In early September Victorian Moto Trials rider Brooke Lonie formed part of the first ever Australian Womens Trials des Nations team.

Whilst Brooke was away she agreed to write a diary for www.motorcyclingvic.com.au  to give people an insight into the goings on behind the scenes of an Australian team, and we are pleased to bring you the next extracts from her diary.

Day 15

I definitely enjoyed myself more in Marcel’s group today than I had yesterday. While Marcel speaks very very minimal English, I still learnt heaps, and his coaching techniques were very helpful. Silly to say I know since he speaks only Spanish, but he’s a very good at putting words into actions, and what I couldn’t understand in his speech he made up for with little acting scenes; and the man helping out could translate a bit for me too.

I managed to clean each section we set today, and the girls were all very sociable and nice to be around. It’s pretty slippery in under the tree cover, and keeping smooth was the main thing to concentrate on.

Lunch was at 1:30pm again, and concluded our two days riding with Jordi and Marcel. Seeing today all the girls that rode I’d noticed quite an increase from yesterday. Michelle, Kristie and myself had a team photo with Jordi and Marcel before packing up our things and getting back to La Seu (where Jordi’s place is) to clean up and prepare for technical control tomorrow.

Day 16

Arriving at La Rabassa this morning, we all went out for a ride in the practise area with Toby and Jamie pretty much as soon as we’d pulled up.

Having had an early night last night, I felt so refreshed and as though I was riding pretty well. I was feeling pretty relaxed out riding and my confidence was up much more than prior to the last World Round.

Section inspection followed our practice, and it was comforting to see them eased off a little since last week’s difficult loop. While still very tough and well above my riding level, I was feeling much more keen to ride tomorrow. The first eight sections were in under the trees up behind the paddock, and then went down the road a few kilometres before hitting the next bunch in the creek. I could tell whilst walking them this afternoon that, while they were hard, they were going to be fun sections to tackle. We struggled to find sections 13 and 14, but eventually worked out where they were hidden.

Time will definitely play a part in these two tomorrow, as they are very long and technical. Section fifteen was near the car park just as you enter the paddock, and consisted of big rocks bunched up together with gaps in-between, and convenient little places for feet to fall.

After riding the loop and looking at all of the sections we went and signed on in the office above the restaurant area. Still riding with the number 27 bib, I waited with most the girls in the cue for bike inspection as the day started to cool down.

I waited there a surprisingly long amount of time, and during my wait introduced myself to German rider Rosita Leotta. She’d been quite interested in the “I love Australia” koala attached to my bike, and told me how she’d always wanted to see the Aussie wildlife. I gave her the Koala just before having my bike checked by the officials.

Day 17

I tried everything I could to remain calm this morning and to keep all the nerves away. I listened to music, socialised with the other female riders, went for a practise and then listened to more music. I certainly felt pretty good this morning going into the event.

I left the gates at 10:25am, with Michelle and Kristie a few minutes behind me. I rode the first few sections well, which lifted my confidence for the more difficult ones further up in the trees.

My first five came at section 5, where I had to jump up a massive A Grade sized rock with bugger-all run up. I had the 125 singing on the way up, but had to bail off the back because I didn’t have enough getting toward the top of the rock.

Deep down I was kinda glad I’d fived there because it only got harder as the section went on. A few 5’s followed that one as the remainder of the sections under the trees were all hard and definitely the toughest for the day.

I absolutely loved the creek sections, and the last three of the 15 were pretty enjoyable too. I was pretty chuffed to get away with a 1 on section 15 for lap one, and came in with just 3 penalty points for the first lap.

Lap two saw improvement from the first, but so many silly mistakes were repeated to take the shine off the better rides to see a scorecard pretty similar to the opening lap.

Finishing in 31^st out of a larger number of riders than the previous week was pretty satisfying, but I later learned that the 3 time penalties I received had cost me 29^th place, which was disappointing.

Following the riding I showered at the paddock and had to put on the Team Uniform for the Opening Ceremony of the Trial des Nations down in Andorra. Before the ‘march’ for the ceremony started we went and watched Jordi and Marcel run a show in the city. It was unreal to watch.

It was all properly planned out with young kids on trials pushys to open, and special music and stunt formations that both Marcel and Jordi did in time with each other. All of Team Australia was there to watch and Toby even got pulled out of the audience to be a volunteer for Marcel’s signature tricks, which was really funny for us all to see.

