Team News

9 September

After more than 6 days of the world's toughest enduro, the Wellard Yamaha team has faced many issues along the way! Through out the adventure even with the problems we still maintained a positive and professional outlook. Matt, Paul and Liam pushed the boundaries of themselves in some of the harshest conditions that we can never really understand. For them to return the Team a top 10 finish is a credit to their depth and inner strength. They are not the only ones who should feel proud about what we have achieved as it took a team effort from everyone to put this together. First of all we would like to thank Mauro Balzarini for this experience. What you did for these boys will last forever in their memory and they feel privileged to have been given this opportunity! Last year in South America we did a fantastic job but this year proved that the Wellard Yamaha Team is as good as any in the world! Some of the other people we need to thank are Sean Phillips from Belray for supplying our WRF's with the oil that we needed to do the job. Jason from Endura for providing us with the energy building products to keep our riders going. Bill and Aurelio from Five Star Yamaha for all they have done for helping us with the bikes. Giannis and Steffanos from Yamaha in Greece for coming to our assistance at the last minute and Ben Van Earp from the Netherlands for shipping in last minute spares. This leaves us with only the Team to thank. Foodge Burrell, Darren Gangell and Gail Humberston who were the best support crew in Serres!! Dale and I would also like to thank Lisa Maclean for her support in helping out with all our dramas.
 
Thank you very much. I hope you have enjoyed keeping track of our progress via our daily updates. Thanks to all of you who have sent messages of support, it really kept the boys going! Over the next week or so we will continue to post pictures of the event!
See you on the trail.
 
Peter and Dale Strickland

6 September

Today was the last day of competition of the Six Day Enduro in Serres. It consisted of an eight lap Motocross race for each division and just to add a different spin on things there was a bitumen start the same as Moto GP.

Matt was first up in the C3 class, the field was given one sighter lap before gridding up for the race. After pulling a good start he was in third place for a while before loosing the front end in a corner which sent him to near rear of the field. He quickly began to make his way through the field and posted the fourth quickest time of all the Aussies on the day. Paul managed to win his Moto and was by far the best in his race. Liam went out last an strung together eight good laps to finish in the top five.

After coming in sitting in 11th from the day before, all three great results from the boys moved them up to ninth place outright in the Club team section. This is a fantastic result after the rocky start to the event we had. In this type of racing gold, silver and bronze medallions are awarded to every rider based on their times overall. Both Liam and Matt managed to be within ten percent of the winner’s time meaning they picked up a gold medal, while our first timer in Paul managed to collect silver for being within 20 percent. We have just returned from the trophy presentation and it has just ticked over 12am. So look out for the Wellard Yamaha team wrap up coming soon. 

5 September

The Wellard Yamaha team faced the hardest day of the Enduro today. All riders were feeling the effects of the tough week they have had. On Monday when our video blogs are put on the website make sure you check out the one titled bits and pieces day 3,4,5 as there is a small snippet of what the boys had to ride through out on the trail, it will blow you away!!

With a tight technical trail on the agenda there was an ere of uneasiness in the Parc Ferme and no one was certain what to expect. Every morning this week at breakfast we have discussed the previous days result and talked about the goal for the day ahead. Being a good rider is as much about being positive as it is about riding well and I think we brought over an awesome team this year as they have put the results on the page when needed. We discussed that while everyone else was not looking forward to the day we would tackle it head on and take some positives from it.

Knowing riders would be struggling physically and mentally this was the opportunity to strike by just backing down our speed to be consistent. We focussed on moving up in the outright placings by doing this and sure enough it worked. Paul, Matt and Liam rode smooth and fast but consistently without loosing any trail time and pushed in the special stages. By the end of the seven hours in the saddle they had jumped two places to tenth just two positions away from the best Motorcycling Australia Club Team. With a total of Enduro’s you could count on one hand and the youngest riders The Wellard Yamaha team has far less experience than the M.A. riders but has been able to fight their way to their level. This just goes to show determination and positive thinking combined with a little luck goes a long way.

