The 2015 ISDE starts Monday in Slovakia. Last year in Argentina the U.S. World Trophy Team finished second and the U.S. Junior World Team (pictured) took first place. Photography by Mark Kariya
Come Monday, when most Americans are enjoying the day off for the Labor Day Weekend holiday, 31 Americans in Slovakia will be enjoying a different kind of labor day—they will be starting their first day of hard work at the International Six Days Enduro in Kosice.
The ISDE is one of the longest running motorcycling competitions in the world, the first official race taking place in 1913 in England when it was called ISDT—the “T” standing for Trials. (It was changed to “E” in 1981.) In all of its 101 years, the ISDE has never produced a winning team from the United States. That’s not because we don’t have the talent, really, but Team USA has always struggled digging up the proper support and adjusting to different enduro rules and environment in Europe. As for support, most of the expenses to compete at the Six Days has and still does pretty much come right out of each riders’ own pockets, and this makes it difficult to compete against many of the top Euro teams that get full factory support and are racing in their own back yards. Home field advantage is huge in the Six Days. For the Euros having home-court advantage isn’t always the case, but it is most of the time at the Six Days, like it is this year. Last year in Argentina, however, the playing field was more equal with just about every team competing out of large shipping containers (which houses all of the team’s parts, tools, bikes, etc.), which is something the U.S. riders have to do all the time. It’s not often that the ISDE has been held within driving distance for Americans. The ISDE has been held only twice on U.S. soil—1973 in Massachusetts and 1994 in Oklahoma.
Having the home field advantages has many benefits, not only can the “local” racers and teams work out of the same style pits that they use all year in the World Enduro Championship, but they also have a better knowledge of the trails, terrain and weather, and chase riders (the guys with handlebars sticking out of their backpacks) know all of routes and short cuts to keep them in close proximity of their assigned racer at all times—just in case.
But in recent years, the urge for Team USA to win the Six Days has grown to new levels. More support has been given to the U.S. Trophy teams in recent years, much thanks to KTM that really wants to see Team USA take home the gold, no matter what brand of motorcycle they’re competing on. That’s why KTM, which has deep roots in off-road racing, has the past few years given its U.S. off-road team manager Antti Kallonen full reigns to do whatever he wants to hopefully get a U.S. win in the World Trophy division. And Kallonen, the ISDE U.S. team manager, is serious about it, too. Prior to the Six Days each year, he requires the team to participate in an ISDE training camp that he organizes, which refreshes his rider on the many (sometimes confusing) rules (and there are lots of them) in ISDE competition and practicing many of the unique riding styles, techniques and strategies that must be honed to perfection if you want to win the Six Days. His dedication has been working, too. Just last year, the six-rider U.S. World Trophy team finished second to France, and the four-rider U.S. Junior World team, which also feeds off Kallonen and the U.S. World Trophy Team effort, took the win. (The U.S. has won the Junior World and formerly Silver Vase categories four times: 1973, 1991, 2006 and 2014.)
Even though the odds are again them, the U.S. World Trophy team has a more than decent chance of winning this year and for many reasons. For one, they have better-than-usual support again and; two, the team is full of talent and experience. This year’s U.S. World Trophy Team is made of up Mike Brown, Thad Duvall, Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell, Ryan Sipes and Gary Sutherlin. Both Sipes and Sutherlin are new to the Trophy team but did very well last year as Club riders.
Taylor Robert is expected to be a top contender.
The U.S. is defending its Junior World Championship with brothers Grant and Steward Baylor, Justin Jones and Layne Michael. Both Baylors and Jones were on the team last year; Michael is taking the place of Trevor Bollinger.
Another bonus for the U.S. Trophy Team (and all of the Trophy teams for that matter) is that Team France, the dominant winner of the last three ISDEs, might not be as strong as in the past, as they are without off-road superstars Pela Renet and Christoph Nambotin who both have overall individual ISDE wins on their resumes. This year, the French team will be made up of Marc Bourgeois, Anthony Boissiere, Loic Larrieu, Antoine Basset, Jeremy Joly and Mathias Bellino. (You might not know these names now but you probably will by the end of next week.)
Other teams that are expected to do well this year are the teams from Spain (third last year), Australia, Italy and even from the host country. (ISDE fans and veteran riders remember that the former Czechoslovakia dominated the ISDE in the 1970s and early ‘80s, so the talent is certainly there.)
The other 21 Americans are members of three-rider Club teams and are basically competing simply for the challenge of it, but with a lot pride for the red, white and blue, of course. There is a lot of honor wearing those iconic “skunk” helmets and each one of them have earned the right to slip them over their heads, they did it by qualifying for the ISDE, not by just signing up.
Their goal, of course, is coming home with a medal, preferably a gold medal, but a silver and bronze can be just as rewarding, too. Remember, gold, silver and bronze medals don’t mean you finished first, second or third, but instead you finished within a certain percentage of your class winner’s overall score. Gold is 10 percent and silver is 30 percent. Everyone who officially finishes the event without houring out gets a bronze. All three are extremely hard to earn.
Team USA is one of the few countries that organizes an all-women’s Club team. This year’s team is made up of Rachel Gutish, Mandi Mastin and Jamie Wells. Cheer ‘em on!
Below is a list of the rest of the U.S. Club Team riders that are competing in Slovakia:
Tony Agonis Team
Josh Toth – C1
Ben Kelly – C2
John Kelly – C3
GoFasters.com
Reid Brown – C3
Brian Garrahan – C2
Nate Ferderer- C3
Missouri Mudders
Kyle McDonal – C3
Ryan Kudla – C3
Michael Pillar – C1 or C2
Boise Ridge Riders
Kale Elworthy – C2
Skyler Howes – C3
AJ Lehr – C3
Eric Cleveland Team
Jubal Brown – C1
Geoffrey Sanders – C1
Dillon Sheppard – C1
Elizabeth Scott – Senior Team
Jayson Densley
Brian Storrie
Fred Hoess
For daily results, visit: http://www.fim-isde-live.info/