Australia will send full strength teams for the 2014 Trial des Nations and Women's Trial des Nations, which will be held in Andorra in September. The seven rider team will prepare for the TdN by competiting in the final rounds of the World Trial Championships in Arnedo, Spain, followed by a high altitude team training camp in the week leading up to the des Nations.
For all the details of the team program, read on....and keep an eye out here at Trials Australia for regular updates on and from our team in the next 6 weeks leading into the events.
For 2014 the Australian team comprised of mens riders Chris Bayles (Gas Gas), Tim Coleman (Beta), Kyle Middleton (Gas Gas) and Colin Zarczynski (Gas Gas). The womens riders are Ina Halls (Beta), Brooke Lonie (Gas Gas) and Kristie McKinnon (Gas Gas).
The 4 mens riders and 3 womens riders will be supported by two young up and coming riders as full time minders in Sam King and Jonathan Chellas, as well as team manager Phil Whitle.
Prior to the event, the riders will meet up for team orientated training days in their home state. This year sees two mens, two womens, and one minder based in Victoria working with team manager Phil Whitle, and the two mens, one womens and one minder based in NSW working with MA Trial Commissioner and experienced TdN representative Kevin Zarczynski.
The riders will begin to depart for Spain during the first days in September, flying into to Barcelona, before travelling to the town of Arnedo about 433km to the west, for the final weekend of the World Trial Championships. The four mens riders will compete in the final two days of the FIM Trial Cup (blue line in the sections), and two of the womens riders will compete in the second round of the Womens Trial Championship on the Saturday.
After the weekend, the team will travel back east 400km to the Pascuet Offroad Centre at Tore des Tost, which is within an hour of Andorra and at similarly very high altitude to Andorra, where our final womens rider will join the team to prepare for the des Nations the following weekend.
The Pascuet Offroad Centre has become a home base for the team in recent years, with riding areas, coaching, and other leading riders to train along side, and allows the team to store equipment and supplies from year to year.
Team Australia is sponsored in Europe by GRO Global Racing Oils, who provide all the lubricants for the full Australian team during their stay in Europe.
Australia will then move up to Andorra itself for the final preparation event, which is for the women to ride the final round of the Womens Trial Championship on the Friday before the TdN weekend. This is a critical event for the women to ride, as the world title sections are used again the next day for the Womens Trial des Nations, so our girls will have ridden much of the actual course before the team competition.
Saturday 13th September will see Australia take part in the 2014 Womens Trial des Nations, with our three riders, two minders, and team manager supported by the mens riders, pushing for a top position, with a realistic goal of being top non-European team.
On the Sunday it is the turn of the mens team, the four riders followed by the minders, manager and womens riders as they push for a podium finish in the International Trophy of Trial des Nations, which is for non-professional trial nations.
A special feature of this years team apparel will be new designed, trial specific, S3 riding jerseys which are being custom made for the team by the Spanish trial specialist company in time for the event. Look out for more information and images of these fantastic new look and unique TEAM AUSTRALIA jerseys next week....
Motorcyling Australia is proud to be sending this team of Australians to represent our country in the world team championship for trial, the Trial des Nations. We wish them good luck, in both their lead up events and the TdN itself, and look forward to sharing more information on the team program in the coming weeks.
Kevin Zarczynski, on behalf of MA Trials Commission, and the TdN riders 2014.