back there and get

involved. It’s the

biggest three weeks

of my life coming up,

so hopefully I can do

what I did last year

and go one step further. The main thing is to

go out and enjoy it, and hopefully let the fans

enjoy it again.

“I’m playing a lot better than last year, and

I feel I’m a better player. These past three or

four tournaments I’ve been playing well and

losing only by the odd frame, and the people

I’ve been playing have been going on to win.

I feel like my form’s there — I’ve just got to

try and turn it on and get a spark from

somewhere.”

Trump agrees when we suggest that

those three weeks last year changed his life.

“Yeah. To people outside of snooker it was a

bit of a shock to them. A lot of people didn’t

know me then, even though I won a few

tournaments before that. That was kind of

the rise of me, that tournament, with the

publicity the World Championship gets. It

really got my name out there and I got a big

following from it.”

Part of the final’s story was that it marked

the culmination of Higgins’ return to the

game from a six-month ban after he failed to

report an illegal approach (revealed by the

News of the World to be a set-up by the

tabloid). How aware of that was Trump, and

did it have an effect on him?

“I knew it was going on, but I tried to blank

it out and just play John Higgins,” he says.

“People will be trying extra hard to bring me down after last year”

“He’s a great player. Obviously he wasn’t

proven guilty, so you just have to get over it

and just play him as a snooker player.”

Despite that subplot, it seemed, for a

while, as if Trump’s name was on the trophy.

He qualified to beat defending champ Neil

Robertson in the first round and stormed

through the draw to dismantle world number

four Ding Junhui in front of a raucous crowd

in the semis. In doing so, Trump became, at

21 years and nine months, the second-

youngest player to appear in a Crucible final.

Only seven-time champion Stephen Hendry

— the Scot was 21 and four months in 1990

— got there sooner.

“From the Robertson game on, I felt really

relaxed for the rest of the tournament and

just thought ‘no pressure’,” reflects Trump.

“I felt like I was invincible at some points.

I just went out and played shots that some

people thought were stupid, but at the time

I felt like I was going to pot them, so I took

them on. And people seemed to enjoy that.”

Might this year present a different

challenge? Trump nods: “Yeah. A lot of people

are going to expect a lot of me this year. Last

year was probably a one-off — some of the

balls I was potting and stuff like that — and

this year’s going to be a lot harder. There’s

going to be a lot of people who want to beat

me and try extra hard to beat me and bring

me down. I’ll probably have to change my

game a little bit and not take on so many

balls. But when they’re there I’ll take ‘em —

and when they’re not, I’ll play safe.”

Trump admits that playing safe is not a

decision he makes easily — especially when

a pot, however difficult, is on. “At the time, if

The age at which

Judd Trump reached

the semi finals of

the World Under-21

Championship, and

at which he became

the youngest player

ever to make a

competitive 147

22 | April 20 2012 |

Judd Trump

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I feel it’s right, then I take it on,” he says.

“Obviously if you watch it back, you can see

it’s perhaps the wrong shot. But if you’re out

there in the moment, you’ve just got to do

what your heart tells you.”

The art of entertainmentHis words echo those of artist and snooker

aficionado Damien Hirst, who has declared

himself a fan. Trump, says Hirst, plays with

“a lot of emotion”. Does he agree?

“I just go out and whatever I see, I do,” he

says. “There’s no scientific approach to it.

I try to get the crowd to enjoy it and get them

involved. At the end of the frames I take on

shots that other players wouldn’t like to try

and get the crowd on my side, and that’s a

big part of it — having the crowd on your side

helps a lot.”

How did Trump feel, then, after being

beaten by Robertson in an unsociable

Masters semi final earlier this year, when

the Australian suggested he was inspired

by what he considered to be the unsporting

behaviour of a group of rowdy Trump

supporters?

“I just think it’s jealousy, really,” says

Trump. “I’ve had a lot of the limelight over the

past year, and other players don’t really like

that. For him to do that, there was no real

reason for it. I think because I beat him in a

couple of big tournaments, he just didn’t like

it and he wanted to have his say about it. He

wouldn’t have said that to someone like

Ronnie, and Ronnie gets 10 times more

support than I do.”

Ah, Ronnie. It seems that, to follow in the

Rocket’s footsteps, Trump first has to beat

him in more or less every tournament he

enters — the pair are more often than not

drawn together in the latter stages of the

bigger competitions (including the Masters

quarters, which Trump won). Does he find it

difficult to play O’Sullivan — a player he so

looks up to?

“First couple of times I played him I was

really nervous and found it really difficult

having the whole crowd on his side,” he

admits. “It’s not a nice place to be when

you’re sat on your chair and he’s at the table

and everyone’s cheering him on. But the

older I’ve got and the more I’ve seen him, it’s

become a lot easier. I see it as a bit of a

challenge when he has the support — I try

and get a few of the crowd on my side.

“But I feel I really need a big occasion to

play my best. I really enjoy playing on the TV

now in front of people, whereas a couple of

seasons ago I found it hard to enjoy and real

nerve-wracking. Now all I want to do is be in

front of the cameras. I feel I really raise my

game in front of the bigger crowds.”

Trump will be hoping he can do just that

and claim the world title in front of a packed

Crucible three weeks from now. At 5/1 with

the bookies, and for an ever-increasing

crowd, Trump is the favourite.

Graham Willgoss @grahamwillgoss

“I take on shots other players don’t like to try”

Danger men

Mark Selby World ranking 1

‘The Jester from Leicester’ is named for

rhyme rather than reason, as the

28-year-old is more likely to ease

carefully to victory than break out any

naughty trick shots. Consistancy in minor

events has helped him reach the top of

the rankings, but two Masters wins show

this tough competitor can beat the best.

The half-dozen World Championship contenders likely to challenge Trump

Neil Robertson World ranking 3

His fearsome long potting and blonde

coiffure make the Australian a threat to

Trump in both the tournament and the

‘most boy-band hair’ stakes. Lost to Judd

in an epic semi final last season, but the

2010 world champion gained his revenge

at this year’s Masters. Another match

between these rivals would be a cracker.

John Higgins World ranking 6

He’s admitted to struggling for motivation

for much of the season, but if there’s one

thing that will rouse defending champion

Higgins, it’s the Crucible. The longer-form

matches suit the Scot’s game and he has

the temperament and experience to add

to his four World titles. Whether, at 36, he

still has the requisite skills, we shall see.

Ding Junhui World ranking 10

Has the sublime break-building ability to

win any tournament, so it’s a mystery as

to why China’s prodigiously gifted Junhui

has such a poor Crucible record. He made

improvements last year, getting to the

semi final (losing to Higgins), but has had

a patchy 2011/12. The 25-year-old has

the talent, but does he have the form?

Mark Allen World ranking 11

The Northern Irishman is the rebellious

voice in Barry Hearn’s brave new world

of snooker, speaking out against format

changes and hosting venues. However,

the controversies have distracted from

the fact that the man with the punchy cue

action has pulled off several gritty wins.

‘The Pistol’ is a dark horse for this title.

Ronnie O’Sullivan World ranking 13

He’s spent the season battling to stay in

the top 16 and at age 36 and five months,

he’d be the most elderly world champion

since Ray Reardon in 1978, but you don’t

write off a snooker genius. If ‘The Rocket’

can get past his old foe Peter Ebdon in

round one, no player will relish facing the

most natural talent ever to touch baize.

24 | April 20 2012 |

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Judd Trump

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28 | April 20 2012 |

Outdoor Special The Interview

OUTDOOR SPECIAL!

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Muddy fields, tiny bikes, injuries

— where’s the appeal?

“Where do I start? It’s an exciting

sport, it’s about pushing yourself

and hanging out with mates and

getting to travel the world and

enjoying riding bikes. Those are

the reasons I continue to do it.”

