Team USA’s plans for this weekend’s X-Trial des Nations in Seville, Spain were abruptly altered Friday morning after Ryon Land (Sherco) announced he will be unable to compete following an injury sustained during training earlier this week.
Land revealed on Instagram that an accident during practice on Wednesday resulted in the loss of the tip of his braking finger, forcing him to withdraw from the event on medical advice.
Despite the injury, Team USA will still field its full entry. Under event rules, Land will remain listed on the team but will receive five points on each section, allowing Joshua Roper (Beta) to continue competing and represent the United States on the course.
Training Accident Forces Withdrawal
In his social media post, Land explained that the incident occurred while preparing for the event, requiring a hospital visit and immediate medical attention.
According to Land, doctors confirmed that the injury will keep him off the motorcycle for approximately four weeks.
“Hello everyone I just wanted to announce. I will not be riding tomorrow night at the @xtrialsevilla,” Land wrote. “There was an accident that happened during the training on Wednesday and I ended up having to go to the hospital. I have lost the end of my braking finger.”
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Land remained optimistic about his recovery and future competition schedule.
“However it will not be a problem to return to trial after I heal,” he continued. “They said it will not be possible to ride this weekend and as well for the next four weeks.”
Land plans to return to the United States to focus on recovery before aiming to resume riding in time for the early rounds of the Spanish Championship.
“Once we get back on the bike we will push to the maximum to be able to make the first rounds of the Spanish championship,” he added.
Support From the Paddock
Land also took time to thank the team around him who helped ensure he received proper medical attention following the incident.
“Thank you to everyone at @ragaschool who helped me to make sure everything is okay and thank you to all the doctors that helped me as well,” he wrote.
Although he won’t be competing, Land confirmed he still plans to attend the event and support his teammate from the sidelines.
“I will still be attending the X-Trial tomorrow night supporting my teammate @joshroper4 in the event.”
Roper to Carry the Effort for Team USA
With Land unable to ride, Joshua Roper (Beta) will effectively carry the effort for Team USA during the X-Trial des Nations.
Although the event format normally features two active riders per team, officials have confirmed that the United States will still be allowed to compete. Land will remain on the official entry list and will be assigned a score of five on each section due to his injury.
That means Roper will be the only American rider tackling the obstacles inside the arena, facing off against full two-rider teams from some of the strongest trials nations in the world.
Roper has already demonstrated his ability to compete internationally and will now take on the additional challenge of representing the United States on his own inside the sections.
Team Manager Response
Team USA manager Daniel Blanc-Gonnet confirmed the team’s disappointment following Land’s injury but expressed confidence in Roper as he prepares to represent the United States under difficult circumstances.
We regret to share that Ryon Land will be unable to compete at the X-Trial des Nations after sustaining a serious hand injury earlier this week.
While the injury will prevent him from riding this weekend, he is in good spirits and focused on recovery. Ryon is one of the premier riders in American trials and his absence will certainly be felt by both the team and fans. Despite the setback, Josh Roper will proudly represent the United States and compete solo against the world’s best riders. We know the trials community will be behind him as he takes on this challenge.
Blanc-Gonnet also thanked the global trials community for its continued support of American riders competing internationally.
Looking Ahead
While Land’s absence from the sections is undoubtedly a setback for Team USA, the team will still be represented on the course as Roper takes on the event.
Land is expected to spend the next several weeks recovering before returning to riding, while remaining present at the event to support his teammate.
For Roper, the mission now becomes clear: take on the sections and represent the United States against the world’s best—largely on his own.
The American trials community will be watching closely as the event unfolds in Seville.