Tomorrow is the MX stage of the event where all riders will race a Motocross style race with times going toward final scores.

With three MX riders on the team finally the momentum could go our way a little better than it has so far. As normal we do have one issue Paul has developed an illness and has a temperature. Having toughed out the last week I am sure it will not stop him. If you can’t wait for the next update Google up the official site and go to the live section as every result will be broadcast in real time.

4 September

Today’s weather was a mixed bag for the fourth day of competition. Down at the Parc Ferme it tipped the scales at 40 degrees while 1600 meters up in the mountains it was chilly enough to need a jacket. After yesterdays roller coaster ride for Matt he managed to get his bike back together in the ten minute work period only to find he had not sealed one part of it properly. With no time to do any more and electing not to delay and incur a time penalty he rode the bike through the check point and stopped soon after to fix it before setting of for the next control point. This is a strategy used so the rider has time to fix any problems and ride faster to gain time and ensure they arrive at their designated time of check in.
In most stages riders can arrive up to ten minutes early at a time control where they refuel and have a drink of water ready to move on when there time ticks over. Matt lost ten minutes repairing his bike but sealing the leak. This meant he had to push as hard as he could to make up the time. He arrived just in the nick of time and caught the support crew of guard who were not ready for him. This delayed him and caused a one minute penalty to be incurred. In total the whole broken crankcase only lost him three minutes, which was a fantastic result considering the damage.
Liam is one of the coolest customers you could imagine. I have long considered him to be one of the smoothest four stroke riders I have ever met. He has consistently ridden all the trails and tests with very few incidents to be 12th outright in the clubman class. When you covert that to the world rankings he would be about 56th in the 250cc class, not at all bad for a seventeen year old from sleepy old Perth.
Even though both Matt and Liam’s results are pretty good Paul is the dark horse of the team. His outright ranking of 30th is a very good result for his first ever Enduro. This is a guy who races Motocross at home and is used to 30 minute motos, against other bikes and having plenty of time for maintenance. For anyone who knows Paul today, he manage to ride for seven hours over some of Greece’s harshest terrains and then change a back and a front tyre in just over ten minutes. Is that the Paul Humberston you know. After he did that, he nearly managed to kill several local Greek spectators as he raced for the Parc Ferme. While changing tyres you spread the brake calliper as wide apart as you can to assist when refitting the wheel. What that means is that you have no brakes until you pump them a few times. After doing the two tyres he was pushed for time and leapt on his bike to get it locked away for the night but forgot to pump the brakes. This resulted in him careering into some poor unsuspecting spectators who were watching another team. It was not funny at the time but there is a story attached to it. Perhaps you can ask him next time you see him. (The Greeks were fine). The team has moved up to 12th and hope to improve on day 5 and 6.

3 September

Today I was part of something that brought a tear to my eye and has me glazed up as I write this update. The Wellard Yamaha team in Liam, Matt and Paul pushed through what long time ISDE veteran Geoff Ballard called the toughest day he had ever ridden in a Six Day yesterday. The conditions were tough but they woke bright and early with a game plan to build on their fantastic 10th outright in the Club team section.
The temperature was hot today as the boys battled the 247k loop through the mountains surrounding Serres.
What may you ask was able to reduce a grown man to tears about that? Nothing in particular about the days riding, it was what happened at the end of it.
At the end of each day every rider has fifteen minutes upon returning from that 247k’s practically non stop to service their bikes and have them parked in the Parc Ferme. In that time they must change front and rear tires, possibly an oil change and definitely the air filter. For those who have not done it take it from me it is not easy!!
Today Matt returned to the final service point with an engine crankcase that had been smashed open by a rock on the trail some twenty or thirty kilometres from home.
Here is a young man who has just ridden his heart out for seven hours and now has to repair a problem of this magnitude in just 15 minutes. With great haste he disassembled the bike while watching the clock count down. Every second it is delayed in getting to the Parc Ferme for the night is a point’s penalty.
Matt worked feverishly as his service crew sourced the parts to repair his WRF 450. As the time ticked away small mistakes crept into his actions but the rules of Enduro state that only the rider can work on his bike or penalty will apply.
With only minutes to go it was deemed that he would finish off the job in the morning 10 minute work period before departing for the days trail.
This is where the tears come into it. The Parc Ferme gate was some 800 meters away through the pits and down the way some. Matt had to push his bike that distance and fast to minimalise the penalty time. He set out as fast as he could but fatigue from riding, stress from wanting to make it in time and the fact he still had all his riding gear on did not help. I knew it would be tough and ran with him for support as he tired and slowed I began to coax him along just quietly at first but he was fading fast so I began to yell as loud as I could at him to keep him going. With every weary step he was one closer to making it to his destination. From all my yelling people started to notice what was happening and they began to cheer and clap also yelling out for Matt to keep going. By the time he reached the Parc Ferme gate he had the whole USA Enduro team that were pitted near by cheering him on. He managed to get there then collapsed in a heap. Unfortunately we came up a little short incurring a two minute late penalty. This single event of determination and courage from this young man and the events that unfolded at that time will be something I remember for a long time. Matt you are a legend son!!!

