— The Bioflex Wildwood Rock Extreme is upon us this Sunday the 10th of November
With a massive line up of Australian Enduro, Trials and Motorcross back ground riders entered for 2013 the rider list has doubled from the past years. Could it be that they all want to challenge Graham Jarvis and Alfredo Gomez of the factory extreme Husaberg team or relish the aim of finishing such a challenging course?
This unique event will ignite into action at 9am with a 1km Prologue course made up purely of man-made items. Then at 11am it’s ‘war’ for three gruelling long hours as some of the best riders in the country and the world take on a man-made track with rocks, Hills, water holes, barrels and other interesting objects that you would never dream about riding two-wheels over. This event is not for the faint-hearted by any means!
This event is now listed as an international extreme enduro on the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) calendar, so it goes without saying it attracts some of the best riders from around the globe and so already locked in for 2014’s Extreme.
One of the big name stars who will make the return ‘down-under’ again is Englishman Graham Jarvis. Jarvis is a former five times British trials champion. In 2007 he made the switch from trials to enduro and has gone on to win some of biggest enduros over the world. Enduros such as the Red Bull Romaniacs, Red Bull Sea to Sky, Hells Gate and Erzberg just to name a few. Jarvis also won the Wildwood Rock enduro in 2011 and lapped the whole field in the process! “I loved coming to Australia last time as it was a whole new experience and challenge. But I’m sure it will be harder to win this time” said the 38-year old who hails from Ripon in North Yorkshire.
Jarvis’s 24 year-old team-mate Alfredo Gómez from Spain is another man who will tackle the event again. Like Jarvis, Gómez is also a former trials champion who won the 2007 World Youth and 2011 World Junior Trials championship. In 2012 Gómez finished runner up in the Force Accessories Wildwood Rock enduro to Matt Phillips from Tasmania who will be looking to go back-to-back wins and bring home the $10,000 cheque. Phillips returns this year to the Bioflex Wildwood Rock enduro as Australia’s new junior world champion after wrapping up the title this year in September in France.
Other well known faces to look out for this year from Australia are: Peter Boyle, Daniel Sander, Wayde Carter, Tom Mason, Nic Tomlinson, Tim Coleman, Tom Scott and in the newly added Extreme Womens class Jessica Gardiner and Kristie Mckinnon to name a few from the 70 plus riders.
Event organiser Steve Braszell who is behind the introduction of extreme enduro into Australia said “this year should be better than ever. We have more classes, more prize money up for grabs and a bigger and better course that will keep the crowd gasping for more. It’s a great day out for everyone really and runs rain hail or shine as it should.”
With great motorcycle displays and racing action it also has live bands, what else could be a better way to spend your Sunday?
For Further details please see www.wildwoodrock.com
227 Feehans Road, Wildwood is the location.
Entry fee is $20 for Adults, 16-years and under are $10 and under 10-years old get in free.
— Husaberg Preview
Valley Force Husaberg Husaberg rider Mitch Harper will this week line up for his sternest test since fracturing his spine back in April, when he fronts the starter at the Wildwood Rocks Extreme Enduro north of Melbourne.
The Wildwood event marks the unofficial start of the Australian Extreme Enduro Season and this year’s event will continue the extra meaty lineup of years gone by, with 2012 winner, Aussie Matt Phillips joined by two of the legends of international extreme enduro, Husaberg Extreme Team riders Alfredo Gomez and 2011 Wildwood winner Graham Jarvis.
Harper, who won the inaugural event in 2010 then set the fastest Prologue time in last year’s event before DNFing with a broken hand, fractured his T7 and T12 vertebrae in a practice crash in Sweden in April this year.
The 21-year-old has worked hard to get back to his scintillating best, and gained the support of Valley Force and Husaberg Australia in the process, but whether he’s back at his early season level or not, only Sunday’s event will tell.
“I’m feeling good and feel like I’m riding well,” said Harper, “but where I stand in relation to the best Aussie and international riders I have no idea so it’s exciting for me to get the chance to find out. This will be my first major event since breaking my back and since moving to Husaberg so I can’t wait to get out there.
“But it won’t be easy, up against two of the world’s best extreme riders as well as Matt Phillips, who won the U23 World Enduro Championship.
“If it’s gnarly and wet it will get a lot more technical and Gomez and Jarvis will be a lot harder to catch.”
Mitch will be mounted on the extreme bike choice, Husaberg’s TE300e throughout the upcoming Aussie Extreme Enduro season.
“It’s feeling natural to be on a two-stroke again and the light weight is really good for the rocky and technical stuff. I love the way you can chuck it around like a trials bike in any conditions. It’s got 4- stroke-like power but 2-stroke weight.”
Event Organiser Steve Brazel has given the event some more fast technical sections this year to arrange a tantalising parity between motocross, enduro and trials riders, so while the Aussies will be hoping for dry conditions, it’s likely both internationals will have fingers crossed for rain to make things really tricky.
Graham Jarvis – Husaberg Extreme Team: “It’s good to be back in Australia. I’ve been here a couple of weeks riding and coaching in both Queensland and Tasmania so I’ve got to see some of the country while I’ve been here. I had a win here two years ago but it could be much tougher competition this year as Gomez is here and Matt is going to be real strong. Wildwood is different to most events we do in that it opens up the field and makes for good racing. I think I’m going to have to be in top form to win it this year.”
Alfredo Gomez – Husaberg Extreme Team: “The track looks fast but if it is raining it will be better. I was faster in these conditions last time but if not I will push harder. Steve invited me last year and I enjoyed it so I decided to come back. I’ve just been riding in Tasmania with 12 people for the last two days and it’s been really good fun. It’s a nice place.”
