    |
 |
|
|
|
New Zealand\'s hot young motocross star Josh Coppins has had the best possible warmup for the world 250 championship starting this weekend.
The Motueka-born racer, who turned 23 on Saturday, won all three races at the final pre-season international event in France on Sunday.
\"The bike is flying and I\'m coming into form at just the right time,\" said the modest youngster who this year got his big break, signing with the top-rated Suzuki team.
\"But this weekend\'s the real test,\" said Coppins of Sunday\'s opening round at Talavera, Spain.
\"The top riders haven\'t shown us fully what their new bikes can do yet. Still I\'m optimistic, the Suzuki is just so good to ride and it\'s set up perfectly for me.\"
Coppins knows what to expect from the gruelling, 16-round championship running until September. He has worked his way up from 41st in the field six years ago to 7th last season, when he outpointed the Suzuki-backed stars and commanded some factory support.
\"It\'s still part of the learning curve for me,\" Coppins said thoughtfully. \"I\'m adapting to the team environment and I\'m really enjoying all the additional support.\"
Coppins retains his established chief mechanic, Oamaru\'s Blair Selfe and is optimistic of breaking into the world top five this season - an expectation shared by European pundits who predict the young man will go on to take the world crown in the next two or three years.