I am sorry if this story is a little longer than normal or doesn’t mention anything else but nothing can compare to how it made me feel.

Peter Strickland

2 September

The Wellard Yamaha team went into day two of the Six Day on a high. Matt, Paul and Liam really performed well on the first day to be 11th outright in the Club teams section. With over 200ks of riding ahead of them, the boys were set for a tough day. At breakfast we discussed the fact that it was a long hard event and that consistency would be the key factors in moving up the ladder.
With this in mind they gathered their thoughts as we made our way to the Parc Ferme. So far the team has not lost a single minute of trail time, something which is very important in Enduro races. This is where they are given a specific time to depart from one time control and arrive at another. This must be done exactly on the time they have been given not before or after as each second either way is a point accumulated against them on their score sheet.
In the two hundred kilometre loop they come across special test stages. These are a one lap dash of a marked course and their times are recorded. The fastest rider in each special test is given 0 time and from there all others are rated against that time. For every second you are slower you will receive a point penalty.
This is where ground can be won or lost for the day as most people are able to get between check points in their allotted time but they will vary in outright speed and time in the special tests.
Today all three riders did what they needed to do and stayed consistent seeing them move up into 10th outright. Paul felt a lot less nervous having learned the ropes a little the day before. He was more confident about the task at hand and has especially become good at changing the Mousse tubes and tires. A rear and air filter in ten minutes something his MX friends from home won’t believe.

1 September

The Wellard Yamaha Team blasted into action this morning! As this was Paul's ever enduro you could imagine how he felt especially seeing that he was the first of the three Wellard riders to leave the Parc Ferme. Luckily for him the first special test was a full blown hard pack moto x track which he rode to perfection! With a few nerves out of the way he headed his WRF250 out onto the trail sections of the event. An added bonus was the fact he was on the same minute as two other Aussie boys who would be there to help on the way with check points and special stages he would encounter. Next rider was Liam who still remains one of the calmest riders in the field. He never seems flustered and just gets on with the job in his smooth and confident style! He rode the Moto X track equally as good as Paul and thrilled the crowd over the 35 meter step up jump. Afterwards he said ' I had my WRF 250 pinned right the way up to the jump to make sure I could clear it.' Last but not least was Matt who smoked the circuit on his 450 and posted the 3rd best time outright for the clubmen class!
The trails that were in front of all three of the boys took their toll. Paul managed to slip off the side of a big cliff  and if not for the help of a local Greek rider who stopped to help him, he said he would still be there now. Matt also had a close call that resulted in a big crash as he avoided a couple of young kids who ran out in front of him on the trail. Another crash saw him bend his front disc calliper meaning he had to ride a portion of the way without a front brake until he could repair it! Liam by far had the best day and completed the 200km plus course without a crash something that was a tremendous effort in such treacherous dusty terrain. All three of the boys completed their 15 min work period changing a rear tyre and their air filter easily before returning their bikes to the Parc Ferme for the night. After the mixed fortunes of today we are proud to announce that of the 73 club teams the Wellard Yamaha boys are sitting in 11 th place outright and are hoping to improve their position as the event unfolds.
 
