Australia Says No To ISDE

Paul Carruthers | June 22, 2010

Motorcycling Australia (MA), the governing body of motorcycle racing in Australia, has announced that it will not be sending its teams to the 2010 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Mexico, November 1-6, after holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation on Monday night, June 21.

This year’s ISDE will be held in Morelia, Mexico, a city located in the north central portion of Michoacan in central Mexico.

Motorcycling Australia made the decision after consulting with a number of groups, including the Australian Embassy in Mexico, a briefing held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a number of riders and support crew members.

MA’s CEO David White said that while it has always been a priority within MA to support International team events, the safety and security of riders and support crews must always come first.

“Australia has a long and proud history of supporting the ISDE, which has made this decision all the more difficult,” White said. “In addition to consulting with Government groups, MA has also taken advice from other sporting codes in relation to athlete and team security. A number of Australian riders and support crews have expressed their concern for sending Australian teams to the event, with some withdrawing their names from the selection process.

“Unfortunately this decision could not be held off any longer due to the pressing nature of logistical issues in relation to transport and freighting if teams were to participate.”

Forced to make the decision based on current circumstances, the concerns of riders and support crew members, and all aspects of the event were put to an emergency meeting of the MA Board on June 21.

“The Board, upon examining all the information presented, made the unanimous decision not to enter Australian Teams into the 2010 event,” White said. “MA would like to wish the Organisers every success for the 2010 ISDE, and sincerely hope that our decision, based on current circumstances, will be proven unnecessary.”

Paul Carruthers | Editor

Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America's Daily Motorcycle News Source.