Robert de Wilde

Robert de Wilde
Personal information
Full name Robert de Wilde
Nickname "Afro Bob", "The Flying Dutchman"
Born April 30, 1977 (1977-04-30) (age 34)
Kampen, the Netherlands
Height 1.88m (6'2" Imperial)
Weight kg (215lbs. Imperial)
Team information
Current team Redline Bicycles
Discipline Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Role Racer
Rider type Off Road
Amateur team(s)
1994-1999 GT Bicycles (Europe)
Professional team(s)
1999-2001
2001-?
2004-2006
2006
2006-Present		 GT Bicycles (Europe)
Giant Bicycles
Staats Bicycles
Troy Lee Designs
Redline Bicycles/Troy Lee Designs
Infobox last updated on
August 30, 2008

Robert de Wilde (b. April 30, 1977 in Kampen) is a Dutch professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990–2003. His nicknames are "The Flying Dutchman"[1] in reference to his speed and his nationality and "Afro-Bob" because of his long wild, uncombed hair.[2] He was chosen for the Dutch BMX Olympic team to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics games in Beijing, China where he reached the Quarter Finals.

Contents

Racing career milestones

Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.

Started Racing: 1982 at five years old. A friend got him into it.[3]

Sanctioning Body:

First race result:

First win (local):

First sponsor:

First national win:

Turned Professional: January 1999 at 21 years old. During 1999 and prior de Wilde was one of only three total pros Europe ever had (Dylan Clayton and Wilco Groenendaal were the other two)[4] due to the nature of racing rules with the European sanctioning bodies at the time, which did not permit a full pro class in which an unlimited amount of money can be earned by the racer at a race.

First Professional race result (Holland/Europe):

First Professional race result (US):

First Professional win (Holland/Europe):

First Professional win (US):

First Junior Pro* win (Holland/Europe):

First Junior Pro* win (US):

First Senior Pro** race result (Holland/Europe):

First Senior Pro** race result (US):

First Senior Pro win (Holland/Europe):

First Senior Pro win (US):

Retired: Still active.

Height & weight at height of his career (1999–2006): Ht:6'2" Wt:215 lbs.

*In the NBL it is "B"/Superclass/"A" pro (beginning with 2000 season), in Europe Superclass; in the ABA it is "A" pro.
**In the NBL it is "A" pro/All Pro/"AA" Pro/Elite men (all depending on the era); in Europe Elite Men; in the ABA it is "AA" pro.

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.

Amateur/Junior Men

Professional/Elite Men

Career bicycle motocross titles

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in italics. "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.

Amateur/Junior Men

Koninklijke Nederlandsche Wielren Unie (KNWU)

Nederlandse Fietscross Federatie (NFF)

National Bicycle League (NBL)

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*

Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*

*See note in Professional section.

Professional/Elite Men

Koninklijke Nederlandsche Wielren Unie (KNWU)

Nederlandse Fietscross Federatie (NFF)

National Bicycle League (NBL)

American Bicycle Association (ABA)

United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)

International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*

Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*

*Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC, the amateur cycling arm of the UCI, had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1996 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008 Summer Olympics)
Dutch National BMX Teammates: Rob van den Wildenberg, Raymon van der Biezen, Lieke Klaus.
Location: Beijing, China
Number of competitors: 32
Positions:
Event Results Wednesday August 20
Men's First Seeding Run‡: 36.803sec.
Men's Second Seeding Run: 50.268sec.
Seconds behind leader: +1.111 (23rd place).
Seeding Run leader: Mike Day  United States
De Wilde advances to Quarterfinals†
Men's Quarter Finals (Overall after three motos of Run 3): 7th place; did not qualify for Semi Final*.
Event Results Thursday August 21
Postponed due to rain. Rescheduled.
Event Results Friday August 22
Men's Semi Finals*: DNQ
Men's Final (Medal Round): DNQ
Bronze medal winner: Donny Robinson  United States
Silver medal winner: Mike Day  United States
Gold medal winner:** Māris Štrombergs  Latvia
DNQ= Did Not Qualify.
‡Time Trial data from nbcolympics.com
†Quarter Finals data from nbcolympics.com
*Semi Finals data from nbcolympics.com
**Final (Medal round) data from nbcolympics.com

Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships

Notable accolades

Significant injuries

Racing traits and habits

Miscellaneous

Post BMX career

BMX press magazine interviews and articles

BMX magazine covers

Note: Only magazines that were in publication at the time of the racer's career(s) are listed unless specifically noted.

Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:

Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:

BMX Plus!:

Total BMX:

Bicycles and Dirt:

Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:

Moto Mag:

BMX World:

Bicycles Today & BMX Today (The official NBL publication under two names):

ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (The official ABA publication under three names):

End notes

  1. ^ expn athletes bio.
  2. ^ March 31, 2007 Sarasota Herald Tribune article.
  3. ^ bmxstars.com Profile.
  4. ^ 1999 Fatbmx profile of de Wilde.
  5. ^ Gerrit Does's University of BMX/Old & New(s)/"Does" Factory Teams (pulldown menus)
  6. ^ Totalbike.com article on the new Giant Bicycles racing team/
  7. ^ De Wilde's Sponsorhouse blog diary. Pertinent information near bottom of page.
  8. ^ fatbmx.com article on de Wilde's signing with Redline (top of page).
  9. ^ Singapore Cycling Forums pic of de Wilde's signing at Interbike (near bottom of page).
  10. ^ Transworld BMX November 2001 Vol.8 Iss.11 No.61 pg.38
  11. ^ Nebbmx.com news site.

External links