WolfPack 2011/2012 It’s with great excitement that I can bring you the latest issue of the WolfPack magazine. This season we have had quite a bit of change with 2 new riders, 5 new sponsors and a new racing season which will prove to be more fun and competitive than ever before. The off season preparation started back in May 2011 when David Leach called me to discuss the future plans for the team. Since then there has been a flurry of e-mails, phone calls and text messages to get the team to where it is right now. All of the boys are really excited with the progress the team has made and we are all very keen to have fun racing our bikes this summer. The support package that the team can offer to the riders is really impressive and this cannot be achieved without the below companies. Magneto Design – Tim from Magneto has stayed on board as a sponsor this season. He has created custom jersey and clothing designs for the entire team. He has also created custom facebook graphics and team logos for the WolfPack fan page. GU Energy – Mark has also stayed with the WolfPack this season. GU energy have assisted the team with the costs for printing the custom jerseys and clothing whilst also providing the team with energy supplements to keep them racing at their best. They all taste great and can make the boys race hard all weekend long. MTBPicsOnline.com – Graeme once again could not wait to support the team this season. He has exceptional skills with a SLR camera and runs the website mtbpicsonline.com. He will provide the team and sponsors with photography from some of the races this season and will also take the team for some private photoshoots. LR Productions – New for the 2011/2012 season is Liam Renault. He is an avid film maker with a passion for downhill racing. He has a creative flair that is only matched by the best professional camera men. He will document the entire season with the team and take some amazing shots in the process. Schwable Tyres – Also new for the 2011/2012 season. Schwable will be the official tyre sponsor for the WolfPack. Their comprehensive range of tyres will suit any rider or trail. The team has spent a couple of months riding the tyres and everyone is very impressed with the extra performance this brand can offer. Another change for this season has been the introduction of individual sponsorships. The WolfPack team consists of 6 individual riders who live in different areas throughout Victoria. This idea was created so that the riders can still access support from their local businesses. Pushie Industries (Jack O’Hare) Supporting Jack with Kodex and K9 parts i-Train Fitness Studio (Michael Watt and Nathan Murphy) Supporting the boys with 3 personal training sessions per week Sealy’s Cycles (David Leach, Ben Rohloff and Fabian Bill) Supporting the boys with discounted servicing and parts
Team Line up for 2011/2012 Only 4 of the original team members stayed on for the new season. Nathan Murphy, Ben Rohloff, Fabian Bill and David Leach have chosen to remain with the team. With two new places available for riders we spent some time researching a list of potential team mates. The most important aspect of the team is that each and every rider gets along with the team and is a great ambassador for the sport. Some very fast riders in Victoria had approached the WolfPack at the end of last season and even though they would have given the team some great results they did not fit well into the team’s structure. With this in mind we made a decision to offer a place on the team to Jack O’Hare and Michael Watt. Both were a great fit into the team and are not only super skilled racers but also get along with everyone on the team and can contribute to the team’s success. With the new riders confirmed we all caught up for Schwable tyre info session at Bike Box. This was a great way for the team to gain some new knowledge on the products and to be able to understand the ideas behind the designs. We all walked away with several types of tyres in varying widths and compounds. The session lasted over 2 hours and the team was very excited to ride the new rubber so we set out to the local DH trails with LR Productions and filmed a short video. The preseason also held the official team launch day in Gippsland which also coincided with Michael Watts birthday. The team spent the entire weekend riding the local trails whilst LR Productions was there to take some footage of the riding. We also caught up for a couple of beers at Michael’s house to let our hair down before the start of the busy racing season. It was a great way to bring the team closer together and talk about the new equipment and racing strategies.
Victorian Downhill Series Round#1 – You Yangs It finally has begun. The start of the Victorian Downhill Series (VDHS) was held on the infamous turbulence trail at the You Yangs regional park. Perhaps infamous for some of the wrong reasons the event was going to be a great test for all the riders who showed up to race. The trail is the shortest in the season with some riders able to sneak under the 2 minuet mark. The trail is quite basic with only 7 corners and little breaking required. However there are quite a few rocky sections that slow you down and holding momentum is key to a quick time. Riders needed the right balance between fitness and skill to do well here as one mistake can ruin what would have been great result. Almost 300 riders showed up for the event with the elite field boasting over 60 entries. Some of the elite riders came from SA, NSW, QLD and even TAS. It’s great to see such a competitive field to race against. All of the boys came to the event with a lot of enthusiasm as it was the first race for the new look WolfPack team. It had rained quite a bit the night before and there was more rain forecasted. The team quickly setup the pit tents and put up the new banners which Magneto Design had created for us (they looked great by the way). The team then decided to walk up the track to see what changes had been made from the last event (which was over 2 years ago) and it started to rain quite heavy. The track at this stage was very soft and slow but was still holding up quite well. We noticed that a lot of the riders were getting covered in mud and water so we all made the decision to wait in the pits until the weather cleared. Lucky for us the rain passed and then the sun came out so it was time to get some much needed practice runs. We were given our new WolfPack Jerseys from Magneto Design and put them on. They looked amazing and we had a lot of positive comments about the design and quality of the print. It really does give the team a unique look and feel having a complete custom jersey which enabled us to really show off the companies that support us.
