Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ ~ 00 i,~ Cil ........ MU::RU.IW ~ ~ C\f .... (I,) ~ 0 .... U 0 (Above) Mark Hyde (14) gets set to hop on his bike at the day six start. (Below) Geoff Ballard posted the seCi:ond-best American team score. 20 check four, the gateway to the terrain! special tests. Although only axle deep, the bOllom began to rut up and more than a few riders took a swim during their twice-a-day crossing. Hines spent about 25 minutes in the work area replacing the head before starting, but came upon more problems just past check one and was 36 minutes late by the time he reached check four. Hines came blistering into the check shouting he needed gas. Luckily, a member of the Irish support crew was next to the American pit area and readily offered the gas since the check was not a normal gas stop. Hines, "with a little belp from his friends," finished the day and the rest ofthe ISDE with no more major problems. B'ob Shillinger, who seemed to have a story for every day and every loop, hit check four with a bashed in exhaust header which made a sound you could hear a good distance away. On the next loop, Shillinger miraculously - had a pipe with only a slight dent in it. A marshal, who had observed Shillinger's first stop, came over to his bike and brushed the mud. away from the two areas where the pi'pe was marked with the riding number. The numbers matchedwith that on the bike. The marshal looked at Shillinger, shook his head and walked off to make some notes. Shillinger never heard any more about it. The exhaust system, a marked part, is replaceable only in the work area of the parc ferme and the rider must go through another sound test afterward. SJ:1i1linger also got "a lillie help from h is friends." . Ballard had his best ride on day three and moved to eighth in the 250cc class overall standings and had the best score of the American riders with Kadlec and Fredette not far behind. Ballard spent his morning work time replacing his seat/rear fender assembly. It hadn't broken, but the seat was "worn out and very uncomfortable" according to Ballard. 'Tm not sure how much more abuse the bike and my body can take in these special and terrain tests," said Kadlec. "The terrain test today (day three) is even faster than the one on the first two days. I'll go as fast as I can while trying to save the b.~ke.." Fredette, with little or no problems, was only worried about remembering the trail on each of the loops. "The trail is hard to remem ber because everything looks the same," said Fredelle. "The routing is uneven. You have 10 minutes at some checks and one or two minutes at others. The tight checks usually come before and after the tests." Brown totaled up 2, I00 points as he chugged around the trail with a disintegrating exhaust system and other related problems. Hyde had his first strong day on the trail although he lost 60 points when his bike was reluctant to start. Bertram and Smith also turned in strong rides and advanced in their respective class standings. Roeseler and Wilson also turned in uneventful rides. The high hopes of the Dutch Trophy Team took a tumble when rider Zijlstra had chain problems a short distance after the start of the terrain test on loop two and his chase rider - or shadow as the British call the men with a backpack full of spare parts and tools who seem to have a second sense at where and when they'll be needed - was waiting for him at the end of the section. By the time Zijlstra remedied the problem he had lost almost 2,500 points in time penalty and a disastrous terrain test score. The Dutch team fell from first to fifth in the standings. The Swedish team jumped past East Germany into the top Spot in the Trophy standings with Poland third ahead of West Germany. East Germany and Italy remained one· two in the Vase standings with Czechoslovakia third and the Dutch squad in fourth over Sweden and Finland with the V.S. seventh. Kevin Brown's continuing problems dropped the V.S. in the standings while the Finnish team slipped from third when Kyosti Tull; lost 26 minutes on the trail. Despite clear weather, the Dutch organizers continued to run the B. time schedule on day four. Of the 4\3 starters on day one, 32\ were sti II running. In the American team ranks Kadlec was at the top of the tall y, leading Ballard and Fredette. They were the only riders on gold. Smith and Roeseler were the first two riders in the Four-stroke class on silver. Bertram and Wilson held at silver while Brown, Hines and Hyde were on bronze. The strategy, according to team manager John Morgan, was to spend whatever time it took to make repairs for all the team riders to finish. "We had our problems early," said Morgan. "The terrain is going lO take a lOll on the bikes and I think the