You can view live team results via the ISDE website as this year for the first time they are using transponders that can give gather results that can be posted instantly. The website address is www.isde2008.gr When you are looking they are under the cub teams results or individually, Paul and Liam are in the C1 class with Matt in the C2 class.

30 & 31 August

Saturday morning rolled around and the Wellard Yamaha Team managed to get their Team photos done bright and early at 8am. Considering we had very little to work with in regards to graphics for the bikes, we managed to do a good job of maintaining our professional image and presenting a quality package. Over the last week we have managed to piece together everything to get the boys ready to race. There was a feeling of relief to have passed scrutineering without a hitch and see the bikes parked safely with the 454 others in the Parc Ferme.
Once that was done we headed back to the hotel to kick back and prepare to march in the opening parade of the Six Day Enduro in front of a massive crowd of Greek motorcycle enthusiasts. Australia was the first team to march into the parade area and we received a massive response from the crowd. For some of the Wellard Yamaha team it was an experience they will remember for a long time. “The crowd went off”
It was cool to be a part of.

Sunday was a totally free day. The boys walked another special test near our hotel while the rest of us did different things to pass time. I spent a little time helping some American friends test and tune their bike as their container which was also delayed arrived just hours before the parade much to the relief of a lot of people. So while we relaxed they thrashed to get bikes unpacked, tuned, tested and tech inspected for Monday mornings start. Paul, Matt and Liam are very excited about finally starting the job they came to do. With the time difference here in Greece if you are reading this at or around 7pm West Aussie time they will still be out there battling the Greek country side as it will only be two o’clock here. Spare a though and send them your prayers as they will be on the trail for the last part of the seven hours per day this gruelling event demands.
If you have been reading about our epic adventure so far do the team a favour and send our web address to someone you know and get everyone to send the boys a message of support to keep their spirits high knowing you are all behind them all the way.
Day one bring it on!!

29 August

The last day of testing before the bikes are locked in the Parc Ferme went really well. With some fine tuning and gear ratio changes in the morning the Wellard Yamaha WRF’s were ready to take on the worlds best when the flag drops on Monday morning! In the afternoon we spent the time fitting mousse tubes and the special Six day tyres we will use for the event. Unfortunately all our Wellard graphics are in the container which was extremely disappointing. A last minute decision back home in Perth saw us include some fork protector graphics and a few sponsor decals along with a couple of others that we were able to obtain from the Ballard boys meant that our race bikes looked the best we could possibly make them. We have had a lot of assistance from varying sources all over the world. One person we would like to thank  is Ben Van Erp from the Netherlands who from a chance meeting managed to supply us with some much needed air filters especially flown in over night from the Netherlands just for us. This is the type of response we have been lucky enough to encounter since finding out our container wasn’t coming. After a quick chat I found out his nickname was El Bandito a name he was given many years ago. But one I am pleased to inform you is far from how he treated us. He runs a very successful tuning workshop in the Netherlands and is one of those people that helps everyone no matter who you are. Thanks a lot Ben!!
The weather was extremely hot today at the Parc Ferme and we made a lot of effort to ensure the boys stayed hydrated. We also completed the first part of registration with the paperwork side of things and only have to do scrutineering tomorrow.

