Whibley Puts This One In The Bank
WHIBLEY PUTS THIS ONE IN THE BANK
MARCH 31, 2015: Even a sportsman the calibre of Pahiatua's Paul
Whibley can admit that there is always something new that can be
learned.
The 36-year-old Yamaha ace has enjoyed an international off-road
motorcycling career that has been nothing short of sensational,
winning dozens of international races and a handful of United
States cross-country titles in the process.
But even he found himself struggling to cope with the demands of
the inaugural Taranaki Hard Enduro event at the weekend.
"I'm a little light on experience when it comes to extreme
events and, with the first Taranaki Hard Enduro, it was tough to
know what to expect. If the track wasn't technical enough, the rain
would certainly make the steep back country a challenge.
"Being the last Gold (class) rider to leave the start area meant
I had plenty of riders to pass. I tried to push early and make some
quick passes before it got too technical and tight. Still, by the
time I got in the tough stuff it was nose to tail and not being
able to carry momentum made it hard to overcome my lack of trials
skills.
"Once up and over 'Boil-up Hill', I got into a good rhythm and
started to flow through some tight bush single track. I was having
a lot of fun and the YZ250 was working pretty good.
"Being a little unsure on how tough it was going to get I was
pretty conservative. Unfortunately just over half way to the fuel
stop I damaged my front brake and lost the fluid. As if the steep
downhills weren't scary before, now they could be gauged by how
many times I cartwheeled the bike into Ponga trees on the way
down.
"I struggled on to the fuel stop, thinking my day was done. I
rummaged around in the fuel trailer and found some fluid and tools
and managed to fix the problem.
"I was stoked to be able to continue because to not finish after
dragging my bike to that point would have been gutting. The second
half had more technical bush trails and a few more farmland
hillclimbs."
Whibley eventually finished the event third overall, behind
fellow Kiwi internationals Jake Whitaker, of Wellington, and Greg
De Lautour, of Taupo.
"Post-race I heard I had some good times but I lost a lot of
time with the damaged brake. Still, just to make the finish at this
event was satisfying enough."
It will now perhaps be just a matter of time before Whibley has
a firm grip on how to tackle extreme enduro events and he already
has his own extreme cross-country series in the pipeline, the
inaugural NZXC Series, a five-round competition, set to kick off
near Tokoroa in June.
Whibley is supported by Yamaha Motor New Zealand, Freedom Moto
Yamaha, Monster Energy, Shoei, Sidi, Smith, MSR G2, Asterisk, Moto
SR, Vortex Ignitions, EC3D, Bush Riders MCC, Spectro, Acerbis, DID,
JT sprockets, Leatt, Kenda, Yamaha NZ, BikesportNZ.com, Unibiker
and Tire balls.
Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com