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Team USA Wins Trial, Motocross of Nations

Two U.S. teams took home trophy in international motorcycle competition in late September.One team won the prestigious International Trophy at the 2005 Trial des Nations in Sestriere, Italy; the other team won the 2005 Motocross of Nations, held in Ernée, France.
The Trial des Nations U.S. team of Geoff Aaron, Chris Florin, Cody Webb and Keith Wineland led the competition from the start, eventually finishing 95 points ahead of second-place Australia and 99 points ahead of third-place Norway.
Ted Gansberger served as manager of the U.S. team and Kip Webb was team captain. The U.S. women’s team of Sarah Duke, Louise Forsley and Nicole Bradford finished ninth; the 2005 women’s competition was won by Germany.
The men’s Trial des Nations course consists of 18 sections and the women’s course consists of 12 sections; each course is run twice. In addition to being penalized for “dabbing,” or touching a foot to the ground, riders are penalized a maximum of five points per section if they have a “failure,” or if they don’t cover a section within a 90-second time limit. There also is an overall time limit, based on the total number of riders.
All four riders on the 2005 Trial des Nations U.S. men’s team are veterans of the AMA Sports/NATC Observed Trials Championship Series. Aaron is the nine-time and reigning champion of the series.
The Motocross of Nations U.S. team, made up of riders Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham, and Ivan Tedesco, and led by team manager Roger DeCoster, defeated a strong international field to take the winner’s trophy for the 16th time, and for the first time since 2000.
The French team of David Vuillemin, Sebastien Tortelli, and Mickael Pichon finished second overall; Team Belgium’s Stefan Everts, Kevin Strijbos, and Steve Ramón finished third.
Often called “The Olympics of Motorcycling,” the Motocross of Nations features three-man teams from around the world competing in three races, or motos. The U.S. last sent a team in 2003, finishing second to Belgium. From 1981 to 1993, Team USA was undefeated in the Motocross of Nations, winning 13 straight times.
Team USA’s Carmichael, who won two motos at the 2005 Motocross of Nations, is a nine-time AMA Motocross champion, three-time AMA Supercross champion, and three-time AMA Pro Racing Athlete of the Year. Windham, a five-time AMA Supercross winner in 2004, finished second to Carmichael in the 2005 AMA Motocross Championship. Tedesco is the reigning AMA 125cc Motocross Champion, as well as the two-time and reigning AMA 125cc West Region Supercross champion. Team USA manager DeCoster is a five-time world motocross champion and four-time Trans-AMA Motocross champion.
Team USA’s victory in the 2005 Motocross of Nations received unprecedented support from the motorcycle industry. In addition to title sponsorship from the AMA/Air Nautiques Amateur National Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s, major contributors to the team effort include Factory Connection, Pro Circuit Products, American Suzuki Motor Corporation, and American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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