28 August

Today was the day the Wellard Yamaha Team had all been waiting for as the boys got to ride their new bikes. For me personally in some strange way it was so good to see the back end of them disappearing into the distance as they left the Parc Ferme for the first time to run their new WRF Yamaha’s in. For you guys at home it would be really hard to understand exactly what it has entailed to get these young racers on the trail. Though we have been through a fair bit here there is one person who is our life blood, the person that has had all of the stress and pain of dealing with customs and shipping agents. The one who helped us arrange everything we needed. We think Lisa Maclean from Wellard back in Perth is a legend! She is the one who had to field crazy requests of help from the other side of the world at all hours of the day and night along with taking the chance on doing stuff for us that was very rushed an even a little bizarre. However we are not the only country having trouble from the shipping strike as Japan, Hungry and a couple of others were in the same situation as us.
From all of the Wellard Yamaha Team in Greece, thanks so much for what you have done after the wheels fell off our campaign Lisa!!
After clocking up a few miles riding around on the roads for a while the three boys headed up the mountains to check if the high altitude would effect the tuning of the bikes, this way we could make some jetting changes more suitable for both conditions if needed. Upon their return they said their WRF’s were fine and did not suffer at all. Next it was time to do some suspension setting so we hit the practice track to turn a few laps and do some clicker adjustments. Foodge was making adjustments and then each rider would see what they thought. By days end everyone was happy with what we had achieved and we are looking forward to finishing things off tomorrow before the bikes are locked away waiting for the race commencement. 

27 August

Just when you think you have all bases covered a curve ball comes at you from nowhere. The Acerbis display at the Parc Ferme did not have any MX clothing on sale this morning when we went back to get the last items on our list of replacement gear.
This once again meant we needed to find the boys something to wear. It has turned out to be a bigger problem than getting them bikes to ride, dealers just don’t stock anything here in Serres unless you ride a scooter. With time quickly ticking away, we needed  to find a local who spoke English that could assist us in locating what we needed. Stefanos, our new found friend in the Parc Ferme called in a favour from a friend to take us to a bike shop in town to find what we needed. Although our choice was limited we were grateful to have found something that will serve the purpose.
The Parc Ferme is now beginning to fill up with countries from all over the world. In the afternoon we travelled up into the mountains to find the check point we will man on day one and two. It took us up some very steep and narrow windy roads that we shared with pigs, cows and the occasional car. Once we reached the check point it was on the opposite side of a valley adjacent to one of the special tests the boys will ride, which was on the side of a very steep hill! While we were doing this the boys were checking out other stages on the route. As it was Darren's birthday today (Matt’s Dad) we all went out to our favourite Taverna for tea. As a birthday gift, the Taverna gave him a special bottle of locally produced ouzo which we happily helped him drink.
Happy Birthday Darren!! Tomorrow we hope to take delivery of our bikes and get the boys out on the test track as it will be good to get on with the job we came to do! 

26 August

Full of enthusiasm after yesterday's achievements, the Wellard Yamaha Team went straight into action! After confirmation from Yamaha Greece that they could supply us with bikes, we set about tracking down all the other things we needed. A quick trip to the Parc Ferme quickly hooked us up with Wolfgang from Metzeler, as we needed to replace the mousses and tyres that were in the container. After hearing our plight he was more than happy to provide us with whatever we needed. With two things ticked off the list a chance encounter with the mechanic from Yamaha Greece led us to his pit garage where our bikes will arrive on Wednesday or Thursday to be raced prepped. After viewing one that he had prepared for another Team we were satisfied with what we would receive under the circumstances. This also led us to discussions and access to the spare parts we will require. By this time we were really on a roll and cruised the alley ways of the Parc Ferme meeting all the other teams from the different countries who at some stage we may need to borrow gear from. In doing so we came across many people that we met last year in Chile who were sympathetic to our cause along with others that we had only just met, all offering assistance in some form or another if we needed it. Last on the list was the missing riding gear. With motorcycle shops in Serres not being the same as in Australia, they do not stock a lot of clothing or accessories especially off road gear. As chance would have it an Acerbis merchandise truck rolled into the Parc Ferme and started setting up. So on Wednesday we will go back with the boys and deck them out in the gear they are missing. The rest of the Australian riders arrived last night and after a Team meeting this morning our boys hooked up with them to walk the special tests. They were gone for most of the day and had walked lots of miles by the time they got back. I am sure they can’t wait to get on their bikes and ride them instead. One thing for sure the boys are always ready for a feed after walking so much and we have been lucky so far and found some good eating spots. The Greeks certainly do some good tucker!!

