ADB spoke to Phillips about the shock decision.
ADB: You’ve had an incredible run in EnduroGP, why to stop competing in the world championship?
Honestly it’s been an unbelievable run in the enduro world championship. I left Australia at 19 years old, with no idea about what I had got myself into. I had never really thought about racing the world championship but my former teammate and five-time world champion Stefan Merriman planted that seed in my brain and I soon came to the realisation that I needed to try and become world champion. It just had that certain ring to it. World champion is world champion.
So off I set with my new team. My new friend Paul Feeney had managed to get me a gig racing on the factory Husqvarna team where I soon found my feet.
Fast forward to 2017 and I’ve decided not to continue in the EnduroGP after this year. I’ve decided this for two reasons, and somewhat they work with each other.
I feel the championship is really lacking enthusiasm. The races have become races and not “events” that they once were. We go to the race and it’s unorganized. The city doesn’t know the race is happening and there is no atmosphere. This doesn’t apply for every race, but it’s a regular scene.
The race now is EnduroGP. It has put all the best riders together in one class with different bikes. Like an overall. I tried to reason with the FIM and the promoter before this decision. I told them that it would kill the sport and that nobody would come to race. I was laughed at.
We spoke about how enduro is not an elitist sport and that people want to come and do their best. Anything after third place for a factory rider may as well not even exist, that’s the cold hard truth. Sponsors only read the paper on Monday.
But a rider’s personal sponsors will support a rider at any level. They took three riders off the podium so that’s three lots of ‘news’ or promotion out of the game. Not only that, a solid fourth or fifth at this level is well worthy of putting on social media’ The fans love it. But changing the classes has seen less people turn up to race.
The EnduroGP idea was not well thought out, we have 20 riders turning up to race. So then comes the second part. Five years now, living away and just struggling to find that 5 per cent of motivation to get up and get going, partly due to the racing.
I felt before it was like going to a week-long party, a real event and you came home from that like “woah, that was insane can’t wait to go to the next one!” And that kept you focused.
Now it’s like “ah that was shitty, hope the next one is better”. And that’s not result based, that’s because of the atmosphere of the race. But, for sure, I’ve missed a little bit from not being in top mental condition, not on a high like years before!
So this is me giving the FIM and ABC Promotions a kick in the backside and wake up [call]. I’m not trying to rag on the sport because I absolutely love it and I want it to be as great as it can be. I want to go back in the future and experience that high again.
Was it a tough decision? How long have you been deliberating about coming home?
Absolutely it was tough. This is my job, my lifestyle and some of my best mates I’m going to leave on the other side of the world.
I didn’t want to continue with a half effort. It wasn’t fair to my fans, team or myself. So time to have a freshen up and get that flame burning high again.
Has there been a key moment during the 2017 season that really made you think, “Yeah I’m ready to come home?”
We had arrived in Hungary and went to look at the Special Tests but none of them were ready and I was thinking “oh man, this sucks”. We drove back to the paddock with news that the round in Argentina had been cancelled. I was thinking it can’t continue like this.
We started the race in Hungary and I was pumped to get to the first Test but got lost on the way. I eventually found the way again and met Alex Salvini front wheel to front wheel in the forest. You can’t believe how mad I was. I almost took the bike back to the paddock.
I remember when we spoke about your eye operation last year. How’d that go?
Unfortunately, nothing came of it. The doctor had me getting checked up before it and decided my eyesight was too inconsistent to operate. So I’m still flying blind. I will try again this summer.
What about the EnduroGP will you miss?
The biggest thing will be my friends. I have been gifted with really great people, life friends. I have met some very kind people in the last five years that I feel have changed me and certainly have been a key part of my success.
What are your plans once you return to home? Will you race the Aussie Off-Roads next year? Motocross? Trials!?
I have a lot of dreams for next year! To find a company that will support me, this will be difficult. I hope to still go overseas and do some racing, hopefully have a real crack at the Australian Off-Road Championship and start doing some adventure riding with friends!
I hope to get out the body armour and try out some MX Nationals, basically, I would like to cover as many events as possible. I have some sponsors who are keen to make it happen and we will try to document it all as much as possible and try to show the fans some day in, day out stuff, also take them to the race, show the event and also the racing.
It’s all dreams for now but I think, with some help, we can pull it off and not only have a great time but endeavour to get more bums on seats! Hope to see you all out on the tracks soon. Make sure you come and say gidday!
with Olly Malone
