Trials des Nations This Weekend

The four-man squad of Will Ibsen, Patrick Smage, Cody Webb and Keith Wineland will represent Team USA as it takes on the world at the 2009 Trials des Nations Championship this weekend in Darfo Boario Terme, Italy, with hopes of bettering its seventh-place finish from last year's event.

The four riders on the team are fresh off the AMA Racing/NATC Observed Trials National Championship and say they are ready to go.

"I feel pretty good," Smage said in a release issued by the AMA. "I've been riding as much as I can to get my balance back. Since my back injury last year, I really haven't felt like my balance was where I wanted it to be. I've been really practicing some technical stuff, and I'm getting better."

Smage didn't take part in last year's Trials des Nations so this will mark his first time in the event on a big bike. In 2007, he had to ride a 125 because he was still 17.

"It will be a lot better this year to have that extra power," Smage said of his Sherco 290. "That year, I would ride well and go for it and give it everything I had, but there's a limit to what a 125 can climb. I know this year will be different, but the last one included some of the hardest sections I've ridden. There was some scary stuff, but as long as I'm on the 290, I like riding that stuff. This will be a good experience and help all of us become better riders."

Smage, a three-time AMA/NATC Trials Champion who won this year's championship, said the team is hopeful of a top five, which would be an all-time best.

"Fifth place would be really awesome," Smage said. "There were a few teams that we were somewhat close to last time. The best we've done is sixth, so it would be awesome to go one better. I think if we ride well, we can be right there with those guys and beat them."

Ibsen was also absent from last year's team with Chris Florin and Ronnie Commo joining Cody Webb and Keith Wineland in '08.

Webb finished second in the national points race behind Smage. He will ride a Sherco 320 four-stroke in Italy. Wineland finished third in the national series and will ride a Beta 290cc two-stroke at the TdN. Ibsen will ride a Gas Gas 300cc two-stroke at the TdN. He finished fourth in the Nationals.

The Women's Team will also take part this weekend with Louise Forsley, Sarah Duke and Caroline Allen. They also finished seventh last year.

"It's always a fun event to close up the end of the year," Forsley said. "We get to go back and see all the old faces from the other times, and it's great to go and compete as a team. It's the only team event that trials riders get to ride."