http://www.iomtoday.co.im/sport/James-Toseland39s-a-man-on.6002400.jp
*As published in the Isle of Man Examiner*
Toseland talks about losing his best friend, his hopes for next season and his X-factor crush!
James Toseland – the man seems to have it all. A double World Superbike Champion, model looks, talented piano player/singer and adored worldwide by thousand of fans. Leandra Graves caught up with him ahead of his charity gig with his beloved band Crash.
I interviewed James Toseland before his gig in a school classroom which was effectively his backstage area for the night. Looking dapper as always, James was dressed in a black leather jacket, colourful scarf, jeans and sat eating an orange (very healthy!) during our chat. He resisted the temptation of the cakes (while I was around anyway!) which had been decorated with his racing photos
James sings and plays piano (yes there is no end to this man’s talents!) in a band called Crash who perform gigs around the world and on some race weekends. The next stop for Crash was to perform at the Voyager School in Peterborough for a charity gig in aid of the Air Ambulance
Unfortunately for James, his 2009 campaign in the Moto GP series with Yamaha didn’t exactly go according to plan after a promising debut year in 2008. James will now be returning to the World Superbike Championship for 2010 where he has been so successful and dominant in the past and he will be looking to rekindle that winning feeling.
So how was James feeling about his departure from Moto GP after two years in the series? He explains, “I will miss the team. No matter what went on this year and the results, I will miss my team. They were unbelievably behind me and to see my team in tears that I was leaving them on the Sunday afternoon (at the last race in Valencia) was such an emotional experience for me. They were all really good lads.”
So the season is over for a professional motorcycle rider, surely the winter is all exotic holidays and about having fun? “With the World Superbikes starting in February and as we aren’t too far off December, once Christmas and New Year are out of the way, we will be testing in January and then the season starts. There’s not too much time off, to be honest, I don’t want a lot of time off. Now I’ve got an opportunity to be back on a bike, where I can win and which has been proven to win races, I’m just really upbeat about that. I have been in the gym every day since the season has finished, so I have been mainly concentrating on that as it’s going to take some adjustment to riding a Superbike again, which of course I had done for seven years so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
James is tipped as favourite to claim next season’s World Superbike Championship with his sparkling record in the series. Is next year for him all about winning that elusive third title or rebuilding his confidence and picking up wins and podiums? James states, “Even in Moto GP, I always went out to win, that’s how I am programmed to be, and I don’t know where I get it from. There’s nobody out there, that I believe can do better on a bike than I can and I think that any professional sportsman needs to have that self belief. Luckily, I have always kept those thoughts, even during tough times like now. It makes me believe even harder in myself so I have just got to keep pushing to get it out of me.”
This year’s Superbike Championship was a thrilling last race decider for the fight to be crowned World Champion. Who does James see as his biggest competition for silverware in 2010? “I think a lot of the Brits, which is really good for the sport and the country. I also think my team-mate who is the World Supersport Champion, Cal Crutchlow. Of course, Jonathan Rea has had a year in the series now and has been flying in the tests so he will be good. I know the Ten Kate bike will be strong of course, as I have won on it myself. Noriyuki Haga and Max Biaggi have had good years too but I think it will be close next year and I think there will be about five or six riders in with a chance of the podium next year.”
The men stealing all the headlines in this year’s Moto GP Championship were Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, both whom had a titanic battle throughout the season. From inside the paddock and from racing alongside them both, what were James thought’s on them both as people and riders.
“At the moment, I think they are two of the most elite riders in the Moto GP, as you can see by their results. Currently you have Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner. Pedrosa, ok I know Dani won the last race of the season, but currently I think he’s just behind those three. Lorenzo, on TV to watch, annoys me like hell. The most arrogant, cocky little fella you can watch on television. He annoys me so much but he’s a lovely little kid. That’s why he has angel/devil on him as I can’t stand the devil side of him, as I really dislike arrogance and cockiness in people and he’s got that coming out of ears when he’s got his helmet on, but once the helmet is off, he’s quite a shy, reserved kid and a nice bloke.”
A very honest insight into the personality of maybe a misunderstood Lorenzo, so what would he have to say regarding the legend that is Rossi and his comical and fun character that is portrayed to TV fans worldwide. “Oh he is just like that, it’s not a show. Obviously he does put a show on for the cameras but at the end of the day we are all showmen and I think Moto GP has really benefited from having a character like him, but the nice thing is when he comes off the track he’s really similar and a nice genuine, bubbly guy. It’s not all just an act for the cameras. His record speaks for itself, a nine-time world champion; he’s one of the best riders ever. “
With speedway racing being another passion of mine and also a local attraction in Peterborough with our local team affectionately named the Panthers, I was keen to know if James had ever had any encounters on a speedway bike, as he had been spotted a few times at his local speedway track in Sheffield. “No I haven’t ridden a speedway bike, I have been on a grass track bike but I was so rubbish. Obviously there is a big following in Sheffield for the speedway and for myself and I know a few of the guys who race and they are always saying ‘Oh give us a call and you can come on one of the bikes’ and I have always said ‘Oh yeh ill ring you’ but I’ve just never made that phone call,’ he said laughing. ”It would be a disaster if I got injured from riding a speedway bike but I have to say it’s one of the things I like not wanting to do as that way I can really appreciate the job the boys do. I can then enjoy watching it without thinking I could do a better job than them. Obviously with road racing it’s my job, but with speedway I just appreciate what they can do on the bike and I like to leave them to it really.”
