Big guns return for A4DE

Tasmanian native and 2014 world enduro champion Matt Phillips will return home next week when the 2015 Australian Four-Day Enduro (A4DE) is held at Wynyard, Tas from October 22-25.

The KTM-backed Phillips is one of the headline acts in Australia's most prestigious enduro event, sharing star billing with three-time defending A4DE champion Daniel Milner (Yamaha) and Toby Price (KTM).

Phillips finished second in the E3 world enduro title in 2015, while Milner has been based in America but has just come off a superb second place in the individual standings at the International Six Day Enduro in Slovakia after a thrilling duel with US rider Ryan Sipes.

"I'm really excited about coming home to see all my friends and family and it also coincides with the A4DE in Tasmania so the timing couldn't be better," Milner said. "The A4DE has always been a favourite event of mine and even when discussing my contract in the US, it was an event I wanted to be a part of and it's great that my US team, Am-Pro Yamaha and CDR Yamaha have been able to work together to make this happen."

Growing up in Wynyard, 22-year-old Phillips said the prospect of competing in the nation's premier off-road racing event in his hometown is one he is "pumped" about.

"It's pretty special for me and pretty special for the whole motorcycling community in Tassie just to have this event down here," Phillips said. "A lot of people are fairly proud about enduro racing, so it's great to have a big race down here.

"When I made the transition to enduro from motocross, my first big event was the A4DE in 2010. I really enjoyed the format and you get plenty of time to speak with your competitors during the race, so it makes it more of a social event.

"Four days working with the bike is not easy, but it's always a good event with a good atmosphere."

Despite his connection to the area, Phillips said the event's special tests will be as foreign to him as the other 226 competitors.

"We have got a lot of places near my place to ride; basically it's all sand and stuff that I like riding in, so I don't really venture out too far because I don't need to," Phillips said. "It's going to be just as much of a new track to me as it is for everyone else, so I look forward to that as well.

"It's going to be hard-pack and fast, but not too technical as they've tried to save a little bit for the more inexperienced riders so they can enjoy themselves as well."

Price, meanwhile, has predominantly been based in Australia, steamrolling through the Australian Off-Road Championship and remaining peerless in desert competition — which is what he will be concentrating on next year after joining KTM's factory desert team. The 2016 Dakar Rally will be his target.

Milner and Phillips will be racing in the E2 class in Tasmania, alongside former A4DE champion Chris Hollis (Yamaha), four-time American national enduro champion Russell Bobbitt (KTM), Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna), and in E3 Price will feel the heat from teammate Daniel Sanders and Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna). In E1 Tye Simmonds (KTM) and Josh Green (Yamaha) are the standouts.

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As well as the E1-E3 classes, the A4DE also hosts competition for state-based senior and junior teams, trade teams, club teams and women's teams.

The A4DE includes three days of trail action before the traditional motocross special test on the final day to complete proceedings. Milner won the 2014 A4DE from Price and Hollis.