After another gruelling day in the Italian enduro heartland of Bergamo, Team Australia has all but locked in hard-earned podium finishes in both the Junior and Women’s World Trophies at the 2025 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).

With constant light rain on day five producing more tricky conditions – especially on the clay-based special tests – the Aussie riders managed to remain relatively trouble-free, with the Women’s World Trophy team of Jess Gardiner (Yamaha), Danielle McDonald (Yamaha) and Madison Healey (KTM) now sitting in a comfortable second position, five minutes ahead of third-placed France.

The United States has a seemingly insurmountable lead of nearly 36 minutes ahead of the final cross test on day six, where the versatile McDonald – a former Australian junior motocross champion and third overall in the 2024 ProMX Championship – will be out to finish the event on a high. American supremo Brandy Richards (KTM) is again likely to be the main thorn in McDonald’s side.

Meanwhile, the Junior World Trophy team of Kyron Bacon (Kawasaki), Korey McMahon (KTM) and Angus Riordan (KTM) is sitting in a secure third position, over nine minutes ahead of the United States and two-and-a-half minutes behind second-placed France.

Italy leads the Junior World Trophy by 59 seconds, but if France piles on the early day six pressure this one could go to the wire.

No such nervousness for the Italians in the World Trophy, which they lead by a thumping eight minutes and only have to stay clear of trouble on day six to win for the first time since 2021 – when the ISDE was also held in the Bergamo region.

Aussie quartet Daniel Milner (KTM), Josh Strang (Beta), Jonte Reynders (KTM) and Jye Dickson (Beta) remain in sixth position, with Sweden second from France, the United States and Spain. Australia could still finish fourth if the United States and Spain misfire in the cross test.

Bacon’s blistering ISDE continued with a fourth overall in the individual standings on day five, just three seconds behind third-placed Mikael Persson (Triumph).

Strang also kept his purple patch alive as the fastest E3 rider and ninth overall.

Bacon and Strang are eighth and 14th in the outright standings after five days, followed by Milner (16th), Riordan (19th), Reynders (28th) and Dickson (37th).

In the Women’s World Trophy, McDonald is the leading Aussie in second, two minutes behind Richards.

The unstoppable force that is Spaniard Josep Garcia (KTM) is well on track for his fourth successive individual victory, holding a 40-second lead over Andrea Verona (GASGAS). Samuele Bernardini (Honda) is third, but Persson is breathing down his neck for the final podium position.

2025 ISDE RESULTS AFTER DAY FIVE OF SIX:
World Trophy
1. Italy
2. Sweden +7:54.73
3. France +9:48.80
4. United States +14:57.97
5. Spain +15:34.41
6. Australia +16:39.27

Junior World Trophy
1. Italy
2. France +59.21
3. Australia +3:27.91
4. United States +12:34.96
5. Spain +14:55.65

Women’s World Trophy
1. America
2. Australia +35:46.79
3. France +40:25.15
4. Italy +52:55.22
5. Great Britain +1.10:55.30

Australian individual standings
8. Kyron Bacon (3rd E2)
14. Josh Strang (4th E3)
16. Daniel Milner (8th E2)
19. Angus Riordan (7th E1)
28. Jonte Reynders (14th E2)
37. Jye Dickson (19th E2)
45. Korey McMahon (9th E3)
108. Danielle McDonald (2nd WWT)
121. Jess Gardiner (7th WWT)
143. Madison Healey (16th WWT)