After months of preparation, March 26th marks the first race on the Enduro World Cup calendar and the debut of the re-defined YT MOB.
Down under, the team has traveled 240km from the Australian mainland to Tasmania, home to rounds #1 and #2 of the EDR Enduro World Cup: a tropical paradise filled with palm trees, rainforest, and a wild array of terrain and weather conditions.
Tasmania has always been a destination for Australian mountain bikers, but in 2015, the opening of the Blue Derby trail network brought it into the global spotlight. Since then, the trail scene has exploded, and it’s become a hub for MTB talent, playing host to some of the finest trails the southern hemisphere has to offer.
“Oh man, it’s so exciting seeing everything come together! Everyone is super motivated to kick things off. Unfortunately, we had to work through some unforeseen circumstances, but we’re here, and we’ll see what the boys can do! One thing is for sure – it’s gonna be hot, and it’s gonna be fast. Let’s goo!”
Jan Philipp Becker, Head of Sports Marketing
With the recent news of Kasper Woolley picking up an injury in training, the YT MOB kicks off with only two riders – Jack Moir and Christian Textor.
“The recovery process has not been the most fun so far. I spent 10 days in the hospital getting a couple procedures done to save half my spleen. So far, it’s felt more like a bad illness than a regular injury. I will be able to return to low-risk activity hopefully fairly soon, but I just have to go by feel. Unfortunately, I am at high risk to do further damage if I were to fall on it again for at least 3-5 months. It is going to be a frustrating one because I am going to feel fine months before I am safe to ride normally again.”
Kasper Woolley, MOB Enduro Athlete
Founded in 2018 by Simon French, Maydena Bike Park boasts up to 820m of vertical elevation and two uplift services, catering to the 90+ world-class trails on offer. The trails there are next-level and were designed, built, and maintained by Dirt Art, a by-riders-for-riders company that’s built over 1000km of mountain bike trails across Australia and beyond. Steep, technical, and rowdy, this terrain is no joke and will take some serious precision to conquer come race day.
Jack Moir | Back in the Start Gate
How’s the injury going?
“It’s going good! Just struggling a bit with grip strength and hanging on, but so stoked to be back on the bike.”
What does it feel like to race at home, to have the home advantage?
“It feels so good to be racing at home. I haven’t done a whole lot in Tasmania but it will be awesome to have some family/friends and the wild Aussie crowd around.”
Christian Textor | The Road to EDR
“Preparation has been pretty similar in training and riding apart from getting used to a new bike obviously which is a big improvement for me. The biggest difference is that I don’t have to spend all the time organising all of the logistics, spare parts, getting bikes built and all of that.
It’s so much better for us as a family because when I’m home I don’t have to work all the time to get things ready. Pretty excited for the first races to see where we are at with everything. I feel good on the bike and after some serious problems last year, I’m looking forward to race pain free and hopefully improve on my current results if we put everything together.”
– Christian Textor, MOB Enduro Athlete
It’s time to go racing! Stay tuned on The YT MOB social media for updates throughout the week.