25 August

24 hours can be a long time but with contacts and determination, anything is possible. With a positive outlook we began the day searching for bikes and all the gear we need to find for our Six day campaign! Most important on the list was the Yamaha race bikes. We had sent out feelers over the weekend to give us a headstart in our search but had to wait until we had any replys! Another thing high on our list was the missing Team uniforms as we still wanted to present ourselves in a professional manner. After lots of detective work, they were located in the storeroom of the hotel as they had arrived last week and were mistaken for someone elses property.This was a real bonus as not much has gone our way since arriving. The boys were out walking the special tests today as no matter what they were going to have bikes to ride. They came back excited but with a tinge of apprehension as these trails are unlike anything they have ridden before. Some were fast flowing paddocks, similar to a thumper nats track and others are leading up steep inclines with rocky outcops. By late afternoon we had received news from Yamaha in Greece that they may be able to assist us with bikes for the event. This was fantastic news as we are almost certain the deal can be brokered in time. There is still a slim glimmer of hope that our container might still arrive as it is being road freighted to another port for possible transport to Athens. We all have our fingers crossed.

24 August

Today the Wellard Yamaha team woke up to another beautiful warm day in Serres Greece. It is Sunday and everywhere is closed, with nothing to do but wait for Monday to see what we can do to get our program back on track I started thinking about how lucky we have it in Australia.
Though we have only been here for a short time is clear that our off road motorcycle industry in Australia is alive and thriving but most importantly user friendly.
Being put in the situation of having to make some drastic arrangements in a foreign country is pretty daunting. Where do you find motorcycles for the team along with all the associated gear we require? Who do you talk to?  Where do you start?
At home you can always contact someone to get you started. Here in Serres things are so much different. Motorcycle dealers don’t have massive amounts of gear or lots of bikes on the floor to look at. Don’t get me wrong, motorcycles are massive here in Greece but they are more road orientated and scooters are the normal mode of transport.
With less than a week until the event starts we have to come up with a lot of stuff to make this work. We are however lucky to live in the age of internet, e-mail and mobile phones to bring the world we know a little closer. We will find something for the boys to ride one way or another don’t you worry about that. What that might be is still a bit of a mystery!!
Well, it's 37 degrees and pretty humid so I’m off for a swim because the pools here in Greece are still just like ours. Ha Ha!!

August 23

With a good nights sleep the whole Wellard Yamaha team gathered at the hotel dining room for breakfast. In the light of day we were greeted by the new hotel Elpida that had only been open a week. It is owned by a gentleman by the name of Christos, the same person who is running the event in Serres.
It was also pleasing to see that Foodge was firing on all eight and overcome his illness. After a hearty breakfast we began the first official team meeting to clarify objectives and answer any questions about what we were about to undertake.
Things were about to wrap up when we received the phone call that we were hoping not to. Though our Wellard Yamaha container left Australia many weeks before the team departed for the ISDE, there were some shipping delays which meant it was going to be tight on its arrival in Greece; however, we were assured it would be there on time by the shipping agency. The phone call was to explain that our container was still in Egypt and was not likely to arrive in time for the start of the Six Day. This meant our race bikes, accessories and all the gear from tools to mousse tyre changers were not coming!!
To come half way around the world and hear this news was not exactly the start to the adventure we were looking for and to compound the trouble we had brought over three other riders bikes as well, so not only was it a blow for the Wellard Yamaha team, but also there were three other riders who had no idea they were coming into some bad news on arrival to Greece.
We went into damage control to see what we could do to get the boys on the track. To set the stage, we are on the other side of the world in a country that is extremely hard to communicate in, every conceivable piece of essential equipment that we need is in the container that is stranded in another country. As it was Saturday morning all we could do was shoot off a couple of e-mails to people asking for assistance. We also had just enough time to source a local Yamaha dealer to see if there were any options on replacement bikes.
We now have to play the waiting game until Monday to see if any help will be at hand. I must admit today has not been one of our finest hours but we will get the boys something to ride one way or another.

