On the Pegs - November 2021 Volume 6 Issue 11 - November | Page 78

words by Steph Vetterly photos by Pep Segales & Mark Myers
The 2021 showing of the Trial des Nations ( TdN ) saw the event return to Portugal , the first time since 2002 , in the town of Gouveia . Several teams were unable to attend due to continuing COVID restrictions , such as Japan , Germany , and Australia , but of those in attendance , 16 nations were represented .
The format for the event consists of two loops of 15 sections . Teams are comprised of three members , and with only 60 sections counting towards the overall score , this means that the worst ride of every section is dropped .
The Women ’ s title has continued to move between Great Britain and Spain for the last 15 years , and with both teams in attendance and with powerhouse players Laia Sanz ( SPAIN ) and Emma Bristow ( GB ), it was going to be another tight competition . Of the eight Women ’ s teams , only two were incomplete ; Team Czech Republic made its debut with Petra Budinova and Denisa Pechackova , while Team USA was included veteran competitors Maddie Hoover and Kylee Sweeten , joined by minders Luke Littlefield and Maddie ’ s dad Gary .
The International Trophy class is the largest in attendance , including 12 nations for the latest competition , being geared towards semi-
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 78