Transmoto Issue 58 ISSUU

TRANSMOTO
EDITORIAL
OZ’S #1
EXPORT
ANDY WIGAN
FUTURE7MEDIA
Leaning back in his chair, Fabrizio
Azzalin orders another bottle of
wine from the passing waitress and
resumes his story. Like most Italians, the
CH Husqvarna team owner has a dramatic
streak. He speaks with a strong accent and
flamboyant hands, and he has us buckled
over with laughter. It’s the Sunday night
of the 2013 Enduro World Championship
in Portugal – Rounds 7 and 8 of the
14-round series – and the newest addition
to Azzalin’s race team, Australia’s Matt
Phillips, has just gone 1-1 and consolidated
his lead in the EJ-class standings. Along
with Aussie enduro stalwarts, Geoff
Ballard and Peter “Foodge” Burrell, I’ve
joined Phillips and a few of the CH Husky
team guys at a restaurant in the local
fishing village to celebrate their victory.
The table is overflowing with traditional
Portuguese dishes – fried sardines, garlic
squid, grilled groper – and no one’s too
bothered with minding their manners.
Azzalin tops up everyone’s wine glasses
and launches into a series of hilarious
stories about “the Stefan Merriman years”;
about the Australian’s unconventional
training techniques and bike set-up, and
the other two world titles he should have
won with CH Husky a decade ago. It’s
clear that Merriman opened the long-time
EWC team’s eyes to an alternative way of
doing things, and to the riding talent in
Oz. Azzalin signed two other Australians –
Chris Hollis and now Matt Phillips – in the
years since, and I ponder the coincidence
that all three have also raced for Geoff
Ballard’s Yamaha team.
“I think Italians and Australians both
understand that there is a time to be serious
and a time to have fun,” Azzalin says,
referring to the two nationalities’ cultural
affinity. “Having riders who know how to
enjoy themselves – and win, of course – is
very important to me nowadays. Matthew
Phillips here ... well, he’s a fun guy,” Azzalin
says with a wink at his young charger, who’s
busily de-boning an oversized sardine at the
other end of the table.
Phillips hasn’t said much all night,
but he’s hung off every word of the
conversation. The 20-year-old has fast
become a student of the sport; a sponge
for everything EWC. But don’t think
that Phillips is overawed by the occasion.
The kid is itching to create some EWC
history of his own.
“Winning three FIM world titles arguably makes Matt Phillips
Australia’s most successful dirt bike export of all time.”
How prophetic were those 2013
observations I made about
Phillips itching to create some
history of his own? Very...
A few months after I wrote that, Matt
Phillips wrapped up the 2013 EJ world
title – a first for an Aussie. Twelve months
after that, having signed on with the EWC’s
powerhouse KTM Factory team, Phillips
added an E3 world title to his collection
– the first world enduro title won by an
Australian since Merriman in 2004, and
the first rider in history to win Junior and
Senior world titles back-to-back. In the
2015 season, Phillips ran a close second
to his teammate, Ivan Cervantes, in the
E3-class title chase – despite butting heads
with his team over bike set-up. And in 2016,
after surprising many by leaving KTM
to join the CH Racing Sherco team, the
23-year-old Australian won the Enduro
World Championship’s (EWC) supercompetitive
E2 class and the EnduroGP
(Outright) title, and in doing so handed
Sherco their first ever world title. Making
the achievement extra special is the fact
that 2016 was the inaugural time the EWC
has officially acknowledged an Outright
champion. That, and the fact Phillips
managed to win aboard a 300cc fourstroke
– yet another first for the EWC.
To my way of thinking, that amounts to
creating EWC history. Lots of it! In fact,
winning three FIM world titles arguably
makes Matt Phillips Australia’s most
successful dirt bike export of all time.
Refreshingly, the young Tasmanian remains
just as down-to-earth as he’s always been.
He’s created a lot to be proud of; not least of
which is the pathway he’s illuminated for
the ever-growing talent pool of off-road
racers in this country.
Be sure to check out the highlights video of the final, title-deciding rounds in France. Aside from the outpouring of emotion from
Phillips, Azzalin and his entire support network at the French event, keep an eye out for Sherco’s head honcho, Marc Teissier, who’s
literally bawling his eyes out in the background. That right there exemplifies the sort of passion that makes this sport go round.
12