Newly formed UCI Professional team Team Are Bike park will be riding and rolling on Da Bomb's products for the upcoming season. Being led by 2010 UCI DH Champion Robin Wallner, Da Bomb Bikes was able to catch up with Man behind the action and what are the plans for the future.
Team Captain of Team Are Bike Park: Robin Wallner
Da Bomb: Hi Robin! How are you today?
Robin Wallner: I’m fine apart from the fact that it is unbelievably cold in Sweden at the moment and I can’t ride my bike.
DB: Tell me about your racing experiences in the last year?
RW: Well I had a lot of different ones. Season started out steady and I was confident that I was going to do well. Then things went wrong. I had several small injuries, crashes, punctures and a lot of hard times.
Also I think it effected me a lot with Niklas getting injured at the world cup in Leogang. It messed with my head for sure. But then I also had the most epic win ever at the European champs. It was special since it was like racing back home, some friends were there and also my parents so it was definitely special to me.
DB: Were you expecting to win the UCI European DH Championships?
RW: No definitely not. I had so many bad races leading up to that race I simply wanted to give it my all and stay on my bike. My goal was to get on the podium but even that would have been sick at the time.
DB: Why did you decide to start your own UCI team?
RW: It just felt weird last two years with me and my brother both racing and wanting to do the same thing but heading off with different teams & sponsors so that is one reason for it. But also I have been able to pick my own sponsors and in the long term I hope that I can help some young-guns and give them the chance to race internationally. I think it is something a lot of riders want to do but I simply had the opportunity to do so and I wanted to do the best I can with this opportunity.
DB: How has it been starting everything between yourself and your small crew of riders? Going well? Busy?
RW: Well I think we have created a great structure of people for the team. Erik Källström will be， myself & Niklas mechanic, great guy who used to ride the world cup just 2 years ago so he knows what he needs to do and I don’t need to worry about that side. Then Carina (my mum) is doing all the papers, logistics, accommodations & registration and finally we hired a up & comer photographer Mattias Lindqvist to come with us and shoot photo and film during the season. But yeah it has been and will be a busy time but it is definitely worth it to be happy and well prepared.
DB: Why did you choose Da Bomb out of all the other bikes on the market? What stands out about their bikes and what is your opinion on their products?
RW: Well first of all we go way back in time. I started off on the brand back in the days and have kept good relations & contacts with you guys through our distribution so it felt like a natural move. I also really like the new bikes coming out for 2011 and I think everyone at the company is real dedicated to step it up and do whatever needs to be done to improve.
DB: What do you wish to accomplish in your first season running and racing Team Are Bike Park?
RW: I want to do what I thought I could last year. Get in that top 10 at the World Cups. Of course I want to try to defend my title as Euro Champ as well but that is a different story, I also want to enjoy the races and being in this group of people feels real good and relaxing so I think it should be a fun year.
DB: Last question, tell me something outrageously hilarious about yourself. Could be anything, anyone any situation? So we can know more about the "other" side of Mr. Robin Wallner.
RW: Well there are so many stories from the road that I really can’t tell you here but last year we had quite a bit of trouble with our van. To make a long story short we had to break in to a rental-car station to find a phone number to the owner and make them come there. Found the phone number and called her up but made the mistake to call from their office-phone.
She saw that we called from her office and got crazy promising us to call the police.
Naturally we ended up without a rental car and had to walk the 12 km back home. We even called on an advert for a PW50 motorbike to not have to walk back.
Don’t know if it’s hilarious but it is a pretty good story and someday I can tell you the full-length version=)
DB: Thanks Robin for your time and I wish you the best of luck in the upcoming racing season!