Right, we stand corrected.

There must be some downsides,

though, otherwise everyone

would be doing it?

“It can be quite hard work and

the travelling gets tiring, but the

majority of the time you try to

keep it as fun as possible. Being a

dirt jumper is the main part of my

profession and actually building

the jumps can be a lot of work –

there’s a lot of sort of ‘shovel

time’ and it’s almost more hours

actually creating the jumps than

you’re gonna spend actually

riding them.”

You’ve got some people to help

you out with ‘shovel time’ for the

bigger events, right? Not that

we’re offering or anything.

“Yeah, like Empire of Dirt [see

below]. That’s a bigger project so

we’ve got a team, but it’s still

going to be three weeks on site,

long days getting the course done

and that. We’ve done a lot of

drawings, measurements and

site visits — the course is over

400m long and has more than 10

tons of earth, so it’s full-on. It’s

almost as fun creating something

as riding it I find, so it makes the

hard work worth it really.”

You got to design the course —

what kind of things do you like to

see at a freestyle event?

“Anything that makes a rider

think really — if you go to some

contests it’s quite similar and

you kind of just reel off your

repertoire.”

What’s in yours?

“The trick I’m most known for is

probably a table top, which is

quite a simple trick — kind of a

style thing, but I think my hardest

trick would probably be the 360

nat one-handed seat grab.”

We’ll be sure to look that up on

YouTube. How do you learn

something like that?

“Generally the way I learn tricks,

‘cos I don’t have foam pits and

things like that at my disposal, is

I’ll learn the jump straight and

then I’ll start putting that into a

rotation, and then I might add

taking a hand off. So you build on

tricks over the years –

something like a 360 nat

one-handed seat grab might take

me like three years to get to the

stage where I’ve pulled it.”

Wait, foam pits?

“A lot of riders elsewhere have

them, and obviously you can learn

tricks a lot quicker and safer

because, well, you’re landing in

foam. In America it’s way more

common...”

Cowards.

“...but even in parts of England

they have them. We don’t really

have one around here and I

hardly ever get to ride them, so

my method is a bit different to

kids these days y’know. In my day,

if we were gonna try something

new, it’d be a case of softening

up a landing with a fork and then

just having a go for a couple of

hours really — until you either

learn it, or can’t walk anymore.

Sometimes learning things in

foam pits, as much as it pushes

the sport and its progression,

it’s kind of a sterile environment

and it seems like the freestyle

element is lost a bit.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Red Bull Empire of Dirt is at London’s

Alexandra Palace on May 19-20. For

tickets and more information head to

redbull.co.uk/empireofdirt

We kick off our 10-page outdoor special by chatting to 28-year-old freestyle BMX rider Kye Forte about big jumps, sick tricks and keeping it old school...

Dirt Devil

| 29

Outdoor Special The Guide

Stay and do

30 | April 20 2012 |

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Turning your thoughts to summer adventures? We’ve got a bit of everything in the UK, and in this romp through the countryside Hannah Engelkamp suggests a range of outings and pursuits – from making the most of the coast to finding Highland solitude on horseback

2 Stay in a lighthouse and go wreck diving, CornwallIf you don’t like neighbours but are

happy with occasional loud horns,

flashing lights, seagulls and storms, a stay in

a lighthouse might be for you. The light

flashes every 15 seconds, and if it’s foggy an

automatic warning honk sounds every 30

seconds. Be warned.

By definition, lighthouses are in stark,

windswept and beautiful locations, albeit

sometimes a little tricky to get to. This one,

St Anthony’s Lighthouse near the mouth of

Falmouth harbour, is reached by a 300m path

down to the rocks — and once there it’s

completely private, the dream holiday of

nautical hermits and misanthropists

everywhere. Also, brilliantly, 1980s kids’

series Fraggle Rock was filmed here.

For an adrenaline fix, turn your hand to

wreck diving. Any sort of scuba diving can be

stunning, but there’s something about wreck

diving that gets the imagination going. Moving

around the sunken ships feels more like flying

than swimming, and wrecks naturally come

with plenty of history.

The best-known wreck is that

of the Scylla, which was sunk

deliberately in 1968 just for the

purpose of diving. It’s stunning.

Stay St Anthony’s Lighthouse,

ruralretreats.co.uk

Do HMS Scylla, divescylla.com and

aquanauts.co.uk

1 Stay in a boat on the Royal Festival Hall and kayak the Thames, LondonPerched on the roof of the Royal

Festival Hall, next to the busy Waterloo Bridge,

is a crazy one-year-only, one-bedroom hotel,

designed to look like a boat stranded high up

there by retreating floodwaters. The interior

is wooden and full of nautical nooks and

crannies. From your two decks you can gaze

out over the cityscape, soaking in the rooftop

calm while the pleasure boats power back and

forth along the river, and cars and buses race

frantically around the capital’s streets.

During the day, if you feel the need to get

closer to the waters of the iconic Thames,

head for Kayaking London, based upstream in

Chelsea. They run a bunch of inventive

kayaking adventure trips up and down the

Thames, all of which have a little something

special about them. On the sightseeing tour

you’ll see London from a whole new angle,

passing the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben,

the London Eye, Tower of London and HMS

Belfast. Then hop out and head inside Tower

Bridge for dinner, all in with the price.

Or there’s the Putney Paddle and Pizza trip

— a calm paddle upstream to Putney, stopping

at Putney Bridge for an al fresco pizza supper

before heading back to Chelsea. Sounds

terrible, doesn’t it? There’s also a night

paddle through the reflections

of London’s glittering skyline...

and they run occasional

speed-dating paddles, if you are

on the lookout for someone who

really floats your boat.

Stay A Room for London,

living-architecture.co.uk

Do Kayaking London,

kayakinglondon.com

Not just for muppets: stay at the home of Fraggle Rock and go wreck diving

Float your boat? It’s a

hotel in a boat on a roof,

obviously

Try this for sighs: kayaking on the Thames ahead of a slap-up meal

or some speed dating

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4 Stay in a windmill and fly a gyrocopter, DevonFor a sky-themed break, spend the

nights in a windmill — the

200-year-old Long Barrow Windmill in Devon.

Sit in the majestic 360-degree viewing room

up top, and gaze over rolling hills, dramatic

cloudscapes and blazing sunsets, or quake

at the 100mph winds that blow hereabouts.

The 1860 Ordnance Survey map of the area

already showed the windmill as disused,

and since then the mill has waited for its

new lease of life, finally bestowed on it in the

late 1990s. But the history’s not all

rosy-cheeked miller’s wives and flour sacks

— owner Vince Hallam suspects the mill

was built by the same gang of French

prisoners who built one at nearby Brixham,

involuntarily aiding their enemies’ war

effort by grinding gunpowder.

Once you are up in the clouds, why not set

your sights higher? Head to Eaglescott

Flying School and try your hand at a

gyrocopter, which looks like the bastard

lovechild of a helicopter and a canoe. They

are small and the overhead blades aren’t

powered, instead catching the air that

flows upward between them. The

vertical propeller is powered, though,

and provides the thrust you will need to

go forward. Invented back in the 1920s

(Amelia Earhart flew one), they remain an

emerging mode of transport — until recently,

the only way you could legally drive one was

to build the ruddy thing first.

Opt for a 30-minute trial flight or a four- to

five-day pilot training course. You get to drive

the joystick-operated contraption yourself,

and the Eaglescott gyrocopters have open

cockpits, so you’ll be right up there in the

fresh West Country air. Enjoy stunning views

of the beaches and cliffs of the Atlantic and

Jurassic coasts, wild Dartmoor and Exmoor...

and maybe your windmill too.