Rider Reports Michael Watt Knowing roughly what to expect at the You Yangs I opted to use the Schwalbe 2.3 Wicked Will Trailstar tyres front and rear as I needed a fast rolling tyre for the long flat straights (many riders even used semi slick tyres), I experimented with tyre pressure all weekend and settled on 40 psi rear and 30psi front (much higher than I’ve ever used before). These were the same tyres that I have been using since the team visited ‘Bike Box’, they were still in excellent condition so I saw no reason to put new ones on. I was very happy with the Will’s performance, they rolled very fast and provided surprisingly good grip considering the high tyre pressures and slippery gravel My race run had a few minor mistakes that probably cost me about 2 seconds all up. Some of these mistakes were simply due to not knowing the track as well as I would have liked and some were just silly little mistakes. Despite these mistakes I am very happy with my race run and very happy with my 14th place (approx 3.6 seconds off first place) considering the quality of the other riders present, I feel the training in the off season is paying off. It was great fun to hang out and ride with the rest of the pack and I am thrilled to be on the team and receive such excellent support from the sponsors, the Schwalbe tyres performed flawlessly, the GU products kept me hydrated and the energy gel fuelled me up 15 mins before my run, Liam Renault was an absolute champion all weekend, as was Hux from MTB Pics Online, the kit looks the best of any of the teams present thanks to Tim from Magneto Design and Nathan and I are much fitter thanks to Rory at I-TRAIN. I can’t wait for my next chance to ride with the pack and feed off each other’s skills and enthusiasm. All in all, an excellent weekend!
Jack O’Hare I wasn’t the happiest camper when I saw the weather forecast for the weekend, but I still knew I was in for a great weekend. Getting down to the track early Saturday saw the new Wolfpack Team tent set up, with some great banners showing off the sponsors and getting the new team jerseys and clothing from Magneto Design. Had a few early practice runs re-learning the track from the last race, and was feeling pretty good despite the wet weather. With You Yangs being such a flat, pedalling focussed track, I had chosen to run Schwalbe Wicked Wills to keep the wheels turning fast. They were getting me more than enough grip on the skatey gravel that the You Yangs infamous for as well. After punching out some fast laps with the guys I was feeling pretty good for race day. Luckily, we were greeted with sunshine on Sunday morning, and the track was drying up super-fast. We had time to catch up with some of the sponsors, and Hux From mtbpicsonline.com popped in for a chat as well. Put in one practice run, and that was enough for me to get ready for qualifying. I was a bit nervous as it was my first race in Elite, but all was going well until about ¾ of the way down the track and my rear shock failed and lost all its oil. This caused a bit of hassle trying to ride the rest of the course, and I just snuck into the top 30 for qualifying, which I was happy with considering times were so close. For race runs I put down some GU gels for some extra power in the legs, before setting down the course on Rollies Orange 225, after hurting my own bike, I didn’t go too hard because I couldn’t afford to bust his bike too! I rolled through with a 2.09 that put me into 29th in elite. It wasn’t the result I was looking for, but considering the mechanical issues I wasn’t too disappointed. Ill be back at Rd.3 at Mt Beauty for redemption, after skipping Rd.2 for VCE exams. Huge thanks to all the sponsors and the rest of the team for helping me out. Expect some great footage from Liam Renaut covering the weekend. See you at Beauty!
