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Aussies hunting for elusive World Trophy success
The land-locked country of Slovakia – founded after the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic was split in 1992 - will host the 79th running of the International Six Days’ Enduro (ISDE) from September 13-18, with Australia desperate to notch its first win in the prestigious World Trophy (WT) division.
While Australia already has a Junior World Trophy (JWT) victory in the cabinet from 1995, the next hurdle is to reach the summit in the WT, which has long been a bogey of teams from Down Under – despite the startling array of talent on tap.
After finishing fifith and sixth in the past two World Trophies, Australia goes into this year’s 1396km-long ISDE with probably its strongest line-up in five years, again led by the irrepressible Stefan Merriman.
The New Zealand-born 32-year-old, who won the individual component of last year’s ISDE in Poland, has been the mainstay of the WT team since the turn of the century, and will compete in the E2 (250cc 2T vs. 450cc 4T) class in 2005 on a Yamaha WR450F – the same bike he uses in the world title, where he is currently running second behind Finland’s Samuli Aro with two rounds still to run.
“It’s been a long and difficult season in the world enduro title, so I’m glad the ISDE has come around again,” said the Italian-based Meriman.
“I always enjoy getting together with the rest of the team at a social level, and we all desperately want to win the World Trophy – and what better place to do that than in Slovakia.
“All the riders in the team are very experienced and focussed, so that will hold us in good stead over the six days.”
As well as Merriman, 31-year-old Damian Smith (Yamaha WR250F, E1 class) and 36-year-old Brad Williscroft (KTM 525EXC, E3) are also ISDE stalwarts, and they will return in 2005 alongside three WT debutantes – Anthony Roberts (Husqvarna WR250, E2), Jake Stapleton (TM EN250, E2) and Victorian Jehi Willis (KTM250 EXC, E2).
Twenty-two-year-old Roberts, who claimed outright honours in the inaugual 2005 Yamaha Australian Off Road Series, and 20-year-old Stapleton were JWT (under 23 years old) incumbents last year, when Australia finished an excellnt third behind Finland and Poland.
Although still elegible for JWT (aka Silver Vase) duties, the pair will now add much-needed oomph to the WT offensive, with Roberts competing under the Husqvarna factory umbrella.
“At a personal and team level, I hope that Slovakia will be a real watershed,” said Roberts.
“The World Trophy team is capable of being right up there but, like a lot of these big events, you also need a little luck to go your way. The ISDE is not meant to be a walk in the park, but we are primed and ready to go.”
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Willis hasn’t even gone through an apprentciehip in the JWT ranks before hitting the big time – his only ISDE experience has been as an individual competitor in the last two years.
All six Australian WT riders scored gold medals at last year’s ISDE, which means their final time was within 110 per cent of the respective class winners.
Nineteen teams will compete in this year’s WT, with Finland the three-time defending champion. However, without multiple world champion Juha Salminen in 2005 – he’s off breaking hearts in America – Finland might struggle to make it four in a row, although it still has incredible depth.
Italy and France have completed the trifecta in the past two years, and will also be desperate to take the next step.
With 16 victories, Great Britian remains the most successful nation in WT history, ahead of Czechoslavakia (15), Italy (12) and Finland. Ten of Italy’s wins have come since 1979, while Finland has won its full complement since 1996.
In the JWT, the four riders who will shape up in Slovakia are 20-year-old Blake Hore (Yamaha WR450F, E2), 22-year-old Darren Lloyd (Husqvarna WR250, E2), 23-year-old Adam Lees (Husaberg FE550, E3) and 22-year-old Shannon Lewry (FE550, E3).
Slovakia will mark the quartet’s first appearance in the JWT – but like Willis, thay all competed at the 2004 ISDE, with Lewry a gold medallist and his compatriots all scoring silver (within 40 per cent of the class winner).
Australia’s JWT win came in Poland in 1995, with two third places since. The first of those came in 1998, which was the second time that the ISDE was held in Australia.
The ISDE will be based at the town of Povazska Bystrica, from where riders will cover 1396km over the six days. The last day, as tradition dictates, won’t be quite as intense, with riders only required to complete a 56km loop, followed by a final motocross test – 10 laps of a 1.5km track.
For more information on the 2005 ISDE, visit www.isdeslovakia.sk