Stay Long Barrow Windmill,

devonwindmills.co.uk

Do Eaglescott Flying School,

gyrocopterexperience.com

| April 20 2012 | 33

Outdoor Special The Guide

3Stay in a yurt and horse trek through the Highlands, Scotland You can’t throw a Burberry welly

these days without hitting a posh yurt —

they’ve cropped up all over the country as

glamping (that’s glamorous camping, fyi)

becomes big business. But for a taste of

what yurt dwelling is really all about, head

for the remote wilderness of the Scottish

Highlands. The splendid isolation starts

early — the shower and toilet are a rugged

700m away — but the eclectic yurt is cosy,

with a toasty woodburner as well as a

barbecue ‘upcycled’ from a truck wheel,

and at night you’ll be warm in a vintage

Victorian double bed.

While holidaying on Scotland’s answer to

the Mongolian Steppes, what you need is a

real horse ride. Highland Unbridled run the

real deal — multi-day horse rides through

the rough Scottish countryside, for which

you can even take your own horse. The

jewel in their crown is a full 15-day ride,

covering 250 miles of mountains, glens,

bogs and moors, and including plenty of

wide-open beaches to gallop along. During

the ride you’ll be clocking up 15 to 20 miles

a day, staying at B&Bs or hotels in some

magnificently remote areas.

If you’re not sure your loins can handle

15 days literally on the trot, they do various

shorter rides, including a three-day New

Year gallop about in the snow. It’s called the

Horsey Hogmanay, naturally.

Stay Inshriach Yurt, canopyandstars.co.uk

Do Highlands Unbridled,

highlandsunbridled.co.uk

Hot to trot: a toasty yurt awaits after clocking up

the miles in Scotland’s splendid isolation

Zen miller: there are no

turning sails to keep you

awake so chill out ahead

of a spot of gyrocopting

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| April 20 2012 | 35

Outdoor Special The Guide

5 Stay in a treehouse and climb about in trees, WalesIf your nervous knocking knees will let

you, climb 100 feet up into the canopy

of a 120-acre woodland overlooking the

Conway Valley in Snowdonia. Perched on a

little platform, take in the beautiful view while

you catch your breath, and then leap off with

your life in the hands of some revolutionary

new technology. Freefall face first towards

the forest floor, the adrenaline racing

through your veins, until at the last minute

the unpowered fan strapped to your back

catches the air as it rushes past you, and

breaks your fall, acting like a parachute (or a

gyrocopter) and setting you down with a

miraculous featherlight landing.

And that’s just for starters. Tree Top

Adventure also has a brand new G-Swing.

Up to five of you, attached in a row to a bar,

are winched backwards until you are

suspended 80 feet above the cafe. One of you

holds the release cord, and when you can’t

stand the suspense any more, pull the cord

and you all swing through the trees with the

greatest of terror — and a whole lot of

gratitude for your Kevlar rope.

There’s also the challenging two-hour

continuous high-ropes course, which starts

low and takes you higher and higher around

the woodland. And as if that wasn’t enough,

they are currently working on the Northern

Hemisphere’s longest zipline, at a ridiculous

1,800m and due to be ready to rip in July.

Tree Top Adventure has accommodation

nearby, but if you’d rather not come back

down to earth head over to Bryn Meurig Bach

— a treehouse on the other side of Snowdonia

National Park. Set 20 feet off the ground, the

circular treehouse pod sleeps four around a

cosy central wood stove. The treehouse is

completely off-grid, and the stove also heats

the water for the shower. The clever toilet is

in another tree, a treetop walkway away, and

the whole shebang is built on low-impact

floating joints that keep the trees from harm.

Stay Bryn Meurig Bach Treehouse,

canopyandstars.co.uk

Do Tree Top Adventure, ttadventure.co.uk

6 Stay in a teepee and go Canadian canoeing, Herefordshire Come over all Pocahontas on a canoe

trip down the wide, cool River Wye,

which runs along the border of Wales and

England, through an Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty. And if a tent feels a bit

prosaic after all the romance of the open

river, you can spend your night in authentic

but luxurious teepees along the way.

Canoe touring is the best of all worlds.

You have all the exciting adventurer’s

self-sufficiency — each canoe takes two

people, plus four waterproof barrels in which

to keep all your kit — but there’s little of the

adventurer’s hardship; no weighing your kit,

living off dried fruit and nuts or wearing the

same clothes for days on end. No, with canoe

touring you can tie a bottle of Cava to the

boat and chill it in the river.

On long, warm summer days there’s

nothing better than abandoning ship and

leaping into the deep, dark water for a swim,

or stopping to boil up the billycan on the

pebbly beaches along the way. If you want to

go DIY, there are several companies along the

Wye that will rent you canoes, barrels, maps

and the works. There are campsites along

the way, too, but for the full North American

Indian experience pick Tipi Adventure, a

company that has a number of remote teepee

sites dotted along the route.

Teepee connoisseurs (we know you’re out

there) might like to know that these are in the

Sioux style. Each sleeps seven, on futons and

sheepskins around the central open fire-pit

— you can sear your evening buffalo steak on

the fire, barbecue or gas cooker. The camps

are set a good day’s canoeing apart —

meaning you can float gently downstream,

dipping your oar in now and again, keeping an

eye out for friendly riverside pubs as you go.

Stay and do Tipi Adventure,

tipiadventure.co.uk

A river runs through it:

imagine Deliverance,

but with more luxury

and fewer banjos

Mission possible: freefall towards the forest floor to bring out the Tom Cruise in you

Going native: the humble tent has been replaced by a high-end teepee

36 | April 20 2012 |

With summer fast approaching, we’ve teamed up with the good people at Snow+Rock, the UK’s leading outdoor retailer, to bring you a guide to all the best gear for the new season. Four pages of the stuff, no less...

Summer adventures

Whether trekking in Nepal or the Netherlands, you’ll need garments

with technical fabrics to wick

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Hot brand Norrona’s Bitihorn Active Shell

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Comfortable footwear is a must as well,

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will make sure you get the right footwear

for your expedition, and their Comfort

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up with painful walking boots ever again.

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Osprey Talon 33 Backpack £84.99The Talon 33 is one of the most

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With a supportive backpanel and

numerous carrying attachments,

the Talon 33 is one of the most

adaptable out there.

Outdoor Special The Gear

Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra Gore-Tex £115 An outstanding trail shoe featuring Gore-Tex

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constructed using Salomon’s 3D Advanced

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construction, a quick-drying breathable

mesh upper, Quicklace, a mud guard and a

protective rubber toe cap.

| 37

Norrona Men’s Bitihorn Gore-Tex Active Shell Jacket £380

Norrona Women’s Bitihorn Lightweight Short £69.99

Norrona Women’s Bitihorn Gore-Tex Active Shell Jacket £380

Norrona Men’s 29 Flex 1 Short £69.99

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Enter Snow+Rock’s competition to win £500 worth of The North Face gear: simply send photos of your Base Camp Duffel, in the world’s most exotic places, to basecampduffel@snowandrock.co.uk – make sure you include your name and the photo’s location. Photos must be less than 7MB in size. Find full details and the gallery on facebook.com/snowandrock

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38 | April 20 2012 |

Trail running The growth in trail running is

evident from the number of races

springing up across the country.

Wherever you live you’ll be able to

find an off-road race near you every weekend,

with varying degrees of challenges. Depending

on your dedication, you can also travel further

afield to Ultra races around the world.

Outdoor Special The Gear

Arc’teryx Incendo Jacket £89.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Tight £59.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Vest £64.99

Arc’teryx Motus Short Sleeved Crew £39.99

Arc’teryx Incendo Long Short £49.99

Oakley Radar Path: Team GB Edition £175Show your support for Team GB this

summer by getting yourself a stylish

limited-edition pair of these official

shades from Oakley.