After the show all the countries were lined up for the parade, and we walked through the streets to where the presentation and formal side of the ceremony was being held. During the march we had a good laugh with the German’s, who were ahead of us, and waved to the cameras and people who had come to watch us all. There was a band of Aussies on the side of the street, who we began singing “Aussie Aussie Aussie…. Oi Oi Oi” with above all the commotion of the parade.

We were seated in the auditorium relatively close to the front and had a good view of the stage.

Firstly, the FIM officials and important persons opened with speeches and presentations, then all the World Championship placings were formally addressed and announced.

At the conclusion of this one by one the countries competing in the TdN were called up onto a special podium for the press and for everyone to see. We were called up second behind Germany, and from the stage I saw how packed the theatre really was. Despite the blinding lights and flashes of the camera I could still pick out familiar faces.

After all the teams had been presented the ceremony came to an end, and the men’s team and us parted ways for the night and we found somewhere to have tea. We ended up at the same café as some of the English girls, and spoke to them most of the night.

Day 18

Women’s Trial des Nations. The moment we’d all been waiting for. The reason we’d been overseas the past two weeks was finally here.

Kristie and I pranced around the paddocks in our riding bibs, riding pants, boots and jerseys with Australian flags tied round our necks and tattoos on our faces talking to people and waving and smiling at all the cameras that followed us. It was a brilliant feeling, representing your country in the sport that you love. And looking around I new that there could be so much more in store in the future if I kept focused.

I was both delighted and surprised this morning when, in the middle of getting ready for the big day ahead, I stepped out of the van to see Loris Gubian approaching me with a grin on his face.

He wished me the best of luck for day, and, without fail I was, again, dazzled by the kisses on the cheeks, and was trying to take in the fact that he had bothered to come over and see me. Here I was thinking I’m just a young Australian girl, whose name means nothing to the people here.

I must admit that since that moment I was on a high for the entire day, and, after warming up with the girls, I was pumped and enthusiastic for the 5 hours riding that was ahead.

We were the first National Team off the rank this morning, behind two mixed groups consisting of riders from different countries riding together as a team just so that they were able to ride the day. The sections were all the same as the World Round the day before, except a few had been eased off a little.

Section 5 still had the big rock at the start, but the end had been changed slightly, though still very challenging. Lap one saw a better scorecard than the day before, but, with another maximum penalty for section 5, I was determined to get through it on the second loop.

Pulling up in the chute for lap 2, Toby was standing on the top and yelling down at me to have the bike singing all the way to the top. And I flew up, all the spectators cheering and clapping for me. As ecstatic as I was to have conquered the massive rock, I still had a section to finish with about a minute or so left.

Jumping up onto another rock from the side, I had to line up really tight against a tree to ride over the pointy angled edge of a rock right on the tape. To the left of it was a tiny little gap I had no chance of getting through, and the jutting edge of the huge boulder beside it.

Determined on getting through the section, I took in a few deep breaths and rode at the rock. I cannot describe the annoyance I felt when I messed up the approach. I remember trying to jump the bike up the rock with Toby and Jamie both in my ears shouting at me to push up. I couldn’t do it. But I didn’t want another five for the section, and I didn’t want it beating me.

As Jamie and Toby were telling me to take the five because I was nearly out of time and was just wearing myself out, I heard Michelle Peace yell from the crowd at me to give it one more shot. And in anger I revved the bike hard and popped the clutch. The front shot up and flew of the left side of the rock, my pegs clipping the gap in-between the rocks and spitting me through. I had to push really hard to get the bike through the last bit and I flew through the end gates a wobbling mess just before the whistle. I’D DONE IT!!

As soon as I’d gotten out I flopped off the side of the bike, unbelievably tired, but a massive grin pasted across my dirty face.

The crowd was cheering and shouting and were all smiling at me. Definitely my favourite moment of the entire riding experience, and thanks to Michelle for getting that photo of me finishing the section, crashed on the ground beside my bike in a cheery but fatigued heap.

From then on my riding lifted and I had an amazing second lap, cleaning up previous fives and tidying up the dabs and threes. Getting through that section had definitely lifted my confidence and faith in myself.

We ended up finishing the 2008 Women’s Trial des Nations, in our debut year for a full team, in 6^th position out of eleven teams. We beat the Americans, Japanese, Italian, Canadians and Portuguese, and finished behind the Spanish, Germans, Britons, French and Norwegians.

It was an indescribable feeling riding with Michelle and Kristie as a team and I definitely enjoyed today the most of all the riding I’ve done on the trip so far.

Days 19 to 22 (the last day) to follow next week...

Brooke's Trials Tales - Days 10 to 14

Brooke's Trials Tales - Days 6 to 9

Brooke's Trials Tales - Days 1 to 5