The Australian Female Trial des Nations team of Michelle Coleman, Brooke Lonie and Kristy McKinnon put in a brave effort on Italian soil, overcoming crashes, a overnight hospital stay, machine dramas and nerves at this years' very tough event.
Darfo Boario Terme near Lake Iseo in the north of Italy was the location for this years Trial des Nations, with Australia entering a full three rider team for the ladies event, which is traditionally held on the Saturday before the mens competition. The team had already ridden a warm up event in France, but went into the event with a number of challenges to overcome.
The Ladies event is held over the same sections as the final round of the Ladies World Championship which all the competitors including the Aussies had entered the day before. After finding these sections during the world round to be extremely hard, the Aussie girls had hoped the organizers would change some of the harder sections for the teams event.
The organizers did change the hardest sections, but only to make them even harder for des Nations, creating a course that was of A grade standards for Australian events, and above the level our girls had been performing in their preparation.
Brooke Lonie had an awkward fall during the world round the previous day, which resulted in an ambulance ride to the hospital where she was kept overnight for observation. The Aussie team picked Brooke up from the hospital Saturday morning on the way to the start area for the des Nations, where she bravely suited up to face the two laps of 14 sections.With the previous days experience on the course and a good starting position just ahead of the top European nations, the Aussies set out with their self funding volunteer minders Phil Whittle and Kevin Zarczynski onto the steep hillside course.
Nerves hit hard on the opening easy sections, in which the best two scores of the three riders on each section are counted toward the team score for that section. This means if a team has an unlucky moment such as touching a card or going over a tape, there is the chance the team score will not be badly effected.
Section Three was the same as the previous day, with a steep angled rock at the exit requiring aggression and very accurate positioning of the tyres over the blind crest. It was a section where if our strongest girls rode to their full potential a clean was possible. Australia scored a two and a three for a loss of five, where the leading teams would all take zero.
Cleans on section four and the tricky fifth hazard saw confidence rise, the course was run in, dryer and offered more grip than it had the previous day, and there were smiles on the run into the horrible section 6.
This featured a long climb up a slippery rock rut, over the slippery crest of the shelf, into a muddy crevice, which had to be ridden up and out on the high side to get to the incredibly steep downhill exit over wet tree roots and slippery rutted rock. This was no trial for the feint hearted, and just for fun the organizers had made the approach to the steep rut climb harder than in the world round the previous day. Australia escaped with a pair of threes.
The second part of the lap from section 7 through 11 should have suited the Aussies more, with climbs up rocks and turns, but the Aussies struggled with the tree roots and short approaches to the rock walls, which needed aggression in second gear, plenty of throttle, clutch control and confidence.
Section 12 was the hardest section of the event, a very steep turning loose climb up to a large boulder, followed by an off cambered down hill and another serious climb. After this stumped all but the leading few riders in the world round, this section was also made harder for the des Nations. Our riders made a good attempt, with Brooke Lonie on her 125cc Sherco getting to the large boulder only to run out of speed to try and get over it, but the team score would be ten for the section.After the first lap of 14 sections, Australia was on a loss of 59pts. The team had stayed together on each section, and had not been passed by any of the teams that had started behind them. With five hours to complete the day, the team only used half the allowed time for the first circuit, so there was plenty of time for the minders to prepare the bike for the second lap, and the riders to find a bathroom.
The second lap ran similar to the first, but fatigue would add a few extra points in the later part of the lap.
Michelle Coleman was riding with focus and determination, trying to ride around a shoulder injury that was making it difficult to pull the bike around and remain feet-up to line up for the obstacles.
Kristy McKinnon was running hot and cold with great rides and unexpected mistakes, before a bent gear lever and shaft caused by crash damage lead to a problem with her Xispa machine's gearbox, leaving her with only first gear and clutch problems. Kristy toughed it out and forced herself and her bike through to the finish.
Brooke Lonie grew in confidence as the day went on, wisely avoiding her bogie section from the day before, displaying a beaming smile and getting through many sections to help with the team score.
Section 5,6,7,8 and 11 saw the team scores go up a point or two over the first lap, leaving a second lap score of 64 pts, for a total of 123 marks. Australia would finish in sixth place, only eight marks adrift of host nation Italy, but well behind winners Great Britain, Spain, Germany and France following in fourth place.
The Australian Ladies Trial des Nations team would like to thank Motorcycling Australia, Sherco/Trialzone, Hell Team Xispa, and their hard working minders Phil Whittle and Kevin Zarczynski for their support.
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