Salomon Speedcross 3 £89.99A lightweight trail specific shoe with a

Running Contagrip outsole, which has

combinations of rubber for the perfect

mix of grip and durability across varied

terrain. The Speedcross 3 is an update to

the iconic Speedcross 2.

Barefoot runningThe trend in barefoot running is catching on. Minimalist ‘barefoot’

shoes encourage a more natural forefoot strike during running,

fitness and outdoor sports, which results in your feet becoming

both stronger and healthier.

Top barefoot picksMerrell Bare Access £74.99

A great introductory shoe to

start barefoot running.

Vibram Fivefingers Men’s

Spryidon £130

The first trail running-specific

FiveFinger shoe.

Inov8 Bare Grip £94.99

An incredibly light shoe that

features Bare-Grip sole with

Sticky Rubber.

www.snowandrock.com

SALOMONRUNNING.COM

COPYRIGHT© SALOMON SAS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOTOGRAPHY: SEMAPHORE.

XR MISSION

“At Salomon, we’re constantly looking to evolve products to be moredynamic than what is currently on the market. The XR Mission is a short- to

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Summer alpine climbing

www.snowandrock.com

40 | April 20 2012 |

Outdoor Special The Gear

Rab Infinity 500 Sleeping Bag £400 Using technology from their Infinity jackets,

Rab’s new sleeping bags are their lightest

sleeping bags to date, offering a huge

weight-to-warmth ratio.

La Sportiva Nepal Extreme Boots £325An exceptionally warm high-performance

boot that is ideal for technical use on

high-altitude mountain terrain and ice.

Black Diamond Raven Ultra Ice Axe £84.99 An ultra-lightweight axe for moderate alpine

ice and snow.

Sunnier weather doesn’t mean there aren’t

still colder climates in which to practise

your alpine climbing – and here is the kit

to hel p you enjoy it to the max...

The North Face Women’s Cipher Hybrid Hoodie £160

Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet £49.99

The North Face Men’s Alpine Project Windstopper Jacket £225

The North Face Men’s Point Five Pant £250

Adidas Evil Eye Half Rim Pro Glasses £169.99

Stockists 0845 100 1000. 23 stores nationwide, including: Chertsey, Croydon, Brighton, Romford. Central London: Kensington, Harrods, Covent Garden, Holborn, Monument. The North Face, Victoria. snowandrock.com

Don’t miss out on this summer’s exciting sports

and music coverage. To fi nd out how to get

digital radio in your car, ask your car dealer or

other leading car accessory retailers, or visit

getdigitalradio.com

42 | April 20 2012 |

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Outdoor Special The Pursuit

At its most basic, running requires little more than some willpower and a pair of trainers. But then there’s a 10k – and beyond that the possibilities are endless

Step 1: The 10k trail runFor a first taste of trail running, take to the

paths and bridleways in the foothills of

Helvellyn, England’s third-highest peak. The

paths are mostly good, giving you a perfect

beginner’s opportunity to take your road-

running skills to the rougher ground. The

views of the mountains and lakes are

stunning, the camaraderie encouraging, and

there’s also a 15km version if you feel hard

enough.

Lakeland Trails in Helvellyn, November 3,

lakelandtrails.org

Step 2: The 20-mile trail run in the darkWatch that change from miles to kilometres

— 20 miles equates to 32km, and this one is

done at night. It’s also November, so you can

expect frost or ice underfoot, as you race

through the stunning Brecon Beacons in

South Wales. You can’t see the view though

— it’ll be pitch black, so your field of vision is

limited to the pool of light from your

headtorch, and maybe a little starlight. The

current record is two hours 26 minutes, and

100 per cent of competitors said they’d do it

again. So that’s good.

Sleepwalker Night Race, November 26,

northridgeadventure.co.uk

Step 3: The 145-mile Birmingham to LondonNow we’re in serious

hardcore territory: this is

Britain’s longest non-stop

race. The ground

underfoot isn’t too tough

— it’s the flat Grand Union

Canal towpath the whole way — but the

challenge is in the sheer bloody length of the

thing, the cruelty of darkness falling (runners

having started at 6am), and the mental

demons, dehydration and energy crashes

that dog the ultra-runner. The fastest time,

set in 2003, was 27 hours 35 minutes. This

year’s race will be the 18th running and is all

booked up — plenty of time to get in training

for 2013, then.

Grand Union Canal Race, June 2, gucr.co.uk

Step 4: The ultramarathon through the SaharaThe Marathon des Sables is well known to

readers of this magazine. The daddy of

ultramarathons is only just longer than the

fearsome Grand Union Canal Race, and is run

over six days rather than all in one go, but it’s

somewhat more extreme than the Midlands;

temperatures in the desert rise to 49

degrees in the day and drop to four degrees

at night. Oh, and you have to carry all you

need — that’s food for six days, sleeping kit,

the lot. On the other hand, you can walk it and

sleep at night, so maybe the GUCR is harder.

Why not do them both and let us know?

Marathon des Sables, date for 2013 to

be confirmed, saharamarathon.co.uk

Step 5: The 3,100-mile raceThe longest certified foot race in the world,

this crazy annual event takes place around

and around and around one block in Queens,

New York. Each lap is 883 metres, meaning

competitors have to do 5,649 laps to hit the

3,100-mile mark. They have 52 days to do it,

which we reckon works out as being 60.7

miles per day. That’s 60.7 miles per day,

every day, for nearly two months, running for

18 hours, and sleeping for six. The record

holder, a German called Madhupran Wolfgang

Schwerk, managed it in 41 days in 2006,

averaging 75 miles a day and breaking the

previous record by four days. All in all, it’s a

very long way from the Lake District.

The Self-Transcendence 3100-Mile Race,

June 17-August 7, 3100.srichinmoyraces.org

Desert swarm: are you ready to join the hardy few who brave the Marathon des Sables?

Supporting British athletes

since 1999

Aviva has been backing British athletes for over 12 years. Show

your support for the Aviva GB & NI Team and you could win

some great prizes, including a day with European Champion

heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who could be the guest at your village

fete or give a speech to local school kids. Go on, make some

noise and help make Britain proud. Give the team a shout

out on our Facebook page or visit aviva.co.uk/athletics

Scott Overall

44 | April 20 2012 |

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As the only British mAn to hAve Achieved the olympic mArAthon quAlifying time so fAr, scott overAll hAs Been tAsked with A specific mission At sundAy’s london mArAthon: to hAul some of his fellow Brits over the finish line in under 2:12.00...

PACE MAKER

| 45

Sunday | Virgin

London Marathon |

BBC One 8.30am

fourth place and to convince Overall there

was enough left in the tank for him to step

up to the full distance. His decision was made

last May and four months later — after

juggling training with working part time in a

sports shop — he stood on the start line for

the Berlin Marathon with the Olympic

qualifying time of 2:12.00 his target.

SMASHING IT

“All my training indicated I was in the shape

to do that. But the marathon is kind of an

unknown, especially having never run one

before. It’s over two hours of racing — a lot

can go wrong in that time.” A fifth-place

finish and time of 2:10.55 (more than a

minute inside the Olympic qualifying cut off)

suggest everything

went exactly to plan for

Overall in the German

capital however.

“It was the perfect

race in that I ran the

qualifying time but what

happened during the

race wasn’t ideal. I went off with the wrong

set of pacemakers; they were too slow so

I ran with a French athlete for the first half

of the race then the last 13 miles I was on

my own. That was my marathon debut and

I learned a lot so I know I can definitely run

faster.

