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/143876
e e C\J 00 ':'-- 0') ....... ... 0') C\J ~ Q) ..0. a Q) olool c, Q) rJ'J Czechoslovakia was last the scene of the ISOE (then ISOT) in 1977. Here the American team of that year marches in opening ceremonies. By Gary Van Voorhis At approximately 8 a.m. on th e ·m ornin g of September 20, the first American i n the 25 rider U .S. contingent to the 57th Internation al Six Days Enduro in Povaska Bysterica, Czechoslovakia, will kick his bike to life and begin the first Lsi I' d trail o S gru~ mg ays on rar S .IX which WInd through and 16 around the Tatra Mountains. He and the other U.S . riders will be cheered on and supported by a small corningent of hard core ISDE enthusiasts. wives or girlfriends. parents and friends . Six days and approximately 1,100 miles later, those with the skill , strength, determination and good luck to finish will receive a gold, silv er or bronze medal to reward them for their efforts in competing in what is known as " th e Olympics of motorcycling." 1982 marks the ninth time Czechoslovakia has played host co untry to the ISDE and this year' s event will return to the s.ite of the 1977.editiion, Povaska Bystrica. The event IS a showcase of Czech organization which includes help from the armed force s, local militia, and scores of " volunteers " from every profession and ar ea throughout the country who are drafted into jobs because of th eir knowledge of foreign languages. In all , ove r 350 riders from nearly 20 nations will be competing. The Czechs, a powerhouse in the early and mid-1970·s. have had to take a backseat to the Italians in the past few years. The Italian Trophy team has collected wins .in the last three events and would lik e nothing beuer th an to beat the Czechs on their home ground. In the United Sta tes the ISDE is not a showcase sport. It never h as been, and perhaps n ever will be. but there is a small dedicated contingent of riders who enj oy the concept and are willing to spend upwards of $4,000 - in the case of a privateer, and that doesn't include the cost of qualifying -just to have a shot at winning a medal. There are no monetary rewards. With the withdrawal of Kawasaki. Suzuki and Yamaha from active support of the everu'and fielding factory supported riders, the event now lives on the support of the European manufacturers-most notably Husqvarna, KTM and Maico. Barry Higgins, the vetera n of this year' s squad with nine years experience behind him. incl uding Czechoslovakia '77, summed up his reasons for riding the ISDE: " It 's a challenge. a personal challenge where man, machine and the elements come together. You get a tremendous sense of self satisfaction from finishing. However, I can honestly say I've never really figured out why riders from the U.S. compete. There is rela- tively little recognition from the press and the manufacturers don't capitalize on good performances for advertising purposes so it has to be the urge to be one of a select group competing in a select event with the best riders from nearly 20 nations. How do you stack up against the rest and have you improved since the year before are th e questions a rider asks himself. and only he knows the answers." John Morgan, head of Suzuki's offroad program until the company withdrew its support last year, will be team manager of the U.S. squad. Morgan was the manager of our Trophy Team in 1980 and '81. His five year background in the ISDE stands him well for coordinating th e efforts of the 25 rider squad. Moreover, Morgan was in Czechoslovakia in 1977which proved to be "a n invaluable learning experience." " I believe one of the key things our riders will have to remember is that they must ride as alertly as possible. The Czech terrain isn't tremendously hard and we should be riding basically thesame trails we rode in 1977. The