‘Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro 2013’: the whole story
A sleepy town by the name of Wildwood is a rural locality in Victoria, Australia, 30km north-west of Melbourne's central business district that has a population of around 600 people. Well on November 10th 2013 Wildwood increased its population by about 4000 people that included racers, team members and race going fans as the 2013 Bioflex Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro invaded the town for the fourth running of this unique event.
The 2013 event had a much bigger and different vibe about it compare to the previous year’s thanks to the arrival of the Husaberg dynamic duo of Spainish sensation Alfredo Gómez and the enduro extreme king in Graham Jarvis. For Jarvis, what would it had meant to win another Wildwood Rock Extreme enduro again? “Well I think the riders have improved a lot since two years ago. So for sure it will be a closer race. When you have to push harder to the limit to win it always means more when you win” said Jarvis.
What else made it special for the Aussie fans who flocked to Wildwood was the fact that nineteen year old Matt Phillips who won this event in 2012 returned back home as the newly crowned Junior world enduro champion and was going head-to-head against two of the heavy weights of the sport. Another top line Aussie rider who was mounting a charge was the inaugural race winner, Mitch Harper who was mounted on a Husaberg. The 2013 Bioflex Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro marked Harper’s first major race back since breaking his back this year in early April in a training accident in Sweden which left him side lined.
Graham Jarvis gets a bit muddy.
Before the three gruelling hours got underway riders were put through a 1km slippery Prologue course thanks to overnight rain to sort out the starting grid. Taking the line honours and walking away with $1000 (AUS dollar) was Gomez. Gomez posted a time of 2min10.177 – 0.806 faster than Jarvis. “It’s fantastic to win first up” said Gomez. “I was pushing all the time and I’m just so happy to have won. Let’s see what happens in the main race now.”
Jarvis was happy with his mistake-free run performance run and later told IG-Gatsch. “It was just really slippery. I unfortunately lost out by half a second. It was good to just get around safely and focus on the main race.”
In third place overall and first for the all new trials class for 2013 was Aussie rider Tim Coleman. Coleman, 23, was stoked to be the first Australian over the line in the Prologue course as he used the full advantage of the lightweight and very nimble Sherco 305. “The fast little technical part of the track suited me really well” said Coleman. “Everyone thinks the trials bike are just slow ‘things’, but when you open them up they can really go!” “The track dried up pretty quick which made it a bit better. In regards to the main race I’m looking forward to it, but I don’t know if I have the fitness for the whole three hours but I’ll give it a good nudge that’s for sure.”
Alfredo Gómez in action through the Beta Rock Garden section.
Even though the No.1 starting position is of little consequence for such a long and unpredictable race. Anything can happen and often does during more than three hours of hard racing around a demanding 12km manmade and natural track that requires just as much strategy as speed.
From the start it was Gomez who led for the first seven laps and looked like he was going to go onto to win his first race down under until his arms said “bye-bye” due to still recovering from an injury on his arm. “I am happy with my second place as in the last part of the race my arms became really tired.” This opened the door to the ‘king of extreme enduro’ who pinched the lead away from his 24 year old team mate and went onto to victory beating Gomez by 5min42.937 and pocketing the $10,000 cheque as well.
““I started off a bit steady” said Jarvis. “I always get arm pump on an event like this where it’s so intense. I dropped about two minutes on Alfredo [Gomez] on the start. But once the arm pump wore off I pushed really hard and caught him up pretty quick.” “I just got stronger and stronger towards the end of the race. The Husaberg TE-300 worked perfectly all day, I’m just wrapped to have come out on top.”
In what has been their last official race for Husaberg before making the switch to Husqvarna Jarvis who has been with riding for Husaberg since 2007 said “it’s a bit sad because we have had some good times on the Husaberg. But it will be the same team next year with the Husqvarna so I’m looking forward to some more top results and keep going the way we are.”
Mitch Harper was the first Aussie home in third place over all.
Making it a Husaberg 1,2,3 lockout on the podium was the 2010 Wildwood Race winner Mitch Harper. The 2013 Bioflex Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro marked Harper’s first big race back since breaking his back in early April this year in a training accident in Sweden.