PLACING PRIORITIES

“It may not happen in London this summer

though, just with it being a championship

race. The Olympic marathons always tend to

be a bit slower than the fast big city

marathons so I’ll just have to see how the

race pans out. No one really cares how fast

they run in the Olympics — just what position

they finish in.”

Whether Overall will be the sole British

male jostling for position on August 12 is yet

to be decided of course, but Overall is

optimistic. “There’s no reason why we can’t

have a lot more guys under 2:12,” he says.

“Before my run in Berlin 2:12 was seen as

almost a barrier but now people have seen

me doing it I think they realise it’s not that

out of reach.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

rowing up with a teenage Mo

Farah as a training partner

might have had certain

drawbacks — the 5,000m

World Champion was no less

rapid pre-facial hair — but

it’s starting to pay off for

Scott Overall. “Knowing I started in exactly

the same place he did — growing up in

Hounslow — and seeing what he’s achieved

to be World Champion last year is really

quite inspiring.”

The 29-year-old is talking to Sport ahead

of his first ever London Marathon. But

Overall’s not in it to win it. He’s not even in it

to finish it. Overall’s job on Sunday is to act

as a pacemaker for the Brits looking to

follow his lead all the way to the start line of

the 2012 Olympic marathon. “I know a few of

the British guys trying to make the qualifying

time so when I sat down with Dave Bedford

from London Marathon we decided that, with

me already qualified, I could pace them

through the time in London.

“I won’t finish the race, just because with

the position I’m in (having already been

selected). I want to take advantage of that

and not run another marathon basically. I’ll

probably go to 18-20 miles and then that’ll be

a good workout for me before I go to

Flagstaff [Arizona] for altitude training.”

TRACK TRAVAILS

Overall’s been running since the age of 14

but it was an athletics scholarship to Butler

University in Indianapolis at the age of 21

which he believes has been instrumental in

making him the runner he is today. Which is

not, as he had foreseen, a track runner.

Overall was seven seconds off the qualifying

time for the 5000m at the Beijing Games.

After grinding on for a few years during

which he admits things “weren’t really

clicking on the track”, he hit a brick wall.

“I went out to Flagstaff last year like I do

every year and felt like I was in the shape to

run a decent 5,000m time but it just didn’t

happen. I got frustrated with that and went

out and did a half marathon in Indianapolis

where I ran reasonably well.”

It’s an understated assessment of his

63:21min time which was good enough for

Tim Brabants

Fighting back

Is there the same sense of anticipation in

preparing for your fourth Olympic Games

as for your first?

“There’s even more excitement compared to

other Olympics. It’s a bit different this time

around because I’ve had a bad season the

year before so I’m not going into it off the

back of a really good season like I did before

Beijing. I am going into it with a really good

winter of training behind me though. I spent

three months in Cape Town and have not long

come back from another two weeks of

training in Seville with the rest of the team.

So compared to the previous winter it’s

been good.”

Last winter you suffered one of the most

painful-sounding injuries we’ve come

across...

“Yeah, I tore my pec (pectoral muscle) off the

bone in the gym doing bench presses. I had

surgery and spent the best part of three

months in a sling which wasn’t ideal

preparation for the season ahead. I tried to

accelerate things a bit too quickly last

season which didn’t go so well, but this year

hopefully will be a lot better.”

And you’re benching again?

“I am, but I don’t go down as far as I used to

— it’s limited range. I had to build all that

strength up because you need the pushing

strength for the way we paddle. It came back

surprisingly quickly but the challenge is in

having the confidence in using those muscles

again in that way. The first time you’re back

on the bench, every little thing you feel,

you’re wondering if it’s safe to do it.”

After winning gold in Beijing you went back

to work as a doctor but had you always

planned to return and compete in London?

“Initially I hadn’t thought a lot about it. I didn’t

know where life was going to take me or how

much I was going to enjoy the medical

career. All the focus had been on competing

in Beijing and achieving that goal without

much thought about what was going to

happen after that. But it was when I was at

work talking to my colleagues and they were

saying to me: ‘Where would you rather be in

four years’ time? Flat out working a night

shift watching everyone else competing at

the Olympics, or there competing yourself?’

It was quite easy to answer that question.”

In Paul Wycherley, who beat you in a

race-off for a World Championships spot

last summer, there’s another strong

contender for the GB K1 1,000m boat in

London. Is this the first time you’ve faced

such strong domestic competition?

“Yeah, finally we’ve got some other good

Blazing paddle: but the good doctor has faced a bad time of it on the injury front in order to be ready for London

4 6 | April 20 2012 |

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1,000m paddlers in the squad. Normally all

my strong competition has come from

international competitors so it’s positive that

we’re building a stronger 1,000m squad.

Of course it’s frustrating; you don’t want to

be getting beaten by people because that’s

the nature of my mind — and that of most

athletes — but in terms of the future of our

sport you want there to be a decent future

that’s filled with more medals from people

other than just me.”

It was described as a major blow to your bid

to defend your Olympic title when you lost

to Wycherley last year. Did you see it that

way too?

“Would that be journalists who said that?

You’ve got to have a realistic look at it.

Yes, it’s annoying and everything else but I

knew I wasn’t in my best form at that stage.

The year before that I won silver in the World

Championships and Paul ended up middle of

the ‘B’ final. So that gave me a clear

indication of how far behind where I normally

would be I was at that selection race.

I wouldn’t say it was a major blow to

anything. I got to race in the double at the

Worlds which I’ve never done before and

really enjoyed my racing.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Tim Brabants is a member of Team EDF, a

group of international athletes founded by

EDF — proud sponsor and official electricity

supplier to London 2012.

Visit www.edfenergy.com

After winning canoe sprint gold in Beijing, Dr Brabants returned to the ward but the lure of London was strong enough to get the 35-year-old back on the water for his fourth Olympics...

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Focus 2012 98 Days to go

48 | April 20 2012 |

THE VENUE Once the likes of Michael Phelps and Rebecca

Adlington have emptied their lockers, the

Olympic Aquatics Centre will open its doors to

swimmers of the synchronised sort.

That’s when the underwater speakers will

be switched on and the make-up delivered (by

the lorry-load). The speakers are positioned

to allow swimmers to hear the music while

underwater and the make-up is seemingly

applied with a shovel to accentuate the

artistic element of the sport.

THE EVENTOne of two sports on the Olympic programme

to be contested only by women (if you know the

other, get yourself a muffin)*, synchronised

swimming actually started as a man-thing in

the 1800s. Back then it was known as water

ballet and largely used as entertainment, with

theatres adding huge water tanks to their

stages during Music Hall evenings.

But by the time FINA — the international

governing body of swimming — officially

recognised synchronised swimming as the

fourth water sport in 1968 (after swimming,

water polo and diving), it was mostly female.

Its Olympic debut came in 1984, and the

sport has been ever present since. In London

there are competitions for duets and teams

with the latter consisting of eight identically

dressed and made-up women. They must

perform two different types of routine: one

technical, in which they perform a set number

of moves in a specified order; and the other a

freestyle routine, in which they’re free to

perform their own material.

As GB star Jenna Randall (see right)

explains, to be a synchro athlete “you have to

be strong like a weightlifter, have the speed

of a swimmer and be very flexible.” Other

must-know information? Nose clips are

allowed, goggles aren’t and making

“deliberate use” of the bottom of the pool is

punishable by a two-point deduction.

*rhythmic gymnastics, naturally.

TEAM GB’S PROGRESS“Synchronised Swimming in the UK has taken

significant steps forward since the last

Olympics,” says national performance

director Biz Price. “We have improved our

world rankings in both the duet and team

events by eight places.

“At the 2009 World Championships, we

reached the finals in all but one event, and it

was the first time we had fielded a full team

in a number of years. Last year we proved our

competitiveness by reaching the final in all

events at the World Championships in China.”

