Tommy Bridewell reveals decision which “sometimes I have questioned”

Tommy Bridewell will enter the new British Superbike Championship season fitter than ever.

That’s due to his work with a new personal trainer who has put the 2023 BSB champion through his paces.

However, Bridewell has admitted he hasn’t always been so sure that he made the right call to focus so heavily on his physical fitness.

“I’ve got a new personal trainer and we’ve been flat-out training twice a day, six days a week,” he said ahead of this weekend’s opener at Oulton Park.

“Sometimes I’ve questioned that decision, but it’s part of the game and I’m probably fitter than I have been for many a year so I’m happy.”

Bridewell missed out on the 2024 title by one point, losing out to Kyle Ryde.

The Honda man is determined to regain the crown this year, though.

“Oulton Park is one of our more challenging circuits but the team has got some good ideas that will give a step forward from last year’s setup and it’s been a good circuit for me in the past,” Bridewell said.

“We’ve been experimenting with the bike in pre-season testing so we’ve reverted back to my 2024 setup and I’m a lot happier. I’m quietly confident but, really, we won’t know until the Free Practice sessions are complete.”

Teammate Andrew Irwin said: “I’ve had some good races at Oulton Park, but I haven’t yet reached the podium so that’s a great way to focus my motivation for this weekend.

“We need to find the right balance to be able to qualify on the front two rows, that’s probably my biggest objective for this year, and then find a bit more consistency.

“I’ve had one of the best off-seasons in my career, testing has gone well and I was based in Spain at the start of the year in order to get a lot more training done - not just physically but also mentally.

“I’ve been working with a great team, and fingers crossed we’re going to reap the benefits from that as we go through the season.”

Team manager Havier Beltran said: “It’s been a long off-season this year and I think that we are all itching to go racing again after a very productive testing programme.

“The team is working well and we have made some good progress while the riders are, as always, incredibly motivated. All the ingredients are in place for a successful year ahead, and there’s no better place to kick off the new season than Oulton Park: a challenging circuit which draws a big crowd and is always full of atmosphere.”