The annual Trial des Nations was held in Tolmezzo Italy on Sept 18th, a small quaint town located in the province of Udine, at the base of the Strabut Mountain. This Team Event is is the most important Motorcycle Trials competition of national teams organized by the International Motorcycling Federation. It has been held since 1984 at many different countries. Each team is represented by four riders representing their country. The riders compete together to combine a score at the end of the day. The team with fewest total penalties is awarded the title.
Team Canada was a perfect mix of east and west talents including 2 Time CMA National Champion Jordan Szoke, 2011 WEC National Champ Champion Jonathan English, 2010 WEC National Champ Champion Will Duggan and 2010 WEC National Expert Champion Devon D’Argis along with Minders Jon Nelson and Chris Duggan.
This particular event was laid out in and around the town of Tolmezzo including rough rocky rural hillsides mixed in with stadium like urban terrain. The challenging loop included 18 sections that were to be completed within the 7hr time limit. Any second over would result in penalty points.
Saturday morning came early as the team picked up their specific motorcycles from their manufacturers. Not a moment was wasted in the pits as a few minor tweaks and adjustments were made. With helmets strapped on they greeted the beautiful sunny skies in the practice area just a few short km’s up the mountain. Mother Nature wasn’t as kind to the riders all weekend as thundershowers were predicted for the event on Sunday.
Team Canada found themselves one of the earliest teams out in the morning to meet their first group of sections. They arrived just in time for the thunder and lightning storms that were predicted. The torrential downpours created a serious challenge to our riders as they navigated through the first slippery loop of two.
“I like the terrain, although I believe that if there were some bigger splatters in there instead of all the technical off camber turns and stuff, it would have suited most of our team’s riding preferences better. We all love the big hits!” smiles Szoke.
Into the pits for a quick sandwich, the guys headed out to complete their last loop, with intermittent showers. “I think the arrival times we had to the sections and the way the weather played into it, it affected us a bit more than we anticipated. Timing was everything with the weather and sometimes I think we may have gotten the short end of the stick on that one.” says Szoke.
Team Canada finished the event 13th overall with a combined score of 339.
When asked about his experience at his fifth TDN for Team Canada Jon English remarks, “The Italian fans are so very knowledgeable, they would be cheering us on like mad through the rough sections even while we were struggling to save a 3.”
To read more about Team Canada’s TDN experiences watch for an upcoming feature article in Inside Motorcycles.
