Catching up with Robert de Wilde

Next up, we’re catching up with Robert de Wilde (Afro Bob), starting when Robert came onto the international scene – winning 16x at the 1993 UCI World Championships in Holland, beating top Americans In-Hee Lee and Alexis Vergara in the process.

Robert talks about getting on GT Europe, racing Junior, then Elite in Europe, and easing into some racing in the US; winning the European, World Cup and UCI Worlds in a dominating 1999 in Vallet, France, memorably passing Christophe Leveque in the last turn

We talk about Robert’s full move to the US traveling with the GT US team, racing the Vans Triple Crown winning the Mt. High round, racing UCI downhill races at Woodward and also X-Games and feeling comfortable on the new downhill format at the time.

We talk about the mid 2000s, Robert moving into the Olympic era winning World Cups, injuries, racing the Beijing Games, making a run for London, retiring and what he’s up to these days coaching and training riders and everything he does at the Bellflower track.

Of course we touch on the 02 ABA Grands main and the 2nd turn drama with Warwick Stevenson, his thoughts on it and so much more. Check it out.

Leave a Reply