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING AT LONDON 2012

DATES August 5-10

CAPACITY 17,500

HOW TO GET THERE Tube (Jubilee and Central

lines), National Rail, DLR, London Overground

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Synchronised Swimming

Jenna Randall

KEY EVENTS BEFORE

LONDON 2012

FINA Olympic

Synchronised

Swimming

Qualification Event

Olympic Park Aquatic

Centre, London,

April 18-22

GB hopeful

AGE IN 2012 23

MEDAL RECORD Commonwealth Games silver

(duet and solo) 2010, Commonwealth Games

silver (solo) 2006

At Beijing in 2008, alongside partner Olivia

Allison in the duet, Jenna Randall was part of

the first GB synchro team to compete at an

Olympic Games since Barcelona in 1992...

Randall and Allison finished 14th in Beijing but

have since shown great improvement — along

with the British team, which will compete in

the Olympic eight-woman event for the first

time in London. The team finished ninth at last

year’s World Championships, while in 2010

Randall and Allison secured Britain’s best

finish at a European Championships for 15

years (fifth) before taking Commonwealth

Games silver. With a place already confirmed,

you’re guaranteed to see Randall competing

this summer — if she can nab a medal, you can

guarantee you’ll see a lot more of her after that.

In most sports, a ‘split position’ would result in injury. For synchronised swimmers, though, it’s merely routine

Villareal and Valencia. Only one

of the eight games where

Barcelona have dropped points

this season has been at the Nou

Camp, and they’ve lost just one

of the 14 El Clasico’s since Pep

Guardiola moved his stuff into

the big corner office at Barca HQ. However, if Pep’s previous meetings with Jose Mourinho have taught us

anything, it’s that the Special One’s team will put up a good fight, most likely an ill-tempered fight filled with

bookings. As well as getting in Barca’s tiny faces, he’ll curb his side’s attacking instincts to nullify Lionel Messi,

who struggled in the Copa Del Rey final when forced deep by two holding midfielders. A goal from Cristiano

Ronaldo that day gave Mourinho his only El Clasico win to date, and a lot will rest on the winger’s shoulders

again — when playing away from home his team launch 41 per cent of their attacks down his favoured left side.

Barca find themselves in the unusual position of being the ones who have to press forward, but they’ll play the

way they always do — lots of possession and a high press, which could leave them vulnerable to quick counters.

They’re not looking quite the unstoppable force of the last few years, and there’s a definite case to be made for

Madrid, who are unbeaten since their last encounter with Barcelona 18 games ago. Perhaps crucially, they’ll go

into the game knowing that if they can win, or even get a draw, it could effectively seal the title.

7 DaysAPR 20–APR 26

HIGHLIGHTS

» Premier League: QPR v Tottenham » p52

» Premier League: Man United v Everton » p53

» Formula 1: Bahrain Grand Prix » p54

» Cycling: Tour of Romandy » p54

» Best of the Rest » p54OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

50 | April 20 2012 |

Guardiola v Mourinho. Messi v Ronaldo. Good v Evil. It doesn’t matter how you look at it — when the two best

teams in the world go head-to-head, it’s always a

blockbuster occasion. Just over a month ago,

Barcelona were 10 points behind, but, like the heroic

protagonist in said blockbuster, they’ve closed the

gap to just four points to set up a thrilling finale, and

they’ve now got five games left to overhaul their

great rivals. The momentum is with them — they have

won 11 league games in a row, while Madrid’s

advantage has shrunk after draws with Malaga,

SATURDAY LA LIGA | BARCELONA v REAL MADRID | NOU CAMP | 7PM, SKY SPORTS 1

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Competition

| 51

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — Enhanced Edition is out now for Xbox 360, from leading video games publisher Namco Bandai Europe.

Originally released for PC, the

ultra-modern REDengine has revamped The

Witcher 2, featuring both beautiful graphics and

sophisticated in-game mechanics, drawing

players into the most lively and believable world

ever created in a video game.

Now featuring an upgraded interface, game

camera and targeting, which have been

specifically designed for the Xbox 360, the new

and improved pad controls allow players to fully

experience The Witcher 2’s spectacular and

thrilling combat. The new target-locking system

has been streamlined so that players can easily

cycle through locked targets on the visible

screen, making it much easier to change targets

in combat situations when you are fighting

against groups of enemies.

The Witcher 2 spins a mature, thought-

provoking tale to produce one of the most

complex and unique RPGs ever released on a

console. In addition to its epic story, the game

features a complex combat system that uniquely

combines dynamic action and tactical depth.

The Enhanced Edition will include new major

adventures set in new locations that have been

added to the four hours of extra gameplay. These

consist of an underground system of chambers

Win! The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

Sport is offering readers the chance to

win an XboX 360 and a copy of the witcher

2: assassins of Kings — enhanced edition.

for yoUr chance to win, JUst answer the

siMpLe QUestion beLow:

What is the main character’s name in The

Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings?

A Geralt B Geoff C Gaz

To enter, text NAMCO plus your answer A, B or C

and your name to 81089

Texts cost 50p+ std network charge. Competition closes at

midnight on Thursday April 26. Full terms and conditions at

sport-magazine.co.uk

beneath Loc Muine and a temperate coniferous

forest in the Loc Muine Mountains, and a secret

cave passage.

Play as three of the new major characters;

including the strong irascible war veteran Baron

Kimbolt or the level-headed and resourceful

Dame Brigida Papebrock, whose fate lays in the

players hands.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings — Enhanced

Edition is out now for Xbox 360. For more

information on The Witcher 2 please visit:

http://www.namcobandaigames.eu

52 | April 20 2012 |

Troubled times

7 Days

On a wing and a prayer: QPR

are looking to Taarabt and

Spurs to Bale to stop the rot

One week after their FA Cup humbling at the hands of Chelsea, Spurs make the short trip to Loftus Road to face a QPR side on a good run

of form — at home at least.

The Rs might be struggling at the wrong

end of the table, but their last three home

games have seen them come from 2-0 down

to defeat Liverpool, end Arsenal’s six-game

unbeaten run and put three past Brendan

Rodgers’ Swansea.

It’s away from home where Mark Hughes’

men are failing to cement Premier League

safety, and the hit-and-miss nature of

January’s big-name signings hasn’t helped.

Djibril Cisse epitomises Rangers’ form since

that January window, as the Frenchman has

either scored or been sent off in all five of his

QPR appearances so far. “When we have been

able to keep him on the pitch, he has been

excellent for us,” Hughes said after Cisse’s

latest misdemeanour. The signs are there

that Hughes is getting frustrated with the

Frenchman, but he’s available for selection

this weekend and his boss must be tempted

to pair him with Bobby Zamora.

The selection issue represents a gamble,

however. Rangers’ recent home form has

been by virtue of a five-man midfield, with

Zamora ploughing a lone furrow up top. Should

Hughes stick to the tried and tested formula

or reintroduce his hit-or-miss striker?

For Harry Redknapp’s men, meanwhile, it’s

time to stop the rot. Last weekend’s cup

humiliation at the hands of Chelsea means

Tottenham’s focus is purely on the league

now, and securing that fourth Champions

League spot. Four defeats in eight league

games does not make good reading.

But Tottenham have Blackburn, Bolton

and Aston Villa coming up. Win here and

things will start to look a little bit

better in the race for Europe. Defeat

for QPR, however — with Chelsea,

Stoke and Manchester City to come

— and it’s hard to see Premier League

football at Loftus Road next season.

No pressure, then.

Tottenham have

taken just six

points from a

possible 24 in their

last eight games.