August 21

The Wellard Yamaha Team gathered at Perth airport from all parts of Australia to commence our Six Day adventure. Foodge Burrell, the teams Mechanic made the marathon haul from Parkes in Central Western NSW and had been on the road for nearly 18 hours by the time we left Perth. Fresh from winning the Aussie Enduro title Matt Gangell and Dad, Darren flew in from Adelaide to meet up with the rest of the team.
After a smooth 11 hour flight all except for Foodge, were travelling well. We were not sure if it was just the big day or the start of a virus but he soldiered on regardless. Liam earned himself a new nickname of possum as he was asleep for 10 out of the 11 hour journey. If he rides as well as he sleeps we are in for a good finish for sure.
We killed 4 hours in Dubai airport with a little abit of shopping to occupy our time while waiting for our connection to Athens. Like all good road trips we had a small moment when one of the team members was unable to find their passport just before boarding, but all was good and it was found in the bottom of a bag! After another smoothe 5 hour flight we finally landed in Athens to find our connecting flight to Thessaloniki was delayed an hour which gave us another 3 hours to waste. Poor Foodge was doing it tough with what seemed to be a case of gastro. Thankfully the flight to Thessaloniki was short and we arrived safely, eager to pick up our hire cars and make the 100km trek to our final destination in Serres. After asking the local police for directions to the ring road we set off on our way. We had only made it 50 meters down the road when we heard the sirens. The police were waving frantically at us so we all thought they were going to give us a personal escort! Ha! We eagerly followed them only to find ourselves being led into the local station for a licence check. After producing all paper work they finally let us on our way. By this time it was 8.00pm and the sun was going down. We managed to jag our way to the motorway and made it to the hotel by 9.30 where we had a quick bite to eat and then hit the pillow for some well deserved sleep.
The hotel is very impressive! It was purpose built for this event and has only just been completed. There are still some finishing touches to be made but nothing too major. The pool is huge so I'm sure the boys will get alot of swimming in as the weather is very warm.

August 19

Great News for the Team!

The Wellard Yamaha Enduro Team is just a few days away from leaving for the Six Day Enduro in Europe and all riders are primed and ready to go. None more than Team member Matt Gangell who last weekend brought Wellard its first Australian Enduro Championship.
After a solid performance last year in South America, Matt was given the opportunity by team principal Mauro Balzarini to ride as a Wellard supported member of the powerful Ballard’s Offroad Yamaha Team. He contested all twelve rounds of the AORC (Australian Off Road Championships) in the Expert E2 class aboard a Yamaha WRF450 similar to the one he will ride in Greece.
With solid performances in every round Matt lead the Championship for almost the entire series before clinching his first Australian title in N.S.W over the weekend. Pitted against seasoned Enduro racers the thing that makes this so much sweeter is that November of last year in Chile was his first ever Enduro event. In less than twelve months He has come from a Motocross background and won one of Australia’s most prized Enduro trophies.
The experience gained by Matt over the last few months will be invaluable to the rest of the team members. Congratulations Matt!!!  

August 5

The Wellard Yamaha Enduro Team has had a set back similar to 2007 when Carl Pickersgill was forced to relinquish his position on the team.
Morgan Smith from Merredin has sustained a knee injury over the weekend, in a similar fashion to Carl, and will not be able to compete. It is a tough break for the young country lad who is one of W.A’s top Enduro riders.
In his place we will be utilising our reserve Liam Robertson. After getting off the phone with Morgan which was a flash back from last year for Team Manager Peter Strickland, he had to ring Liam and tell him the bitter sweet news. He was very sorry for Morgan but obviously excited for Liam.
“Liam will be up to the task at hand and when I asked him to put together a few words to explain how he was feeling for the Wellard Yamaha website this is what he had to say,” Peter said.
Liam was stunned.
"I can’t believe it at the moment I wasn't expecting the phone call. It’s unfortunate that Morgan has had an injury so close to the event and I can imagine his disappointment. I will be honored to ride with the team and can’t wait to go," he said.

July 28

In less than a month the Wellard Yamaha ISDE 2008 Team will fly to Greece, for the ride of their lives.

The container with all the bikes and support infrastructure is currently en-route to Greece. It will act as the team garage throughout the Serres ISDE.