David Leach I arrived on Saturday morning greeted by light rain and soggy ground. After the team had set up our pit area we went for a track walk to discuss any lines or sections we were having difficulty with. We made it half way up the track before we were turned back by heavy rain. As the rain subsided we took to the track for some practise runs. It did not take me long to feel confident on the track as I had ridden the trail a few weeks earlier. I played around with the pressures in my Wicked Will rear and Big Betty front Schwalbe tyres until I settled on close to 40 PSI!!! The tacky track coupled with the lack of flat corners or any real need to brake allowed for me to run this super-fast rolling set up. I completed about 6 runs on Saturday and was looking forward to racing. I completed 2 practise runs on the morning of the race and was feeling great. I was mindful to not do too many runs as the track involved lots of 100% effort pedalling sections. My qualifier went to plan and I ended up qualifying 15th out of a stacked field of 60 riders in Elite. My run felt smooth and I knew I could improve my time as I had held back on some pedalling sections. As the finals came around I had rested up and was ready to have a great run. I downed a couple of GU gels while on the way to the top of the track to give my energy stores a boost and started to warm up. I decided to hit every line flat out, as fast as I could while giving 110% on the pedals. I ended up getting really wild and not riding very smooth. The run was not as precise and took a lot more effort physically but ended up being only a few hundredths of a second different. I ended up in 22nd overall and was happy with my result even though I had room to improve. I loved hanging out in the “Wolf Den” with the team and our friends for the weekend. We had Lisa (Bike Box), Tim (Magneto), Phil (Sealy’s Cycles), Huxy and family (MTB pics) all spend some time with the team which was great for us to show what the WolfPack is about, mates and riding fast!!
Nathan Murphy After the WolfPack team launch the weekend before the race I came into this event with lots of enthusiasm. I wanted to do well to prove that all my pre-season training was not a waste of time‌. even though I really enjoy the training part! I made so many mistakes last season that I was keen to start this season with a solid result. This would then give me the confidence that I need to carry some extra momentum into the next few rounds. I had already made a decision to race on Schwable Wicked Will 2.35 tyres (Vertstar on the front and Trailstar on the rear) at 30 psi. My bike had also been setup very stiff with no small bump absorption which was in an effort to increase the overall acceleration of the bike as the course is very smooth. Unfortunately my first 2 practice runs were interrupted buy my shock losing all its compression and was not very fun to ride. After a quick check up I was back on the track and I rode another 3 runs with Fabian and Jack. The boys were riding really quick and I decided to call it a day so that I could rest my legs. Sunday came around and I was ready to smash out some practice runs to get the legs working again. Once again my shock lost compression and I had to patch it back up. I was able to get 2 good practice runs in but I did feel that I should have worked on a few different lines. Qualifying came around and was more than ready for it. I was really excited to get the opportunity to race again as it had been some time since my last event. Catching up with all the boys at the top of the track I knew that we were all confidant in our preparation. I decided to ride hard out of the gate and then slowed my run down after the half-way point as this is where all the pedalling came into play. I like being in a position where I know I can easily beat my qualifying time and at this race it was no different. The weather at this stage was very warm and the sun was beating down hard on the trail. I finally got called up to race and put my kit on and smashed some GU gels and checked my shock and tyre pressures. I was prepared for my race run and I was a little nervous, but mostly excited. When I left the start gate I pedalled hard and just touched the brakes in the first two turns. I think I was worried about the track drying out and becoming really skatey with the loose gravel. I then hit some of the top rock sections fast and dropped into the 3rd corner without breaking. This corner was the only place on the track that other riders had been breaking hard and it now had some breaking bumps and loose gravel on it. When I hit the corner I drifted out but I over corrected with my weight and got pushed into the inside bank which lost all my momentum and balance. I then hit the next section really slow as my bike was not at the speed I needed to hit the rocks, which further lost momentum into the uphill pedalling straight. I was only 0.1 seconds faster than my qualifying time which I found to be a bit of a letdown. I think having a very stiff setup with higher than usual tyre pressures whilst trying to push my limits resulted in a poor performance. I think I also found it difficult to get into the race mode after having such a large time away from racing. I will be looking to correct this in the next round at Shepparton.
Ben Rofloff The rain was falling for round 1, no one was ready for this. Once our pit area was set up the team were given the new jerseys that magneto had designed. We were looking very pro, but not so keen on the rain and muddy conditions. I waited for the rain to stop to do some practice runs, as my physio told me I shouldn’t race on my ankle. I did my fist 2 runs and felt ok but was struggling to pedal hard with my injury. For my third run i changed my tyres from Big Bettys to Wicked Wills to help with my speed witch was a good move. My ankle wasn’t feeling that good so I decided that was enough for day one. On race day the sun was out finally out and once again my plain was to take it easy and not make my ankle worse. I did 2 practice runs early and then just rested and re hydrated with GU electrolytes. It was great to see all the sponsors in the pit tent with the team to support us. Then it was time for qualifying. My run was good, i hit all the main lines but could not put in 100% on the pedals when I needed to. I missed out on the top 30 by 2 seconds, but I’m staying positive and was happy my ankle held up well with all the strapping. With round 1 over and 2 only just around the corner the WOLF PACK has already made a big impression on this season.
