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/128343
Finland Triumphs Among Tragedy at ISDE T he 79th annual ISDE in Poland came to close on September 19, and when all was said and done it was Finland taking home both the World Trophy Team and the junior World Trophy Team victories. Throughout the week, Finland conslstendy won or placed second - each and every day. And despite the dust that the riders faced early on, many familiarfaces were atop the leaderboard. Stephan Merriman dominated the Enduro 2 class, while Bartosz Oblucki and Samuli Aro topped the Enduro I and 3 classes, respectively. Earlier in the week, the event was marred by tragedy when a German rider was killed after he hit a tree, causing the entire German team to withdraw from the event to honor its fallen friend. Also, on the same day, a Dutch support rider was killed when he hit a car while riding to a check . Two passengers in the car were also killed in the accident . In the beginning of the week, dusty conditions played a big role in the race. Then , on the third day of competition, the skies opened up making the event better than ever. However, the exceptional riding condi- tions didn't last long. and by the last day, the dust had returned in a big way. In fact. the dust was so bad that the riders boycotted the final motocross special section because event organizers were unable to ke ep the track watered properly. The boycott understandably upset U.S. team manager Drew Smith. "What happened out there today was a disgrace to the sport of Six Days," Smith said. "Y see this kind of [final motocross] ou protest happen every couple of years, especially if the test is dusty. The big named European teams, who are usually leading the event by a few seco nds [going into the final motocross test] start com plaining to the event organizer that the track conditions are unsafe. They usually have a valid complaint, but ! , Briefly... Continued fro m page 5 and 26. Byrne was the rookie in last year's Trial des Nations team, where he combined with Trevor Campbell , Adrian Harry and Kale Reed to finish fifth in the secondtier International Trophy division. Byrne will again join the British-based Harry, with Dylan Rees and first -timer Tom Scott com pleting the qua rtet. Th is year's Trial de s Nat ions w ill be held in Cordoba, northeast of Seville. the organizers seldom cancel the test , due to the fact that about five to 10,000 local fans Cha parral Motorsports in San Be rnard ino, California, is holding its 18th annual Block Sale on Saturday, O ctober 2, w ith more tha n 50 ve ndors slated to join the sale. Shoppers can find everything from dirt bikes , st reetbikes, moto appa re l, sportsw ear and just about every off-ro ad product known . The sale starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. For informat ion, call 909/889 -276 1. are waiting to see a show. So when that doesn't work, the riders organize a boycott where they just won't ride." To top off an already horrible day six, a British team rider was ripped off his bike and beaten by Spanish fans and one Spanish junior World Trop hy Team member. after the Brit was the only Enduro 3 class rider to ride up to the line for his moto. As a result , the Spanish team was disqualified from the event . While there was a lot of bad news at the event, Kurt Caselli stood out among the Longtime Wiseco Piston rep lay Clark is leaving the comp any, according to an e-mail from Clark. "For the last I l-and -hall years I have had the opport unity and privilege to w ork for and rep resent Wiseco Piston ," 33 American riders in atten- dance . All week he was post ing test times that were consistently in the top five in the highly competi tive Enduro 2 class. And by the end of the week he earned himself third that bad as 29 of the 33 that started the even finished it. Five earned gold medals : Caselli, jimmy jarrett, Fred Hoess, Nick Pearson and Wally Palmer. Twenty-one in class and first American. Americans earned silver medals. As for the U.S. World Trophy Team. they finished 12th - no doubt due to some bad luck at the beginning of the event. The junior World Trophy Team finished 10th. Overall, the Americans didn't fare all As he did last year, Merriman took the class win in Enduro 2. In the other two classes, Polish rider Bartosz Oblucki earned the victory in Enduro I wh ile Finn Samuli Aro got the best of the Enduro 3 class. Clark said in his e-mail. "This opportu nity was a trem endous one, w hich I truly en joyed and app reciated. Over the years. the entire ded icated and hard-working Wiseco staff has motivated me and made me very pro ud of Wiseco. No w, w ith mixed e motions, I announce that I will be leaving Wiseco. I really appreciate the relations hips and friendships I have established during these years and wi sh the best to Wiseco Piston in the future ." Clark can be contacted via e-mail at jayclark@ mchsi.com or by phone at 951/672-9636. Freestyler Brian Deegan w ill play in the Racquet Rumble 2004, a celebrity te nnis tournament to benefit the Bogart Ped iatric Cancer Research Program, on September 26 at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California, according to his publicist. Deegan w ill join the likes of Linkin Park's Rob Bor de n and Brad Delson, O-Town's Eric Michael, actor Daniel Baldwin, Inside Edition's Stacey Gualandi and others . Aust ralian road race r Craig Co nnell has been recove ring for the last four we eks fro m his horrificaccident on Friday, August 20 in round five of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Circuit Mont Tremblant. Co nnell was diagnosed with multiple breaks in his right femur (slightly compound), right tibia and right fibula bones; a fractured right hip socke t; five broken ribs; and a broken pelvis with approximately ISmm of separation. Co nnell unde rwe nt surgery in Canada, with docto rs inserti ng titanium rods and screws in th e broken femu r and tibia. While not punctured, Connell's lungs were being pressured by his bro ken ribs, wh ich necessitate d a chest Continued on page 9 www.cyclenews.com CYCLE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 7