The enduro fraternity is buzzing after Australia’s team went awesome in the 2012 FIM International Six Day Enduro (ISDE), held at Saxony in Germany last week.

It was an exhausting week for our nation’s best off-road riders, both male and female, but the hard work all paid off in the end with the World Trophy team and Women’s Trophy team both landing on the overall podium.

The Senior team of Toby Price, Matt Phillips, Glenn Kearney, Josh Strang, Daniel Milner and Chris Hollis took second place in the World Trophy team competition, cementing their place as Australia’s most successful ISDE team.

France won the event overall by 37 minutes from the Aussie contingent, while Italy was third. Completing the top five was the United States and Finland, both very successful teams in their own right.

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Price held onto his second place overall in the E3 ranks on the KTM 500 EXC that he has done so well aboard all season, giving him two silver medals to cap off his week as a reward.

Phillips was again impressive in his second ISDE, ending the week fourth in E2 aboard the Yamaha WR450F and continuing his impressive run of solid Six Day results.

Strang was sixth in the E2 class, just two spots behind Phillips, while Milner was a very solid fourth in the E1 ranks, himself coming off a stellar season locally.

Outright, Phillips actually finished ahead of Price in seventh, while American-based Strang was ninth overall and Price 10th. To have three of our best in the top 10 Outright is awesome for Australian enduro and signals the depth in our current riders.

The Women’s team of Jess Gardiner, Tanya Hearn and Tayla Jones finished third and scored themselves the bronze, behind France and Germany on the podium.

Completing Australia’s effort at the iconic event was the Junior team featuring Lachlan Stanford, Mitcham Harper and Luka Bussa, finishing fourth and just shy of the podium behind France, Great Britain and USA. That was all done despite Ben Burrell being forced out on day two with a mechanical.

Toby Price scored himself a second overall placing in the E3 ranks.

It wasn’t an easy event for the Aussies by any means, challenged by the conditions and all kinds of incidents that rise during six days on the gas, but we are no doubt proud of their results.

In fact, Price (ribs) and Hollis (collarbone) both returned to Australia over the weekend with broken bones, again outlining their supreme determination and talent. And let’s not forget the massive gash that Kearney took out of his leg early on in the week.

All three teams managed their results in unfamiliar territory, against world class competition, in what is the backyard of European talent. Don’t underestimate that advantage, because as Australians being from so far away, there is so much to adapt to.

Next up is the Yamaha WR450F Australian Four Day Enduro (A4DE) at Warragul in Victoria on 24-27 October, which is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated races of the year. Fresh from the ISDE, the battle between the best will be fierce.