KTM-mounted Todd Waters has reflected on an exciting weekend in which Team Australia equalled its second-best result ever in the annual Motocross of Nations, finishing fourth in the event at the famous Teutschenthal venue in Germany.
While the Belgian Team of Ken DeDycker, Clement Desalle, Jeremy Van Horbeek won the event from Team USA, with Italy third, the Aussie team of Waters, Brett Metcalfe and Dean Ferris pulled clear of eventual fifth placed France in the closing stages.
The Aussies had kicked off the weekend in incredible fashion on Saturday, qualifying fastest to claim the best starting slots.
In the MX1/MX2 race, lightning-starter Dean Ferris launch from the inside slot to finish fourth with Brett Metcalfe coming from the centre start to finish tenth in a race won by KTM‰Ûªs seven-time world champion Tony Cairoli.
The second moto for MX2 and MX Open bikes saw Ferris holeshot on his way to fifth, while Waters was unable to escape a 7-rider crash at Turn One and went down, remounting outside the top 30.
Despite damaging his front disc in the incident and having no front brake, the young North Queenslander retook a dozen places to finish 20th, while the race went to the KTM of Ken Roczen, who celebrated his fourth consecutive MX2 victory at the MXoN.
In the third MX1/MX Open moto Waters was again unable to avoid the Turn One shenanigans, as a 12-rider house of cards dropped in front of him.
Once free he set off with a vengeance and scythed through the traffic while Metcalfe consolidated a top-ten start into an eighth place finish.
Waters‰Ûª rapid progress gained crucial points to pull Australia clear of France in overall classification in the dying minutes of the event.
On the occasion of his last on a KTM for the near future, he finished 13th in the moto while KTM350SX-F mounted Cairoli gave KTM a clean sweep of race wins for the day, taking the final race win and the overall.
‰ÛÏIt was a hard day but I had a ball." Waters commented at the conclusion of the 2013 MXoN. "Coming down in the first Moto and bending my front disc I had no front brake the whole race. Teutschenthal is not the kind of track I would like that to ever happen on again, but I did what I could.
"Second race I came down again with a heap of other top guys but I put that behind me and did my best. Yes I didn't get the result and starts I was after but from here I know what I can work on for my racing over here next year.
"The Aussie team did a great job and I‰Ûªm proud of all you guys. I‰Ûªd also like to say a massive thanks to MA and the people who made this happen this year. Rob T and Jeff Leisk have been a massive part of my racing this year as have my Mum, Dad, sister Nikki and my girlfriend Gillian. You guys rock. Thanks," Waters concluded.
Waters will now spend the next few months with his new ICE One Factory Husqvarna team preparing for the 2014 World Motocross Championship.
Top Image: Todd Waters in action at the 2013 MXoN
Credit: Youthstream Dreamfactory
