Ballards contest ISDE in Chile
The Ballard’s Yamaha Off Road Team will field three Australian class champions to contest the world’s toughest enduro test, the International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) which begins in Chile today
The Ballard’s Yamaha Off Road Team will field three Australian class champions to contest the world’s toughest enduro test, the International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) which begins in Chile today. On the back of another impressive regular season, the factory Yamaha Racing squad will be represented abroad by Chris Hollis, Jarrod Bewley and Geoff Ballard.
The trio will pull on the green and gold jerseys and unite with fellow Australian riders, as one of 30 countries competing. Hollis and Bewley make up half of the Aussie Junior trophy team, and Ballard joins two other riders to complete the second Aussie Club team. Confidence within the camp is high, and the Yamaha riders will be motivated by the knowledge that they are competing on the bikes that saw them dominate their respective classes in the Australian Off Road Series.
Hollis, who surprised many with his strong results against international favourites at the Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) said he was looking forward to the challenge, and hoped to factor amongst some of the top international riders as the event got underway.
“The ISDE is an event everyone looks forward to, its such a diverse challenge and this year, in Chile, will be no different, ” said Hollis. “We’ll be riding through some amazing countryside but will be focused on the track ahead, there are hundreds of very talented riders from across the world competing for a placing and I’m just happy to be part of it.”
Agreeing with Hollis, Bewley said the limits reached in national level competition would be pushed to new heights throughout the six days of racing. “It’s great to be part of the Aussie team and a good feeling to be out there in the green and gold, this terrain looks extremely difficult so we’ll take it a day at a time and see if we can challenge the frontrunners.”
Ballard, who was recently inducted into the ADB Hall of Fame at the recent awards evening, is extensively experienced on the international scene and will not only deliver solid results but also invaluable motivation to the younger riders. Riders will have little opportunity to check out the incredible scenery as they blaze through the mountains and surrounds, beginning at the coastal town of La Serena. The course winds its way along the Pacific Coast before heading inland for a change of pace, then finishes up again on the coast for the final day of motocross competition.
Often described as the ‘Olympics for Motorcycles’, the ISDE is traditionally an incredibly gruelling event, and the majority of the 500-plus competitors will be racing in and amongst alien landscapes. Adding to the challenge, riders can only be assisted by their crews at certain parts of the 1500km journey, meaning any running repairs need to be made to the bike by its rider on the spot.
Another junior team to keep an eye on throughout the event will be the privately-entered Wellard Yamaha team, consisting of three young guns from Western Australia. Sean Blakely, Matt Gangell and Ben Lawton will fly the flag on their WR250F machines, proven performers in Endurance competition. Passion, dedication and pace saw the trio get the nod, and the experience of racing such a high-profile event is sure to provide enormous benefit in the development of their respective careers.
