Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127799
(Right) Despite breaking his foot, Steve Hatch still took home gold. (Below) Great Britain's Paul. Edmonson was second-best individual. • (Abovlil) U.S. Junior World rider Mike Lafferty earned a silver medal in his very first Six Days. (Below) A French rider tries talking his way out of a speeding ticket. Hundreds of competitors were written up and fined. (Bottom) Scott Summers finished eighth in the 500Cc Four;Stroke ~!I"".. Upon arriving in Hameenlinna Tuesday, August 7, the 39 American riders were relieved to see that the motorcycle. many of them had shipped to Finland from the United States about a month earlier had arrived safely and were awaiting assembly at Parc Ferme (impound, start-finish-areal, At many previous Six Days, the crated motorcycles have been hung up at customs, failing to show up at Parc Ferme until the very last moment. as was the case exactly 10 years ago in Italy when many ,of the motorcycles didn't arrive until after tech inspection. Many of the U,S, riders came prepared for wet and cold weather conditions in Finland where the average rainfall in August is over 12 inches and the average high temperature is in the low 70s, However, the American contingent. totaling around 100 people. including riders and support people, found quite the opposite. Shorts and short-sleeve T-shirts were in order right up to the start, and the forecast for the entire week of the Six Days was hot and dry (which, as it turned out, was exactly the casel. After preparing for mud, the riders had to instead prepare for dusty trails. This year's event marked the first time it would be held in Finland and also was bumped up a month earlier than usual to take advantage of the warmer climate and the long days. At this time of year here, the sun rises about 4:30 a.m. and sets around 10:30 p.m. And speaking of the trails, it was first announced that the Finnish Six 'Days would feature "short days." meaning low mileage that the competitors would have to ride each day but would "make up for it' by beating them up 00 tight. gnarly and challenging trails. However. when the daily mileage was posted by the organizers prior to the event. 190-plusmile days were the "norm.' Because of pres· sure from environmental groups. the organizers were forced to utilize mostly paved roads and make up for it by increasing the mileage of the event. "This will probably be the future of the Six Days." said U.S. Trophy team manager Dave Bertram. But. as it turned out. the organizers did live up to their promise of providing challenging trails that put many riders into survival mode after day one. Days one and two would consist of two loops. totaling 210 miles each day, utilizing the exact same trail and tests (run in the same directionl. Day three would be the longest day with 240 miles on the age~da. utilizing mostly new trails, while days four and five would put the riders on the same loops as used on days one and two but with some minor changes. Day six would feature a short 30-mile trail taking the riders to the MX final test on Saturday. Chase riding at the Six Days has reached a new level. For the first time. the chase riders for the U.S. World Trophy and Junior World teams will be carrying rented cellular phonea in their fannypacks. This means that the chase riders will be able to phone ahead to the checks to prepare them (the check workersl for an incoming rider who might need a part or a tool. Plus. the phones will be used to help the riders determine what kind of trail pace they need to maintain between checks. How? During the first loop each day. Randy Hawkins. the first American rider out on the trail, would come into. for example, the second check and whatever extra time he had at that check would be relayed to the previous check (check onel which would again be forwarded to all the riders, who then would have a rough idea how hard they need to push it between each check. In other words, if Hawkins only has a minute to spare, then you know yo.u have to wick it up. Each of the U.S. World Trophy team riders had their own chase riders in Finland, and those riders combined have more ISDE medals than division.