Fabian Bill Woke up early Saturday morning to make the one and half our trip to You Yangs, got about half way there and it started to rain, I was set with my Schwalbe tires, bikes been prepped by Sealys. Meet all the boys there had a sick Wolf Den all set up so I geared up ready to hit the hill. Track was wet at the start of Saturday so I was running a Big Betty on the front pumped up to 30 Psi and a Wicked Will on the back pumped to 35 psi, I was feeling good and fast on the track just wasn’t sure about the amount of pedalling that had to be done on the track. Went home Saturday night had an early night, rested my legs so I was in prime condition on Sunday. Made the trip back out there on Sunday morning it had been raining heavily all night so who knew what the track would be like!! But to a surprise the sun poked out from behind the clouds and everything dried up pretty good. I changed my front tyre to a Wicked Will and pumped both tyres up even more so I had 37 psi in the front and 43 psi in the back. Pumped out 3 practice runs was still happy with the way I was riding and the lines I was hitting so went back to the tent and just chilled until qualifying. Ended up having an alright qualifying run placing 19th with a time of 2:07.6 but knowing I could push harder in race run, race run came around and I did not have the run I would have liked to have! Just making little mistakes everywhere and then I over jumped a jump by a lot and got out of control and pretty much came to a stop so had to start pedalling from scratch to pick up some speed again, came in with a 2:10.2 witch put me in 30th position. Not the best start to the season but that’s racing!!
Final Results
New Zealand Trip – Rotorua (Early January)
Michael Watt rules the pack at the moment with a very nice run at the first race of the season. The boys will be trying hard at the next event to steal his glory and to take top honours for the team rankings.
Leachy, Rollie and some friends will be tackling the mountains of Rotorua on their trusty XC bikes. It’s an amazing place to ride and will give the guys an opportunity to ride some new trails and meet some new friends. It will be a great way to relax into the New Year.
Michael Watt – 14th with a 2:03.3 David Leach – 22nd with a 2:07.6 Nathan Murphy – 26th with a 2.08.6 Jack O’Hare – 29th with a 2:09.1 Fabian Bill – 30th with a 2:10.2 Ben Rohloff – 35th with a 2:11.4
Future Events for the WolfPack VDHS Round 2 – Shepparton (5th – 6th November) The second round of the VDHS is to be held on the new track at Mt Major in Shepparton. The track is located on a small hill which has a vertical drop of only 98m and should see fast race times around the 2:10 mark. The track has lots of rocky sections and flat turns which suit aggressive riders. It should be a great event. Team Training Weekend – Mt Beauty (19th – 20th November) To give the boys more experience we will visit the track which will be raced for the 3rd round of the VDHS. This will provide plenty of knowledge for the coming event and will hopefully provide more confidence for the team. VDHS Round 3 – Mt Beauty (3rd – 4th December) The 3rd round of the VDHS will be held on the Nationals track at Mt Beauty. The track is a good length and is very rocky and tight. It also has a steep shoot at the bottom which will make for some exciting viewing. With the training camp before the event im sure all the boys will be excited to race this event. Gravity Cup Round 1 – Thredbo, NSW (9th – 11th December) The first round of the “new look” Australian National MTB series. Thredbo is a unique track and is easily the longest track on the racing calendar at 3.5km in length. It’s very physical and lends its self to the local riders who can limit their practice runs to save energy for the race. It will be an exciting event and hopefully the best riders in Australia will attend to race for victory.
New Zealand Trip – Queenstown (8th – 14th January) Watty and Nato will be visiting Queenstown MTB park for some hard training before the start of the 2012 races. They will be visiting the new Skyline Gondola to punch out some runs and using a shuttle service to ride some of the more famous trails that are quite popular with the latest film makers.
THANKYOU I would like to wrap it up with a big thank you to all the riders and sponsors. With a re organised team and a solid support base the WolfPack is set to make this the most enjoyable racing season to date. Please don’t forget to check the team’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WolfPackDownhillRacing) and to make a few comments to keep in touch with all the riders and the fans that support the team.
http://www.facebook.com/WolfPackDownhillRacing Contact: Nathan Murphy - 0457 740 980