The previous eight

saw them take 15

Saturday Premier League | QPr v ToTTenham | LofTus road | esPn 5.30Pm

arSENaL v CHELSEa

emirates stadium, saturday 12.45pm

(sky sports 2)

aStON VILLa v SuNdErLaNd

Villa Park, saturday 3pm

BLaCKBurN v NOrWICH

ewood Park, saturday 3pm

FuLHaM v WIGaN

Craven Cottage, saturday 3pm

NEWCaStLE v StOKE

st James’ Park, saturday 3pm

LIVErPOOL v WESt BrOM

anfield, sunday 4pm

WOLVES v MaN CIty

molineux, sunday 4pm (sky sports 1)

Man Utd 34 26 4 4 82 28 82

Man City 34 24 5 5 85 27 77

Arsenal 34 20 4 10 67 43 64

Tottenham 33 17 8 8 57 38 59

Newcastle 33 17 8 8 50 42 59

Chelsea 33 16 9 8 56 38 57

Everton 33 13 8 12 38 34 47

Liverpool 33 12 10 11 40 36 46

Sunderland 34 11 10 13 42 41 43

Fulham 33 11 10 12 43 43 43

Norwich 34 11 10 13 47 58 43

Swansea 34 11 9 14 38 44 42

West Brom 34 12 6 16 40 47 42

Stoke 33 11 9 13 32 45 42

Aston Villa 33 7 14 12 35 48 35

Wigan 34 8 10 16 33 58 34

QPR 34 8 7 19 38 57 31

Bolton 32 9 2 21 36 65 29

Blackburn 34 7 7 20 45 73 28

Wolves 34 5 8 21 34 73 23

P W D L F A Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Around the grounds

Premier League table

Saturday Bolton v SwanSea | ReeBok Stadium

A big week for...

Two games in hand on most of their relegation rivals means things aren’t all doom and gloom yet at the Reebok

Stadium, but the lack of goals in recent

games — they’ve drawn six blanks in

their last 10 games — is a real worry

for Owen Coyle’s men. Top scorer Ivan

Klasnic has eight for the season but

just one since the turn of the year,

while old stalwart Kevin Davies has

chipped in with just three over

the campaign. The biggest worry

for Coyle, however, is the lack of

form of £4m summer signing David

Ngog, who has scored just twice in his

27 appearances this season. With five

games in the next 15 days, Bolton are

going to have to chop and change to

stay fresh for the challenge ahead. If

David Ngog is to repay his manager’s

faith in him, a goal against Swansea —

coupled with a win of course — would go

a long way towards helping.

Sunday man united v eveRton | old tRaffoRd |

Sky SpoRtS 1 12.30pm

Wigan’s shock win over Manchester United two weeks ago may have thrown a spanner in Fergie’s works, but it was

order very much restored last week

against Villa and United now have one

hand on a 20th Premier League title.

Even better, victory over Everton on

Sunday will leave the Red Devils with an

absolute dream of an opportunity —

winning the title at their rivals’ home

ground. All is not lost for City, however,

as Everton have proved a troublesome

foe for United in recent years. Of the

last eight meetings, Everton have lost

just four and notched up an FA Cup

triumph in 2009. After last week’s FA

Cup defeat to Liverpool, Everton’s sole

aim is to finish above their Merseyside

rivals this season. Can they have a big

say in the Manchester rivalry as well?

1. David Ngog 2. Hopes of a dream finish

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54 | April 20 2012 |

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SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX | BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT, SAKHIR | SKY SPORTS F1 1PM

Desert storm

TUESDAY-> CYCLING | TOUR OF ROMANDY | SWITZERLAND | BRITISH EUROSPORT 3.15PM

Double jeopardy?

There’s a loaded entry list to this year’s Tour of Romandy but

dominating the

pre-race chatter

will be the names

of Mark Cavendish

and Bradley Wiggins. For the first time since

Cavendish joined Team Sky, the two will ride as

part of the same team — despite suggestions

at the start of the year that they wouldn’t race

together until the start of the Tour de France.

It will also be the world champion’s first

race since becoming a father for the first

time. Daughter Delilah Grace was born on

April 3 and Cavendish readily admitted before

she arrived that “every single decision I make

is not about myself any more. Everything I do

affects the future of my baby girl.”

What effect that might have on his

determination when there’s a sprint to be won

remains to be seen. But it’s the combination of

Wiggins and Cavendish riding ‘together’ which

will be most closely observed. When Team Sky

sealed the signing of Cavendish last year,

doubts were cast over how the general

classification target of Wiggins could still be

served if his teammates were also tasked

with delivering Cavendish to stage finishes.

Next week could finally provide some answers.

FRIDAY

RUGBY UNION

Aviva

Premiership:

Newcastle Falcons v Saracens,

Kingston Park Stadium, ESPN 7pm

RUGBY LEAGUE Super League:

Leeds v Catalan Dragons,

Headingley Stadium, Sky Sports 1

8pm

SATURDAY

FOOTBALL SPL: St Johnstone v

Dundee United, McDiarmid Park,

ESPN 12pm

RUGBY UNION Aviva Premiership:

Harlequins v Leicester Tigers,

Twickenham Stoop, Sky Sports 1

3.15pm

FOOTBALL Championship:

Middlesborough v Southampton,

Riverside Stadium, Sky Sports 2

5.20pm

RUGBY LEAGUE Super League:

Wakefield v Salford City Reds,

Belle Vue, Sky Sports 1 5.45pm

BOXING EBU Super Middleweight

Championship: James DeGale v

Cristian Sanavia, Arena Nord,

Denmark, Box Nation 9pm

MMA UFC: Jon Jones v Rashad

Evans, Philips Arena, Atlanta,

ESPN 3am

SUNDAY

MOTORSPORT World Superbike

Championship: Round 3, Assen,

Holland, British Eurosport 2,

9.55am

GOLF Indonesian Open: Day 4,

Jakarta, Sky Sports 2 10am

TENNIS ATP Monte Carlo Rolex

Masters: final, Monte Carlo

Country Club, Sky Sports 2

12.30pm

RUGBY UNION Aviva Premiership:

Exeter Chiefs v Northampton

Saints, Sandy Park, ESPN 1.30pm

FOOTBALL SPL: Motherwell v

Celtic, Fir Park Stadium, Sky

Sports 4 2pm

FOOTBALL MLS: DC United v NY

Red Bulls, RFK Stadium,

Washington, ESPN 11pm

MONDAY

CRICKET West Indies v Australia:

Third Test, Day 1, Roseau, Sky

Sports 2 2.55pm

FOOTBALL Championship: West

Ham United v Leicester City, Upton

Park, Sky Sports 1 7.45pm

TUESDAY

BASKETBALL NBA: Boston Celtics

v Miami Heat, TD Garden, ESPN

1am

WEDNESDAY

BASKETBALL NBA: New York

Knicks v LA Clippers, Madison

Square Garden, ESPN 1am

THURSDAY

TENNIS ATP Barcelona Open: Day

1, Real Club de Tenis Barcelona,

Sky Sports 3 12.30pm

BEST OF THE REST

So it looks, at the time of writing, like Formula 1 will be returning to Bahrain after

a year’s absence. Whether it should or not

is not something we’ve got the space to

fully explore here, although the FIA’s

insistence that the race will go ahead begs

the question of what level of civil unrest

there would have to be before they found

it prudent to halt their usual operations.

On the track at least, it’s been far from

business as usual, as the first three races

have yielded three different winners, from

three different teams — only the second

time that’s happened this century. It’s a

good track, according to Sky commentator

Anthony Davidson, who says: “It’s got good

flow, and what they’ve done in the middle

of the desert is outstanding.” Nico

Rosberg’s pole to flag victory in China

shows that Mercedes’ unique DRS set-up

can do it on race-day as well as in

qualifying, and they’ll certainly benefit

from the track layout. Lewis Hamilton

leads the nascent standings, as unlike last

year he’s been quietly going about his

business for a hat-trick of bottom-step

finishes, but the McLaren is not as

dominant as it looked like it might be. After

the processional Red Bull romp of last

year, you actually feel like almost anyone is

capable of winning a race this season.

