Video: The Final 8 Head to Granada in YT Mob World Tour Episode 7 by YTIndustries

The YT Mob and YT Industries conclude their search for Young Talent with the final episode ‘Time’ of the YouTube video series. The World Tour witnessed six camps on six continents for which over 550 young riders applied. The unprecedented talent program created opportunity for 120 kids from all over the world to shine on a bigger stage, learn and develop their skills and passion for the sport we love. Eight Young Talents made it to the final camp at Mob HQ and are in the running for two spots to race as Juniors on the YT Mob team in 2020.

The Final Eight (Left to Right): Guy Johnston (NZL), Leonardo Becher (BRA), James Elliott (GBR), Luke Mumford (GBR)

The Final Eight (Left to Right): Dan Slack (GBR), Oisin O'Callaghan (IRL), Dante Silva (USA), Ethan Parr (RSA)

After six Young Talent Camps eight young riders were invited to Mob HQ by Team Owner Martin Whiteley: Dan Slack (GBR), Dante Silva (USA), Ethan Parr (RSA), Guy Johnston (NZL), James Elliott (GBR), Leonardo Becher (BRA), Luke Mumford (GBR) and Oisin O’Callaghan (IRL) all made a lasting impression at one of the preceding Young Talent Camps. Episode seven of the Mob World Tour shows the riders at Mob HQ in Granada, Spain, as they try to make a final push to get a ticket to be part of the Mob next year. Martin Whiteley and Angel Suarez set out at the beginning of the year to look for two Junior riders to join the team and the camp in Spain gave the crew the chance to get one last look at the talent they had found during their journey across the world.

Time… He is like the cool guy at school. You want to be friends with him. He can with make your day or break your day.—Ethan Parr, Final Camp Participant

Time doesn’t lie, Time will tell

After ‘Obsession’, ‘Focus’, ‘Sacrifice’, ‘Racecraft’ and ‘Opportunity’ the seventh episode puts the element of ‘Time’ in the spotlight as the eight finalists are introduced as they ride for a spot on the team. In the following interview mentor Martin Whiteley speaks about the search, the development and the decision process ahead.

When Markus Flossmann and the crew at YT came to me with this concept, I was a little daunted by it at first. It might sound straight forward; host some camps around the world, identify some riders, and sign two new juniors to the YT Mob, but actually the planning and logistics that went into this was comparable to a full World Cup season in time and effort. In total we had 550 applications from 43 countries which was pretty astounding. When it came down to the final eight, I needed to be able to easily imagine any two of those eight as potential teammates. Team chemistry is key for me regardless of brilliance on the bike. When we finally had all eight of them together, the evening meals in Spain felt like team dinners, so in that sense I felt we were successful in identifying the right ‘characters’ for Finals Camp. Of course, skills on the bike, mental strength, family support and potential to grow were all key factors as well. The timing we did was more of a measure of their understanding of time, and not a race simulation. We use their results from 2019 at various competitions to inform us in that regard. A lot goes into this process.—Martin Whiteley, Team Owner