For those of you who have seen the ROCKSTAR RACING team at the last few races you may have been scratching your heads thinking “who the hell is that ROCKSTAR rider with the massive legs who only seems to know how to ride in the biggest gear?”

That rider, affectionately known as “THE IVANATOR” was Czech rider, Ivan Rybarik, who had been in Australia since late October (where he finished 6^th overall in the tough Crocodile Trophy 2008). He struck up a friendship with fellow competitor Craig Gordon and decided to stick around and learn how to ride like a ROCKSTAR.

For three months Ivan became one of the team, staying with us while he trained in Austinmer,  Sydney and then Canberra, all the while trying to improve his English and working withthe ROCKSTAR RACING team riders at various events.

He managed to finish 7^th at the Highland Fling in November 2008 and then rode like a champion at the National MTB Champs at Stromlo, Canberra.

After snapping a cable mid race he managed to power from the back to finish mid field and show an amazing amount of strength, power and class. We will miss the big guy and hope that when he hooks up with his Czech team in the coming weeks he has a few new tricks up his sleeve courtesy of his summer down under experience.

Hopefully he will be back next year but until them we wish him well.