SUPERBIKE sensation Ed Rendell finally got the reward for all his hard work after clinching the Motul Motostar 125GP British Championship last weekend.
The Chelmsford rider claimed third at the TT Circuit Assen, in the Netherlands, on Sunday and therefore sealed his maiden title with two races to spare.
The 23-year-old has been plagued with injuries over his young career, including having to recover from a broken pelvis in 2011. However, Rendell admits that just makes his victory even sweeter.
He said: "It certainly has been a rocky road over the years, compared to others who have won the championship. It makes it really worthwhile though, when you look at all the hours that you put in and then you actually achieved what you wanted to achieve. It hasn't really sunk in yet and I don't think that it will until I get the big trophy at the end of the season.
"We thought we had won it, but we weren't sure because Taz (Taylor) had won the race and I had finished third. But then it popped up on the time screen and we knew that it had happened so could start to celebrate.
"The celebrations were a little bit messy. As soon as I got off the bike I walked into the bar and there were a lot of Dutch fans clapping so that was a nice feeling."
After finishing all ten races on the podium, Rendell also paid tribute to his team, who have provided the rider with the perfect bike.
He added: "It has been a perfect year, you can't ask for much more than ten out of ten podiums. Now the pressure is finally off and I can just have a bit of fun.
"I am happy for the team as well because they have put in loads of hard work. It is not just about me riding it, the bike has to be reliable as well and it has proven to be."
Rendell still has rounds at Silverstone and Brands Hatch to come, but is excited by the prospect of where his career may go.
He said: "I am not sure about next year really, it all depends on what sort of offers I get. We have the Moto 3 bike ready for next year if I want to do that and stay with the team, so that option is there. It just really depends on what comes along and nothing really happens until the last round and through the winter months. I could always go back into the same championship and look to defend my title, which would be a nice thing to do as well.
"There is a possibility of riding out on the final race on the Moto 3 bike now that the championship is won. It would be good to do a little test on it and then maybe run it out at Brands Hatch just to see what happens. But it is exciting to see what happens and I can't wait really."