teams which finish intact will do well. The strategy should apply to all our riders. Taking home a medal, even a bronze, is beller than having to explain you didn't finish because you didn't take the time to make repairs'." A second day of clear weather picked up tbe spirits of all the riders, butthat didn't mean the problems stopped. Ba'lIard was ri.ding along before the first check and chanced to look back at his shadow. He noticed his exhaust pipe dangling. The bracket holding the pipe to the bike "ad broken. Bal· rard spent approximately five minutes repairing the problem with' zip ties and then ser out to make up the time he had lost. Luckily, it was not one of the tighter sections and he arrived at the check on time. "The engine slowed once, probably a partial seizure, while I was heading toward the check," said Ballard, "and that bothered me the most." Fredette, of all the Americans, seemed to be blessed with a trouble· free ride. "I really don't have that much to do to the bike," said Fredette. "I change a rear tire every night, but other than tbat I've changed a spark plug that didn't really need to be changed and replaced front and rear sprockets as a precaution. Oh yeah, I did change one front tire. I'm just riding my pace and staying out of trouble. It's another easy day." Kadlec was another contestant who was enjoying an easy day. "It's hard to get excited about the trails," said Kadlec. "I don't hve any real complaints although it would be nice to see a hill once in a while." Bertram broke a clutch cable just before the first special test, but was able to borrow one from the Swedish Husqvarna team and make the change without losing time. He didn't havea chance to adjust it until after riding the test. Brown spent day four devising ways to get through the checks because ora large hole in his exhaust pipe which made his bike loud enough to be heard from a long distance away. The best trick, although it didn't work, was securing a piece of inner tube over the hole tight enough that when he started up the bike the tube blew up like a balloon and burst. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time," said Brown. He let his forced smile hid the fact that he was struggling to finish and keep the Vase team intact. The second speCial test saw West German Trophy team member Richard Schalber land off a jump and break the bottom mount and mounting bolt on the suspension of his KTM. The time to fix the problem, well over 30 minutes, dropped the West Germans from fourth to seventh. Sweden's Peter Hansson had engine problems - rumored to be one or more broken cylinder head studs which slowed his pace and dropped the Swedes from the top of the Trophy standings to second behind the East Germans. Poland remained a steady third. . The Dutch were beginning their climb back to the top with four of their six riders leading their respective classes and 500cc rider Henk Poorte leading the overall individual standings. The V.S. held' down eighth. Roeseier, with a strong ride, had moved up to gold. Day five saw the return of the "typical Dutch weather" with rain, wind and low, grey clouds. The schedule had been changed to A. On day four the starting times of most riders had been changed as the organizers moved those sti 11 competing up into the empty starting posi· tions of those already on the sidelines. For some it meant only a two minute chang-e, but for others the difference was up to 20 minutes. It was this change which docked Ballard 120 points for a late start. "I was working on my bike in the time period before the start," said Ballard, "and I usually have somebody lO give me the time I have left to work. and when I need tQ be ready to stan. There was some confusion between the people giving me my times and when they sent me up I was two minutes late. It's a bit hard to swallow gelling points that way." The Trophy win hopes of the Swedes were dashed when Hansson couldn't keep his engine running any' longer a short way into the second loop. The problems from day four wouldn't go away and he parked his bike near a barge which was being used as a bridge for the riders over one of the many canals in the area. Kadlec had troubles on day five although he had realized a problem was developing on day three. "The steering head bearings are probably just about shot," said Kadlec as be stopped al.ongside the trail to check the problem. ''I'll have to ride care· fully from here to the finish of tbe day and see what I can do to fix things up a biL." 'Two humorous stories came out of day five. Ray Mungenast, riding along a trail in a farmer's field, crashed, as he related later, "at the wrong time in the wrong place." Mungenast slid into a pit the- farmer wa~ using· to •

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