That has given this season so far the kind

of uncertainty that the sport ought to

thrive on, and it will make for an exciting

race in Bahrain, whether you think it

should be happening or not.

£25WELCOME GIFT

Code SPO123

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56

1 Fudge Hair Shaper MintWant your thatch to give off a refreshing

minty fragrance? A lot of men do, evidently —

this strong-hold, texturising creme is Fudge’s

best-selling product.

£10.95 | fudge.com

2 Marvis Aquatic Mint ToothpasteYeah, we know — there are plenty of

toothpastes that feature a fresh, minty taste.

But we have a particular liking for this one from

Marvis; it’s nice and subtle, and we like the tube.

£5.50 | nivenandjoshua.com

3CK One SummerThe initial splash of blue mint in this new

summer scent from Calvin Klein soon gives way

to any number of refreshing blends — but it’s

the mint that kicks it off, and it does so

beautifully.

£29 for 100ml | debenhams.com

4 Shiffa Dubai Basil, Mint and Black Pepper Body Wash

Stimulate circulation and clear the senses with

this strong-smelling and purifying body wash

from Shiffa Dubai. Use it in a long soak to decide

which of its three chief aromas lingers longest.

£25 | 020 7893 8333

5 head & shoulders Active Sport Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

The menthol formula in this anti-dandruff

shampoo has gone down well with rapid cyclist

Mark Cavendish, who uses it in the shower as

an essential part of his pre-race winning

rituals. That’s what he told us, anyway.

£2.79 | 0800 731 2892

6 Elemis Devils Mint Body ScrubA revitalising scrub that cleanses and

nourishes the skin by removing dead cells.

Don’t worry about the devilish bit, either —

that’s inspired by one of the ingredients, the

detoxifying Devils Apron Seaweed. So there.

£24.60 | timetospa.co.uk

And you thought mint was only good

for roast lamb and mojitos... think

again, gentlemen

Extra time Grooming

56 | April 20 2012 |

Mint imperious

Making the most of your time and money

P62

A toaster containing

The Hairy Cornflake?

Why it’s a miracle!

MANY ROADS LEADTO THE MEDAL,BUT ALL BEGIN WITHA GREAT START.

SIR CHRIS HOY, 4X OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST

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NOTHING BEATS

A GREAT START.

58 | April 20 2012 |

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Extra time Claire Coffee

| 59

Imagine Jonah Lehrer

Subtitled How Creativity Works, this new book

pooh-poohs the idea of a ’creative type’ to explain

how ideas form. Examples range from Bob Dylan’s

songwriting to the original inspiration for Barbie

(it was a pornographic doll spotted

in the window of a German cigar

shop). It also advises on how you

can become more creative, so stop

hanging around near German cigar

shops and pick up a copy pronto.

MarleyFrom the slums of Trenchtown to

global reggae superstar, this new

documentary tells the story of Bob

Marley’s life in exhaustive but

enthralling fashion. The cast is

vast, with family, bandmates and

(a small army of) lovers giving both

positive and negative insights on

the forcefully ambitious, fiercely

principled singer. However, it’s the

live music footage — particularly of

Marley playing a free concert to

many thousands in Jamaica just

days after a gunman had come

inches from ending his life — that’s

truly mesmeric. A stirring tribute

to a rich voice that had plenty to

say, Marley is in cinemas now.

Blunderbuss Jack White

He’s been the brains — and the

raucous guitar — behind so many

projects that it’s almost a shock

to realise that Monday sees the

release of Jack White’s very first

solo album. Fresh from a recent divorce, Detroit’s

finest has poured his anguish into Blunderbuss to

diverse effect. There’s the playful analysis of love’s

pains on the bluesy, classy Love Interruption and the

contrasting wail of the Sixteen Saltine’s raw chords.

It’s rare that a rock guitarist going solo can marry

new directions and his renowned style so fluidly, but

Jack’s managed it. Being single clearly suits him.

Skagboys Irvine Welsh

Sick Boy, Renton and

lovable psycho Begbie

star in this Trainspotting

prequel which reveals

the path that leads the

chaps to become hooked

on violence and that

moreish heroin. Early

reviews are mixed, but

Welsh always spins his

yarns with grisly elan.

Master of my Make-Believe Santigold

She’s kept us waiting on

a new album for four

years (it’s a woman’s

prerogative, we’re told),

but Santi White returns

on Monday with a bang.

Full of turbo-charged

drumbeats, synth-pop

hooks and strident

vocals (with potshots at

Lady Gaga), it’s good as

gold to hear Miss White

as feisty as ever.

Prototype 2 (PS3/Xbox 360)

If you dream of becoming an organic version of the

shapeshifting T-1000, we’d suggest less cheese

before bedtime — and also investing in Prototype 2.

A notch up from it’s predecessor in visuals and

gameplay, it lets you tear through

Manhattan parkour-style, slashing

enemies with your giant razor claws

because they... killed your wife. Or

something. Despite the dark concept,

this is pure, adrenaline-rush fun.

60 | April 20 2012 |

GAME

Aural pleasure

A Jack White solo album, a new Bob Marley

documentary and Santigold returns to

make it a fine week ahead for your ears

FILM

MUSIC

BOOK BOOK MUSIC

Extra time Entertainment

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Sony Bloggie SportThe Japanese tech giant’s pocket camcorder has

been strengthened and beefed up, possibly in

some sort of Rocky-style training montage.

Funnily enough, if you want to film an 80s training

montage of your own, this is probably the perfect

device — it’s water, dust and shockproof and

shoots HD video as well as taking stills. And hey, if

your training video is any good, Sylvester Stallone

might even incorporate it into Rocky 19.

£179 | sony.co.uk

Sony Vaio E Series 14 inch laptopThis may not look like the posh screen Tom Cruise

uses in Minority Report, but it does have Gesture

Control, so you can scroll through photos or

control music with a flick of your hand in front of

the webcam. The similarities end there sadly, so

for now budding crimefighters will have to stick

to driving around in a van solving mysteries.

From £409 | sony.co.uk

Logitech UE Air SpeakerA more wallet-friendly approach to home audio

than the box to the left, this wireless speaker

lets you stream music direct from your laptop,

iPod or iPhone, with no need for messy wires.

While it’s designed for wireless streaming, you

can, if you really must, still plug iDevices into

the device to charge. Neanderthal.

£299 | logitech.com

Video may have killed the radio star

but this could mark a comeback for

the old wireless, at least until George

Foreman’s Blu-ray grill comes out.

Extra time Gadgets

62 | April 20 2012 |

Tasty tunes

UnitiQute All-in-one PlayerWe always thought of ourselves as the ultimate

all-in-one playa, at least until this box came

barging in on our turf. Plug it into a set of speakers

and it’ll do pretty much anything you want (except

that). FM, AM and DAB radio tuners are joined by a

USB input so you can listen from iPod or memory

stick, and the ability to stream directly from the

internet, all with phenomenal audio quality.

£1,425 | naimaudio.com

Breville VTT296 Radio 2-Slice ToasterPicture the scene in the Breville boardroom, as ashen faces

peruse market trends. “We’re toast!” yells the boss, highlighting

the dangerous rise of the breakfast pastry. “People have

stopped eating toast. How can we make bread exciting again

and ensnare a new generation? What do kids these days even

like?” The worried silence hangs in the room. “Oh screw it”, he

says, finally, “Lets just stick an FM radio in it.”

£50 | currys.co.uk