Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

started the Six:Days, six did not finish. The ,Polish Six-Days was one of the toughest six-days in recent years. Warm and dry weather greeted the 4O!I riders that started the event, and for the first three days the weather pretty much slayed the same. But-a rain storm blew through Jelenia Cora between days three and four, making day four the toughest of the enduro. Days four, five and six saw very cold, wet riding conditions that forced many riders to drop out. , " ~ Day one Following fairly elaborate opening ceremonies on Sunday, Monday morning dawned warm and sunny, and the first rider left Park Far'me (start/finish/impound area) at 8:30 -a.m. Hyde was the first American to leave the start on minute !l0, but his ride'ended less than haH a mile later when he said his front wheel dropped into a hidden' hole and he was thrown over the handlebars, injuring his wrist. He managed to pick up his bike and continued down the road where his chase rider, Alan Randt, took over on Hyde's motorcycle. The ille~1 swap went undetected until day four when Randt clipped a rock with his rear Wheel, pitching him into a tree at high speed. Randt was airlifted to a hospital and was put into a body cast with a dislocated and broken hip. Hyde's broken wrist required 'a cast as well. Obviously, when Randt crashed, the cat was let out of the bag that he had been riding for Hyde illegal1y. However, following the Thursday night jury meeting, no penalty points were assessed to the U.S. T.rophy team, so Randt's evaluation points stood. No countries protested ' or seemed to care about the switch. After all the riders left Park Farme, the course Jed them through twO 'approximately 9O-rnile loops, with one acceleration test, a terrain test, and two special (grass track) tests. Both the acceleration and terrain tests were used only once, on the first loop, while the same grass track special test was used twice a day for five days. Most of the trail on day one was considered by the riders as fairly easy, but three different hill sections on each loop kept the riders on their toes. _ The first hill came afier check three. It had a gradual incline but slick mud and tree roots made it difficult to climb, forcing many riders to push and shove their mounts up the hill, thus many bottlenecks were formed. However, a fairly loose trail schedule kept most oj the riders on time at check four. On the second loop, this section was thrown out. Riders were rerouted around the hill. _ Between checks four and five was the toughest of the three hills, and it was found during the terrain test section. Bertram described the terrain test: "It started out'as a fireroad and ended up as a gnarly, rocky uphill. The rocks were kind of like boulders, loose and wet. You had to push and shove. " -German rider Bert Von Zitzewitz, riding a KTM 350, had the fastest time in the terrain test with a 411.20 score, as compared to USA's quickest time of 470.46, set by Hines and his KTM 350. The third hill was a long, uphiJI climb over rocks and through mud. It, too, required many riders to get off and push, but it was during the second loop that gave the riders the most problems. Eventually, portions of the hill became a giant ml:/-d bog. "If it wasn't for all the people in the way," said Hoess, "the hills wouldn't be so bad." ~ iJ.) ,.0 o ..... u o Simson-mounted Kladtke Reinhard led the East Germany Trophy team to victory. The' only U.S. Trophy or Junior World team rider to lose any route points on day one was Junior World rider Kurt Hough, riding a Honda CR250. Hough lost three minutes. "As I came into check three on the first loop," said Hough, "I ndticed I had a flat tire, but I didn't have enough time at that check to fix it. So I tried to ride through the next section, which was tight, and I lost three minutes. I fixed the flat at check (our. " USA's second casualty happened during the second loop Monday when club team rider Ed Marchini (JB Racing) had his Honda CRI25 seize after losing water in his radiators, putting him out of the event. Sweden's Mikael Nilsson \lad his countershaft break in his Husky's transmission on day one, dropping 780 points. This eventually cost Sweden the overall victory in the Trophy division. At the end of the first day, East Germany was leading France (headed by former ISDE overall winner Gilles Lalay, and 350cc FourStroke class leader Thierry Charbonier) by 120:90 points, 168.05-288.90. Third with 308.19 points was Czechoslovakia, followed by Italy and Finland. USA was eighth, Nilsson's transmission problems dropped Sweden to lith. In the Junior World division, East Germany led Italy by 30,14 poims. Finland was fourth followed by USA and France. Top U.S. club team in eighth place after day one was the Mt. Baker team, oonsisting of Bergener, John Nielsen and Kadlec. The Merced Dirt Riders (Ribolzi, Dwight Rudder and Irwin) were lIth. "Today was a breeze except for the hills and having to replace a radiator hose," said Aaron Hough. "You had to push on the hills. I'd look up and all you would see were rocks and people allover the place pushing." Day one wasn't quite a breeze for Kawasaki KDX200 rider Fredette. He was bruised ,and battered afterwards. "Just before the third check," said Fredette, "we were going down a rocky road, and 1 was picking up time. But the next thing I knew the bike was sideways and I was flying through the air. My shoulder hurts real bad and I think I sprained a couple of fingers." Fritz Kadlec was the only non U.S. Trophy or Jr. World rider to nab a gold medal in Poland. Only six American riders went home with golds. USA's Todd Harris, a member of the Lubbock TraiI"Riders club team, , had a water pump seal in his Honda CR250 go out on him during the first loop. "I had to put water in it all. day long," said Harris. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to change the seal," which he did. Checkpoint M.e. club rider Mike Medick, riding a Yamaha YZ490, nearly haured out when he suffered back-to-back flat tires. However, h'e had the honors of claiming the fastest time in the acceleration test. Day two Day two used the exact same loop as day one but was run in the reverse direction. Temperatures were in the low 70s and skies were clear. It turned out to be one of the easiest days of the enduro. However, Kawasaki KX250-mounted Roeseler, riding. with a badly injured knee supported . with a knee brace, came within four minutes of houring out when his bike ~egan to sputter then quit running. The problem turned out to be the bike's ignition coil, and by the time he tracked down the prob- 9

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