Team Australia is in dire straits and it looks as though our trans-Tasman cousins will be forced to dig fairly deep into their stocks if they are to offer up a team for the upcoming Motocross of Nations in Belgium.

Any hour now we are expecting Motorcycling Australia to announce the names of the riders they will be sending to the Motocross of Nations at Lommel, in Belgium, on September 30.

Team Australia finished on the podium for the first time in history when the event was held in France last year but two of those riders, Chad Reed and Brett Melcalfe, are currently both recovering from injury and well short of being 100% for next month’s event.

So that means the most likely candidates for Team Australia seem to be Todd Waters, Matt Moss, Lawson Bopping, Ford Dale, Jay Marmont, Luke Styke or Michael Byrne.

Regardless, Reed has already confirmed that he won’t be part of Team Australia this year.

Reed has spent the past seven months recovering from broken ribs, vertebra, tibia and fibula and a torn ACL when he crashed at the Dallas Supercross in mid-February.

Reed, who owns his own TwoTwo Motorsports team, says he will instead turn his attention to season 2013, expecting to commence development of the brand new CRF450R as soon as next month.

Considering the extent of his injuries and the importance of a complete rehabilitation process, Reed said that he won’t make up part of Team Australia in 2012.

“Many questions why I’m not going to race MXoN, simple answer is I’m not ready,” Reed said.

“The priority is 2013! A new bike I still haven’t got a chance to ride, I’m told I’ll have one beginning September so it’ll be a quick turnaround.”

Last year at the Motocross of Nations, Reed joined Metcalfe and Matt Moss to claim Australia’s first ever podium in the iconic international event.

Metcalfe will also be forced to sit out the MXoN this season, currently recuperating at home in California from a broken tibia bone in his leg.

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com