Bulldog as he is affectionately known throughout the racing community, is without a doubt one of the most exciting downhill riders of the modern era. The kiwi native is a former junior world champion that has since gone on to taste victory at a World Cup and become one of the most recognised figures in the sport of mountain biking.
[R]: So Brook, you began a new chapter in your career racing for the GT Factory squad last year. How do you feel the season went?
It was great. You know starting out on a new team is a massive deal so everything is not perfect but we have good people around us. I feel it went good, just adapting to a different structure was a little hard but once I found my place, things went smoothly.
What’s the dynamic like with your teammates at GT?
Everyone on the team is super positive, we have a good mix of people on our team and I think it makes it unique from others.
Recently we spotted a few sneaky spy shots online of you riding what looked to be a prototype DH bike earlier this year… can you give us any lowdown on that bike yet?
Can’t say too much about that yet. It’s been something we had been working on towards the end of last season.
Interesting… okay lets talk about your current bike then. You looked pretty damn comfortable on the ‘Fury’ that you raced all last season. Are you happy with the way that bike handled and how you were able to set it up?
Ha it’s funny that you say that as I actually felt like I struggled a lot on it! Riding in first day of practice to second and race day was different, going fast and then going race pace was really hard for me. I think my riding style is just hard to adapt to this bike, so getting my head around it all has taken some time. Last season was frustrating, I felt I had done everything right but just couldn’t get a good setup to the point where I felt confident and comfortable.
We’re starting to hear rumours that brands are messing around with 29’er wheels on DH bikes again… what’s your personal take on 29’er for DH?
To be honest I think this is the worst decision ever. I know I’ll probably get some hate but this is not our sport, 29ers! I understand why because tracks are getting easier and they will be a lot faster on there but I really think it’s a bad move! There needs to be rules put in place for this! It’s going to be unfair on companies that can’t afford to go out there and make a 29er in six weeks because they are dominating the racing by 10 seconds to 5th if you get what I mean? I think it should be left at what we are on now and stay there and tracks need to get harder, more technical and to go back to all the original ones. If it happens you may as well put an ‘e-motor’ on it. That’s just my opinion though.
Interesting to hear your point of view. I’m sure a lot of people would probably agree with you too. Okay so let’s change direction a little here – has your teammate, Wyn Masters, taught you any ‘wheelie’ tips yet? Ha ha
I think I taught him all the wheelie tips he’s needed to know, just check out Redbull bike how to manual! Ha ha
GT’s gravity team seems quite diverse across DH and Enduro. Obviously DH is your main focus, but might we see you doing some more Enduro events this year?
No Enduros for me this year I just want to focus 100% on DH.
Speaking of your main focus, ultimately what is Brook MacDonald’s goal for the 2017 season?
For sure I want to win another World Cup. It’s been some years since I last did that. But ultimately top 10s and top 5s would be my biggest goals and to have fun of course!
You’ve stood on the top step of the World Cup podium before. What is it going to take to get back there?
A perfect run!
What kind of training and cross-training do you do to prepare for the season?
Lots of road riding, gym, trail riding and Moto.
Can you run us through what a standard training week consists of when you’re ramping it up a month out from the first World Cup?
All depending on where I am a month before, like now I’m in Queenstown shooting for a filming so just flat out doing that, but normally there’s a decent amount of racing going on so between that and traveling I try to get gym and cardio in. But if I was based at home, I would be doing a lot of short to long intervals with strength and power work included in there. A week would look like this: 3 days gym, 5 days cardio. Out on the roady or trail bike and then moto on the weekend followed by a rest day.
World Champs are heading to Cairns in September. Hopefully the weather gods will play nice and it’ll be a dry race. You’ve obviously ridden that track a lot, what do you think of it?
Yeah I hope so too, ha ha that track is hard in the week, especially with the humidity as well! The track is sick, I would love to have a week of dryness on it because it would be a fast track! Got a good mix of everything on it.
That flat pedal section down the bottom to the finish line must be so brutal for you guys. Do you almost feel that the race can be won and lost on that section alone?
Yeah that’s brutal for sure. I guess it could be won or lost there, it all just depends on how hard you wanna dig.
Do you run flat pedals exclusively these days or do you mix it up with clips on your DH bike?
Not much flat pedals these days, just at home for fun. But I will be bringing them to Cairns just for back up if it pisses down.
You were just five years old the last time World Champs was raced up there in Cairns… does that make you feel young as shit or what? Ha ha
Ha ha for sure! So 20 years ago the last world champs was held there? Seems so long ago.
If I could offer you a deal right now that you’d win the World Cup overall title this season, or that you’d win World Champs this year, which would you prefer?
World Cup overall because you have to be consistent over those seven races and have to have proven you can ride any track fast and be up there! Then to follow that perfect season up by being World champ, that would be the dream!
Cheers for taking the time to chat with us today mate. Everyone at [R]evolution will be cheering you on again this season!
Thanks guys, really appreciate it.
