Part 3 – Fantastic pits to fractured ankles with Jemma Wilson

Jemma Wilson

Enduro21.com

If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 of our exclusive series with Jemma on her experience through the Enduro World Championship, check them out now before reading on.

Upon completing two more rounds of the Enduro World Championships, I have learned a great many things; the obvious being that Italy can be really hot and extreme enduro tests can be bloody scary! But, what I’ve also realised is that the pits at the EWC are fantastically professional, and the level of riding from both male and female competitors is incredible.

The pits at the EWC must be seen to be believed. There are many reasons why they are so astounding, one being the time and precision taken by the organisers to set them up. Some may call the Promoter, Blanchard, a ‘pain in the arse’ as he has been known to request that an entire team pack up to move one way or the other as little as 20cm. Blanchard spends most of the day before an event letting each team in individually to the paddock, and with a measuring tape allocating them their space for the weekend. I am not in a position to determine whether the end result is worth packing up and moving 20cm, but I do know that the end result looks great!

It may also be argued that the pits are bound to look great when there are over 20 teams with trucks and awnings, compared to only a handful of sprinter vans, and where even privateer teams, like Johansson MPE, are flashier than some of the Factory Teams. AORC pits are just fine considering the limited number of professional teams there are, but imagine if all those Sprinter’s and Hiace’s were trucks, and the mud or dust under us was bitumen, and we were in the middle of a town, not out in the sticks.

In Australia, Jess Gardiner, Emelie Karlsson and I are the top female enduro riders. Here, we are lucky enough to almost exclusively share the podium between us, but at the EWC, I am merely mid pack. That said, it’s all new and the tests are so different to those in Australia, and I have no doubt in my mind that with more practice and experience I can do it (but still, those EWC girls are so fast!). Ludivine Puy and Laia Sanz are fantastic and dominate the first and second podium steps, and then third place could pretty much belong to anyone.

It’s so fantastic yet so scary all to be a part of such an amazing yet difficult event, up against so many tough and talented girls, but having the right team behind you makes it all the more easier. So thankyou to Johansson MPE for their fantastic support in Italy.

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Now, on a much less positive note, I would like to ionform you all that I have unfortunately fractured not one, but both of my ankles! At present I have not seen an orthopaedic surgeon, and until I have done so I do not wish to make any guesses at how long I will off the bike, and which races I will be forced to miss.

I was riding down in Parkes with Foodge Burrell on Benny’s trials bike, in an attempt to get more confidence at the extreme section for the EWC’s. I jumped off a ledge and landed fine, but the impact fractured my ankle joints in both legs. Looks like I’m forced on a holiday, recovering at my Mummy’s with my sweet new wheels! I’m tellin’ ya, wheelchairs aren’t quite as fun as motorbikes!

There are two EWC rounds remaining in France scheduled for late October, so I can only hope to make my recovery in time, and get one last shot for this season to prove I have what it takes.

_Stay tuned here at Transmoto, as we keep you updated with Jemma’s recovery._