Things didn’t go all Harper’s way for the event. In the Prologue the 21 year old had a huge crash and possible broke a few ribs. But nothing keeps this man down. He ate few panadol’s like they were smarties and got on with the job to bring home his TE-300 home 1 lap behind Jarvis and Gomez in third place after starting dead last, Harper rode the wheels off his machine to pass everyone apart from the top five riders.. “The track really awesome today” said Harper. “I unfortunately started last due to crashing out in the Prologue so basically on the tenth row so I was ten minutes behind the front running group which made it a bit hard. I just pushed hard and got home in third, so I’m pretty happy.” “The Husaberg 300 was a dream, thanks heaps to Husaberg Australia for supplying me such a great bike.”
Fourth place overall and winning the trials class was the runner up in this year’s Australian trials championship Coleman. For a man that thought his fitness was not going to be ‘tip top’ surprised everyone and rode the wheels off his Sherco to finish in the top five. “I’m bloody wrapped” said an exhausted Coleman straight after the race. “I was going to be happy to finish in the top ten but a top five finish is just simply awesome.” Coleman total time was 3:17:21.211
Trials rider Tim Coleman was fourth overall and first in the trials class. Coleman will also compete in next years world trials event when the WTC returns to Australia in April.
Rounding out the top five respectfully and the winner of the expert class was Chris Perry aboard his KTM 300EXC. Perry was also another man who was happy with his performance describing it as his best race ever. “I had a ball today. It’s my most favourite race yet! Extreme Enduro is so physically demanding and a lot of things can happen in three hours. More races like this in Australia would be great” expressed Perry.
The ups and downs of motorsport was proven however when Australia’s very own 2013 junior world enduro champion and last year’s Wildwood Rock race winner Matt Phillips was forced out of the race due to mechanical dramas. Phillips pinched his stainless steel brake line halfway through the first lap and he said later “it was pretty much unheard of.” Then he rode the rest of that lap without a rear brake. On the fourth lap he crashed at the rock garden and broke his clutch lever and simply found it a bit too hairy to keep riding without a clutch lever and brakes. “It really wasn’t my day” said Phillips. “I’m really glad to have come here to try and defend my title in the state I was, my fitness was not that great. Thanks heaps to Dad, Richard, Sophie and my girlfriend Catherine for coming over to support me. Once again it’s been a bigger event, bigger and better and it’s been good for extreme racing in Australia and hope to come back next year.”
Phillips finished eighth overall in the pro class.
Individual top three class finishes for the Bioflex Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro were Dave Cash the winner in the Over 40’s from David Fleming and Darren Jessett. Kristie McKinnon who was dressed up as a fairy won the women’s class from Coleman’s girlfriend Ina Halls in second with Amber Lock rounding out the podium. Chris Perry was the victor in the Expert class from Tom Mason and Jack Gaynor. The Clubman class was taken out byCon Privertera from Anthony Solar with Beau Uren in third. While in the trials class it was Coleman from Lachy Andrews and Zac Mularczyk.
The final word should be left to event organiser Steven Braszell who by the way had his first taste of racing his own event and finished 49th overall and seventh in the clubman class. Braszell and his hard working team behind the event put their ‘heart and soul’ into the event all year round and it shows just by the way the event is getting bigger and bigger each year.
ISDE champion and third in this year's womens world enduro championship Jess Gardiner (R) with best friend and winner of the womens class Kristie McKinnon.
“I think it’s fantastic with the amount of number of bikes we have had entered this year. The feedback we have got so far from the riders has been great. The course was hard and challenging for all the riders. What makes it even better to see is the finish rate of the riders, just goes to show the level our riders are getting better and better each year. I can’t thank everyone enough that has pitched in to help set up this year. And all of event sponsors of course. I’m just so happy with how this year has gone!”
Lock the 30th of November into your diaries next year ladies and gents, because that is when the 2014 Wildwood Rock Extreme Enduro will take place. Pack your bags and jump on a plane and come and see how the Aussies put on a show. (russell colvin)