Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

monies, though 1hey drift8d off out'of sight and missed the stadium bya mile - literally. This year, Carroll Williams was given the honor of carrying the American flag during the opening-ceremony parade. Williams, along with Lisa Ann Gibson and Lori Taylor, made up what is believed to be the first all-female club team (the Bremerton Cruisers M.C.) to compete in the Six Days. Gibson and Taylor joined WUliams at the front of the U.S_ contingent during the parade. Williams, Taylor and Gibson were bombarded by the European press Immediately upon their arrival in Jelenia Gora. Prior to the start, they had been interviewed twice on television and featured in many of the local newspapers. ISDE veteran Kevin Hines came to Poland but did not compete. Instead, Hines said he came to chase ride for Six Days rookie Greg Zitterkopf. "I just couldn't swing n this year; ~id Hines two days .be(ore the start. "But I've ridden the Six Days many times and 'I've alw!lys wanted' to chas.e ride. I thjnk It'll be fun. Besides, I'll probably e.nd up riding more this way than If I race." . Arnaldo Nicoll was a member of the winning Italian Trophy team, Here he carries his country's flag moments after securing the team's second victory in as many years. saw a new country earn the right to etch its name on the perpetual silver trophy, as Australia battled back and forth with Spain, Italy and Sweden before taking home its first-ever ISDE cup. This year's overall individual winner was the Same as last year's - Stephane Peterhansel, the French Trophy team hero who simply decimated the USee class and who tallied the fewest amount of evaluation points (fewer points being better) of any of the 364 riders that started the event. This was Peterhansel's fourth such accomplishment. This year's 'Top American" was Rodney Smith. He held down fQurth place in the highly competitive 175cc class until developing engine problems with his Suzuki RMX250 on day four, forcing him to back off the throttle and nurse his sick machine to the finish. As a result, he dropped to eighth in class but still earned the fewest evaluation points of the 37 Americans who started the event. "I'm happy about that (being top American) but, to be honest, 1 really didn't expect anything less," said Smith. "I won the Reliability Series at home, so I would've been disappointed had I not (been top American). Still, I'm happy, because this was a good Six Days and a tough even!." To many of the riders who competed in Poland, the word "tough" might have been a severe understatement. Most used the adjectives "brutal" or "gnarly" to describe this year's event, citing the week-long brisk trail pace, rocks and whoops as the reasons. In addition, a steady day-four downpour turned many sections of trail into leg-paddling mud bogs. Most of the 37 Americans who competed switched to survival mode on day four, and only four riders from the U.S. took home gold medals, all of whom were members of the World Trophy team: Hawkins, Dahners, Rodney Smith and Chris Smith. Five riders earned silver medals: Pat Garrahan, Briefl Pre-race The U.S. Trophy and Junior World teams strolled through tech inspection with ease, as did everyone else for that matter, on Friday, Sep!em'ber 15. Overall,.tec.h inspection was easy t.o pass compared to past years. The sound test; usually the r:nost-feared step in the tech inspection process, was eventually· elimi-. nated after the first. few bikes that entered tech inspection were obviously much quieter than the sound meter was reading, and the faulty meter was put aside: All of the Club teams Impo.unded their motorcycles the following day. Of the' 364 entries, 37 came· froni the U.S. :TwenlY,-twb countries, induding Mgentina ahd . Japan, were represented at this year's 70th 'runnlng onhe ISpE. ~ighteen'countries fi.elded . a World Trophy team, while 14 fielded Junior' World squads. A nice, touch: To Increase ISDE' hype .In "the local area, tech inspection was held smack dab in the middle of Jelenla Gora's picturesque city ceriter, and the bikes were impounded there as well. While peOple shopped In the many nearby stores or enjoyed the plentiful outdoor ca(elbars In the plaza, the fimoed-in and wellguarded pack of shiny. dirt bikes provided a unique backdrop. However, the true Parc Ferme was locatec:t approximately five miles out of town at Cieplice S\;ldiuro - basically a track, and field faci~ty - where the motorcycles would be impounded each day thereafter. The opening ceremOnies were held in Miejski' Stadium, locatea a short walk from the city center in Jelenla Gore. The traditional opening ceremony parade saw the 22 teams enthusiastica'lIy greeted by the thouSands of pOOP.le who tumed out for the gala event. After the intr.oductions, Maryla Rodowiscz; a folk-music per-' former popular in Europe, took the spotlight and held a concert. Of course thete were also the mandatory s1elligrino in 1986. Austr.alia is stili scheduled 10 host the ellent in 1998. This' yea~~ ISDE featured a mlijllr change. 11'\ the way tlie Trophy teams were scored, Each team'$ worst rider's score at the end' of each day was thrown l?ut. That means If a· team. loses a rider d~ring. the coOrse of .the week, it will not neccessarily ruin' their chances of an Qverall win, even if another team finishes with all six ridllrs stili'running. This year, the U.S. team was greeted by a shiny new container to work out of at Parc Ferme, the main pn area. The huge container was purchased by the Ride To Win organization from funds raised by MSR Racing. MSR donated - to Ride to Win - one dollar from every Randy Hawkins replica Stars and Stripes riding pant and jersey sold in the U.S.. and enoug)1 money was raised to purchase the container, which was also used to ship motorcycles ridden by many of the American riders. "MSR basically raised the money for Ride to Win and we wanted the money to Q9 to something that everyone could use, not just the Trophy riders," said Hawkins. "So, we decided to buy the container, because we need it and It would 'be something we'd use year after year." In between events, the container will be stored in northern California by Ride to Win founder Dave Bertram. A large tarp with the MSR. logo and USA colors on it was also made to cover the otherwise plain, gray-painted container, but the tarp was held up In custor:ns and never ,showed up fOJ the. eveot. . There was another new rule going into effect at this year's Six Days. Riders were able to "reimpound" their motorcycles during the event, which means that riders who hour out, or miss a check, may reimpound at the el'\d of the day, as long as they do so within two hours of their prescribed minute at the end of the day, A rider who did so would be penalized 3600 points and would not be eligible for any medal at the end of the event. This ruling will only affect the Club team riders, not the World Trophy or Junior World team riders. For the first time in many years Ireland did not field a World Trophy team In ·Poland. The Irish federatiOn, Who usually financially supports the team, chose. to spend its money on their countl)"S road race team effort, leaving no money for the )rish ISDE team. However, three riders from Ireland made the trip to Poland to form a single Club team. The A.ustrallan contingent had a rough time ·getting to Pota.nd. While attending the Mx 'des Nations in. the Czech Republic t"!o w

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