Being sat in a classroom, l was intrigued to know what James was like at school and whether he was able to focus on his school work or whether his heart and mind were always set on his future racing hopes. He says “My schooling was a bit disturbed with my motorcycling. I was very lucky to make it a professional career as when I was 16 and was leaving school, it certainly wasn’t set in stone. Fortunately, I did make it my career but I did have to take a few days off here and there, of course with things like Friday practices. Luckily I had a very understanding headmaster and had good teachers and friends there who would let me take the time off.”
James is one of the sports’ success stories but is it a realistic dream for most kids out to aspire to become a famous motorcycle rider? “It’s a different era now for kids getting into it, it’s now become an era where to ride for a top team, you need to be able to bring money with you to get a good ride. I was very fortunate you didn’t have to do that when I started, its going to be very tough for the kids now because I was from a very normal background with not a lot of money and I don’t think we could have done it. I don’t think I would have been able to be professional in this era if I was 15 again. However, it’s like anything, if you find something you enjoy and that you’re good at and which you can dedicate your time too, there’s no reason why you can’t make a career out of it.”
Ever the charity man, James, to the delight of thousands of fans (and many new ones I’m sure after seeing the photos) posed naked on a motorbike for Cosmopolitan magazine. Before the gig, James was in demand for numerous autographs and I noticed lots of fans had the “famous” photograph of him. Would he consider revealing all again for another charity event?
“That was three years ago that I did that photo shoot for testicular cancer. I enjoyed it and I would certainly do it again,” he smiled. I enjoyed training for it as I knew I would be naked. I always train hard at the gym but I did more work on weights than my normal cardio work-out to make sure I was happy with the look. It will be nice when I’m 50 years old and I can look back at that photographs and be really pleased with how hard I trained to get those images. To be honest at this gig, I have had about three or four people who wanted a signed photo of that epic picture? Before tonight I had forgotten about it. Perhaps it’s been republished somewhere as everyone seems to have it. I am always up for charity events and it was an added bonus to win the competition in the magazine and to win centrefold of the year. It was really great for me.”
Tonight’s gig was to raise funds for the Air Ambulance. “They were the services I needed in 2000 at Cadwell Park race track and they potentially saved my life so anything I can do for their cause is always very close to my heart. I will be doing everything I physically can tonight to raise as much money for the charity tonight. I have the actual race helmet that I wore in the last Moto GP race at Valencia to try and raise money so we will see how it goes.”
The race helmet eventually raised a stunning bid of £1,400 and along with other memorabilia on the night; an estimated total of over £5,000 was raised.
Being back in Peterborough must bring back some sad memories for James as one of his closest friends and fellow riders, Craig Jones, was killed in a race accident last year at Brands Hatch. Craig had lived locally in Warmington, near Oundle. “I actually stopped at his fiancée’s place last night, Karen Atkins; she is coming to the gig tonight. I haven’t actually seen her since his funeral. She has two great kids that are with an ex-manager of mine, Paul Bird. It’s a very close knit family and it was really nice to talk about Craig last night. It was the first time I have talked about him and had a laugh about some of the stories we shared. It was also the first time I felt I wanted to talk about him and it was nice to talk to someone who had been so close to him. I don’t like to talk about his death to my close friends or family as of course it’s my job also and it emulates how dangerous it is. I don’t want my family to be thinking about that so I don’t do that to my family. So it was really nice to be able to talk about him last night with Karen.”
I wanted to know if James had any riders he felt he classed as a best friend to him in the racing world. “It was Craig, he was a lovely lad. I really do miss him as a friend. I think with racers, obviously you’re competitive with each other, so you’re not really friends, more like acquaintances. When you cross the line things change but mainly I have lot of acquaintances in the sport and some good friends. Other than that I would say Pierfranesco Chilli was one of my closest friends; he was always a really nice guy.” So when it comes to having a laugh in the motor home or at the hotels on race weekends, he calls upon his “friends and family who are there for putting a smile on my face, not riders!”