Meanwhile the team members have been cranking up their fitness and practising not just on their riding, but some important other skills, such as tyre changing, which will help them keep their times low.

June 23

One of Australia's leading sports hydration brands has signed on to support the Wellard Yamaha ISDE 2008 Team.

Endura Sports Hydration is used by such high profile athletes as Commonwealth Games 5000m silver medalist Craig Mottram, winner of the 2004 and 2006 Busselton Ironman Jason Shortis and Olympic triathlete Annabel Luxford,

Endura is also used by Lyndon Heffernan in his Yamaha riding academy and used by Alison Parker Australia’s number one women’s Enduro rider along with Enduro racers like the Ballard’s Yamaha Offroad Team.

The Wellard Yamaha ISDE 2008 team thanks Jason Stephenson for arranging our riders to utilise Endura in Greece.

Endura Sports Nutrition is one of the most successful and highly promoted sports nutrition ranges in Australia.
Endura Sports Nutrition is also the major sports drink sponsor for the Noosa Triathlon, Sri Chinmoy, Protiviti Tri Series, Gold Coast Marathon, Coolangatta Gold, Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Iron Man Series and supports many more sporting events.

June 4

The Wellard Yamaha WR 450’s were picked up ready to be individually modified for each rider. Matt Battista from Pro Comp Suspension will assist and advise on suspension changes over the next couple of weeks in preparation for their departure in the container at the end of this month.

May 23

The first official meeting took place today for the ‘2008 Wellard Yamaha Team’.
The boys were able to meet each other for the first time and run through with Team Manager, Peter Strickland the procedures that will lead them into the ISDE in Serres , Greece in September this year.
All were very excited to have been given the opportunity to be part of this Team and were looking forward to the event with anticipation.

May 4

The riders for the Wellard Yamaha team have been announced.

They are: Matt Gangell, Morgan Smith, Paul Humberston and Liam Robertson.

Team Director Mauro Balzarini said the calibre of the riding ability combined with the calibre of their personalities would ensure a successful 2008.

Matt Gangell  speaheads the team. He was selcted to ride in the Wellard Yamaha ISDE 2007 Team in Chile last year having never ridden an Enduro.

He impressed Mauro that much that he now rides all of the Yamaha Australian off road Enduro series on the East coast as part of the Wellard/Ballard’s off road team and earned a spot in the campaign to Greece to provide some of the knowledge and experience he has gained to the other team members.

Morgan Smith  is a fine Enduro rider who made the commitment last year to become the Team's reserve rider at the last minute without hesitation. He has also switched to Yamaha this year after riding a different brand last year. With this type of dedication we were happy to include him this year.

Paul Humberston  comes in as our MX rider. Paul has been a long time Yamaha supported who is currently State Pro Lites Champion and has unselfishly given up the opportunity to defend his number one plate to race in the Six Day as we will be in Greece for two of the Motocross rounds this season.

Liam Robertson  is the last team member. He is one of the smoothest four stroke riders you will see. In his first ever senior Australian four day Enduro he showed that, even though he has just turned 17. He is destined for great things.  Liam will be reserve for the team in case one of the other riders is injured prior to the event.

Wish them all the best!!!

April 15

Wellard has today announced that a Wellard Yamaha ISDE team will contest the 2008 International Six Day Enduro in Serres, Greece.

Determined to build on the success of the team at the 2007 ISDE in La Serena, Chile, team director Mauro Balzarini and team manager Peter Strickland have begun preparing for the assault on the 2008 ISDE, including rider selection.

Mauro said he was pleased Yamaha had again supported the Team, with the provision of the WR450F motorcycles, that performed so well in Chile.

“Although Chile was our first attempt at the ISDE, the success we achieved and the experiences the riders enjoyed exceeded our expectations,” he said

“We intend on building on that success, and I look forward to a great 2008, using the knowledge we have gleaned in 2007.”

Participation in the Team can be a life changing experience. Matt Gangell who rode in 2007 is now competing professionally in the Australian championships, and is currently leading the national standings in his category.