News 28 Sep 2012

Australia maintains podium placings after day four of ISDE

Australia's green-and-gold chargers had a tough time of it on day four of the 2012 FIM International Six Day Enduro in Germany, sliding through eight special tests in wet weather.

Toby Price endured a difficult fourth day at the ISDE. Image: Jonty Edmunds/KTM.

Australia’s green-and-gold chargers had a tough time of it on day four of the 2012 FIM International Six Day Enduro in Germany, sliding through eight special tests in wet weather.

Despite the muddy conditions, the three Australian teams pulled through to complete the day and hold on to their top five trophy team competition standings.

The Senior Trophy Team of Toby Price, Matt Phillips, Glenn Kearney, Daniel Milner, Chris Hollis and Josh Strang were hampered by injuries as well as the weather, but managed to keep their second place ranking in the World Trophy team competition.

With four days of solid riding behind them and two yet to unfold, the team are positioned 32 minutes behind competition leaders France, and six and a half minutes ahead of third-placed Team Italy.

Price had a gruelling day on track, carrying injured ribs and still nursing a bent wheel from a mishap on the opening day of the championship, but still pulled up sitting ninth Outright and second in Enduro 3.

It was also a hard one for Kearney, who rode with a stitched-up knee to finish 47th Outright and 13th in Enduro 1.

Hollis delivered a strong day of riding to put himself 38th Outright and 16th in Enduro 2, while Milner continued his good form to finish 20th Outright and sixth in Enduro 1.

Enduro 2 riders Phillips and Strang conquered the conditions well, with Phillips climbing to seventh Outright and fourth in class, with Strang on his heels in 10th Outright and sixth in the Enduro 2 ranks.

The Women’s Trophy team of Jess Gardiner, Tanya Hearn and Tayla Jones had their toughest day so far, slipping down the competition ranks from second to third.

The trio will now have to chase second placed team Germany and front runners France throughout the last two days of racing.

Gardiner had an exhausting day on track, making it back to Parc Ferme in seventh position and slipping back to sixth in the class standings.

Teammates Hearn and Jones continued to make headway with their individual campaigns, sitting 8th and 18th on the progressive board.

The Junior Trophy Team of Mitcham Harper, Lachlan Stanford and Luka Bussa continued their fierce campaign to reach the podium, maintaining fourth place in the competition standings behind the leading pack of France, Great Britain and the USA.

Stanford excelled in the final test of the day, delivering his best performance of the championship to finish fifth behind big names Charles Mullins, Diego Rojas, Christophe Nambotin and Luis Oliveira and land 20th Outright and 54th in Enduro 2.

Fellow Enduro 2 contender Harper moved to 43rd Outright and 19th in class, while Bussa shifted to 77th Outright and 21st in Enduro 1.

The penultimate day of the 2012 FIM International Six Day Enduro gets underway at 7:45am local time (3:45pm AEST) with results streamed live at www.fim-isde-live.info.

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