Racing at tracks all over the world at 200 mph is one life for James. Singing and playing the piano, performing on stage with his band is another. Which gives him the biggest adrenalin buzz? “My love and passion is motorcycling, I still enjoy riding a motorcycle which is the main thing for me. That’s why I do the job. What is nice after one and half tough years, are the people, the loyal fans who come to the gigs, and they say no matter what you’re doing and where you’re racing, we’ll support you. That means a hell of lot to me. Of course there are people who know of you, they know of you through gigs but they don’t know you personally. I have spent a lot of time racing. It’s been 13 years since I have been professional, and I have always spent time with the fans, I have worked hard at it. It’s now coming back that people are loyal to me, even through the bad times. I have always taken the time out to meet the fans, especially at these gigs. It’s actually an ideal place to meet me as it’s a bit of fun for me with the band, playing with the band, whereas with the team you have the seriousness of racing a motorcycle, and you can see a bit of the real side of me, rather than the work face. Imagine some days if you had everyone coming to your work place, you can imagine some days you just don’t want it, where as the band thing is good for that.”
Inevitably racing careers don’t last forever, could a future in music be an option when he eventually retires from racing. He reveals “Oh definitely, I have written a few songs now and I am just going to keep on writing behind the scenes and one day I would love to bring an album out. The one thing with motorcycling is that of course you do have a large fan base and that would help sales with a potential album. It’s not a too distant thought. I am currently writing now but I think after everything, I am hoping that I will be able to retire from racing without having to do anything. I would just like to do it for myself as piano playing and singing have always been in my life and it would be nice to have an album one day whether it sells or not. I just want to do it for me as another personal achievement.”
For a change I thought we needed some light-hearted questions to let him have a break from the probing on Moto GP he had faced all year. Starting with reality TV! When being asked to choose a favourite between Strictly Come Dancing or X-Factor – “X-Factor” was an immediate response as “it’s a singing competition.” Since the nation is only talking about one thing, those cheeky Irish twins who aren’t exactly renowned for their singing ability – what was James opinion on the duo? “The twins can’t sing, but are great entertainment, but they did mess up when they voted Lucie out. After all it’s a singing competition and Lucie is a miles better singer than them. As far all the hype, that’s the only reason the twins are in, as everyone is talking about them and Simon Cowell knows that, which you can’t blame him for as it’s his business. But he’s got to forget about that sometimes and remember what the competition is about, as it’s about singing. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that Lucie went out as I quite fancied her. She was quite cute. I think I was more disappointed about that then anything else!” He laughs. “But it’s good value show and entertaining.”
From my research before our interview I had noticed James’ favourite TV show was I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, so would he ever consider an appearance on the show? James states, “I have been asked to do it, but I don’t get the time. I think it lasts about two or three months. No way could I spend that much time in there with my racing commitments. I hate creepy crawlies and spiders and when my mum saw the e-mail come through about the offer of me going on I’m a Celebrity, she was like ‘There’s no way you could do that, you can’t even pick a spider up’ and I was going ‘yeh, yeh, yeh I can, I was being all manly about it and then I went upstairs and thought “actually she’s right’. He laughed. “I think I could shove the things down my throat to eat. I think I could do that. Claustrophia and creepy crawlies I don’t do, so believe me, if I did do it, it would be a massive challenge.”
So I learned James is a bit of a fan of some trashy reality TV (aren’t we all, let’s admit it). What would his taste in recent films he had seen reveal? “Well I have seen quite a lot recently on my long haul flights. One of which was Transformers 2.” Which we discussed wasn’t maybe as good as the first one as there hadn’t been a high expectation level with the first one. He later admitted he also watched that film for Megan Fox, “She’s hot!”
Did James have any embarrassing or unusual nicknames that he was affectionately know as? “My nickname at school was Todo. My big brother, who is 18 months older than me, got it at school because of Toseland as a surname. I don’t know where it came from though! Other than that it’s just been JT really. I may have been called plenty worse but you can’t print those ones!”
For someone so passionate about their music, I wanted to know what he was currently listening too on his I-pod. “I have just bought the Journey album as we are doing a couple of their songs tonight. Whose Crying Now is the song we are doing tonight, so we will try that one, but so far we have all liked it. I hadn’t listened to much Journey before but it is really good.” Regarding his band’s performance, he says, “We have possible five new songs tonight, at least four we will do. Sweet Child of Mine was the first one I ever did so I really like that one. We have done some new music in the warm-up so will see how that goes tonight.”
I wanted to ask one final question of James about his future ambitions in the sport and if he had any desire to return to Moto GP again one day despite the turbulent season he had suffered in 2009. “I never say never. The rules could change in the next couple of years with engines amongst other things, so if things do change and I get offered a chance to be on the right bike at the right time I would definitely consider it. It’s a bit like F1 in that sense about being in the right place at the right time, and if I get offered a chance in the near future, I will take it. I’m just looking forward to next season now, on a bike that I know I can win on and it’s all down to me again and I like that.”
Copyright Leandra Graves
