Wednesday 10th October 2012, 12:54

Aussie superstar Chris Holder has revealed a testing session with brother James made all the difference as he stormed to the World Championship this season.

The 25-year-old has made no secret of the fact becoming a father to baby Max has helped him mature into the sport’s top rider. But little Max isn’t the only Holder who played a pivotal role in his success.

Chris’ elder brother James let the four-time Aussie champ borrow his bike at Poole Pirates’ Wimborne Road track when the SGP star returned to the UK disconsolate after scoring only four points in the New Zealand Grand Prix.

Many put that result solely down to Holder’s partner Sealy giving berth to Max at 2am on the day of the meeting. But Holder has revealed a few handling issues were hampering his riding and says taking a spin on Plymouth rider James’ machine opened his eyes to the problem.

He said: “I made a change with my chassis. It stopped me from locking up so much.

“After the first round when I came back to England, I did a few things and rode my brother’s bike. I actually worked out it was way better than mine, handling-wise.

“I practiced on it after Poole once and thought, ‘wow, that handles so much nicer than mine.’ I made a few changes to my bikes. It made my riding so much smoother and faster and that has been a massive change for me.”

Holder will parade the World Championship trophy at Wimborne Road tonight prior to Poole’s challenge match with Coventry.

He is set for a massive reception in his adopted home town and paid tribute to the role Pirates have played in his climb to the top.

He said: “Poole is my home away from home. I’ve always raced there and I don’t really want to move from there.

“They look after me and if I need help, Matt (Ford) is always there, or Middlo (Neil Middleditch) or Giles (Hartwell). They were all in Torun and they were pretty much in tears. It’s so cool to share this moment with people I’m always with.

“I’m really proud to have made my progress at Poole and I’m sure they are too. They’ve helped me out a lot in my career so far and they’re going to be really happy.

“Poole obviously isn’t home, but it has allowed me to surround myself with the same sort of feeling.

“I’ve got my own place, a good girlfriend in Sealy, Max, my brother and it’s such a cool atmosphere. I love going home and staying there for a few days. I think that has really helped me.”

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