Roberts, Jehi Willis, Brad Witliscroft, Damian Smith); 6.
S1ovalOa 52: 13.65 (Robert K.pajdk, Iwn Jok.., Jan Hrehor,
Radek Matoska. Stefan Svitko. Jaraslav Katrinak); 7. Czech
Repubtic 1:00:31.59 (Roman Michalik, Vrta Kuldik, Radek
Toman, Michal Rudolf. Karel Scheder, Bohumil Posledni); 8.
PortUgal 1,26;10.88 (Helder Rodrigue>, Paulo Gon (GG) 2:31 :01.74: 5. Alessio
Paoli (TM) 2:] I: I5.36: 6. Vrta Kuklik (KTM) 2:] t :56.16: 7.
Thierry Klutz (GG) 2:32: I 3.66; 8. Marcus Kehr (KTM)
2:33:56.87; 9. Daniel Persson (Hbg) 2:]5:15.95; 10. Mario
Rinaldi (Hbg) B6:20.
U.S. Medals
GOLD: Kurt Caselli; Fred Hoess
SILVER: Luke McNeil; Teddy Hahn; David Kamo; Wally
Palmer, Russell Bobbitt; Ryan Powell: Eric Ducray: Jimmy
Jarrett; Brandon Johnson; Jeff Fredette: Aaron Kopp; Jason
Dahners: Cody Mastin; Quinn Cody: Dylan Debel; Scott
Bright.
BRONZE: J.D. Hammock: lars Valin; Mike Jolly:
Derek Steahly; John Yates; Jay Hall.
DNF: Mark Johnson; Donald Murray; Rick Thomas;
Brian Barns: John Barber; Richard Jung; Wes McKnight:
Steve Morefield; Daniel Janus: Rich Ubengood.
Brief'Y···
Despite having retired from WEC competition at the end of 2004, the ever-popular Italian Giovanni Sala (below) proved he still has
what it takes to produce good results by finishing third in the E3 class on day three and placing ninth in the end-of-week E2 class results.
"To me, the Six Days has always been the
ultimate test for any motorcyclist:' he said.
"Finishing day five turned out to be one of
the hardest things I've ever done on a
motorcycle."
Sixteen-time ISDE participant Fred Hoess
(below) was told by an FIM steward that he
couldn't wear his traditional open-face helmet. Hoess asked to see the rule in writing,
and the FIM official was unable to produce it.
"It was like talking to the wall," Hoess said. "I
asked to see it [the rule], and he couldn't find
it. But that didn't matter, we ended up having
to bolt on a mouth guard."
The final motocross races (below) on day
six were held on a purpose-built, former GP
motocross track, which ended the event on
a high note. Canceled because of dust and
safety fears last year, as well as the last time
the ISDE was hosted here in 1991, this year's
motocross races brought a great event to an
even better finish.
British Trophy and Junior Trophy team riders
formed the worst-dressed nation in the event.
With all other nations, including Venezuela and
Greece, wearing shirts and painted helmets
decorated in national colors, British riders
wore a mixture of different apparel, which gave
them absolutely no team image.
With Finland having withdrawn as host
nation of the 2007 ISDE, and with Italy and
Germany having both said "thanks but no
thanks" to staging the event, Iran is the only
country that has officially applied to host the
Six Days in two-year's time.
The U.S. Desert M.e. club team of Brandon
Johnson (KTM), Teddy Hahn (KTM) and
John Yates (KTM), finished 19th overall and
was the top-finishing American club team.
The Italian club team, Motoclub Lumezzane,
which was headed up by former multi-time
World Enduro and overalllSDE Champion
Giovanni Sala, won the class.
Steve Hatch's mechanic Scott Bright,
owner of Throttlehead.com, was one of 14
rookie American riders competing at this
year's ISDE. Bright decided to try his hand
at riding a Six Days to fulfill a lifelong dream.
The Team USA shipping container (below)
was delayed getting to pare ferme when
some of the paperwork was rejected by customs officials. Seven riders had their bikes in
the container along with most of the U.S.
riders' tools, parts, riding gear, etc. The container showed up the day before the start.
Those U.S. riders that utilized rental bikes,
27 in all, were allowed an extra day to
impound their bikes, and those riders who
had bikes in the container had until 3 o'clock
Monday afternoon to impound. The container showed up Monday morning at 9:30.
For U.S. World Trophy Team rider Jason
Dahners, riding in this year's Slovakian Six
Days was a type of revenge. "I rode my first
Six Days here in 1991:' he said. '" made it
about six kilometers before I crashed and
broke my wrist and collarbone. When I rode
the qualifier series this spring, , just wanted
to make it here to conquer this course. I'm
glad I came. It was tough, real tough. But
now I can say' finished [it]."
Jeff Fredette finished his 2Sth consecutive
ISDE, a record for any ISDE participant. But
it wasn't easy. Fredette hurt his back and
thought he would have to call it quits. ':<>-bout
halfway through day one, I felt something
pop in my back:' he said. "It was alii could
do to finish the day. That night, I thought for
sure I was done. I couldn't even roll over in
bed, I was in so much pain. The next morning, I felt a little better. I stretched out a little
and decided I would see how it went. After a
couple of hours of riding, I was starting to
feel a little better and by the end of the day, I
started to think I could probably finish. Even
without hurting my back, this Six Days
turned out to be one of the hardest ones I've
ever ridden. Over the last 2S years there's
been tough days, but not too many of them
that are tough all week long. The time
schedules here, combined with 99-percent
trail miles, made you keep on your toes."
J,D. Hammock (below) was presented the
Team USA Valencia Award for overcoming
the greatest adversity of any American rider.
Hammock, who rode on the U.S. three-rider
club team JAFMAR, was able to finish with a
Bronze medal after sustaining a broken nose
and two black eyes in a crash.
Jimmy Jarrett soldiered on after dislocating
his shoulder on day four while riding on a
transfer section. "My ISDE was pretty much
over right then and there, until a Swedish
Trophy rider, who I'd been riding with all
week, reset my shoulder right there on the
trail:' Jarrett said.
Luke McNeil had some special help from the
Isle of Man "Brown Coats" when he crushed a
radiator on day three. "My radiator started
leaking real bad after I crashed, and a bunch of
them started to keep track of me:' McNeil
said. "Every time I came out of the woods,
they gave me water until I could get in and
replace the radiator at the end of the day."
CYCLE NEWS • OCTOBER 5,2005
39
