AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 3, 2022
AERODROME LE PUY-LOUDES / LE PUY EN VALY, FRANCE
P100
OFF-ROAD I 96TH FIM INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS ENDURO
day, probably, I would [predict]
that we could've fought for a
podium [here], but none of the
days were good for us."
As bad as America's WT riders
felt, it was better than the U.S.
Junior World Trophy (JWT) or
Women's World Trophy (WWT)
teams that each lost one of its
three riders. With new rules elim-
inating the previous throwaway
score per team, the resulting dai-
ly three-hour penalties dropped
both teams to the bottom, though
the surviving individuals put in
some good rides.
In his second Six Days (both
time JWT), Cody Barnes found
himself with a dead bike after
completing just one test. That
left Mateo Oliveira and Austin
Walton to see how well they
times en route to 18th overall.
No one saw the swings of
fortune like Oliveira, however. A
test winner on day two and sixth
overall early in the week, his bike
began to randomly sputter and
die, and he received a four-min-
ute penalty for being late at one
check because he couldn't re-
vive it quickly enough. He spent
the last half of the week starting
in the back part of the field, but
at least he was able to nurse it to
the finish 32nd overall.
U.S. Trophy Team Manager
Antti Kallonen said, "The facts
are, these are the worst results
since I started [as manager]. It's
definitely a little disappointing.
We've had—every year—at least
one team do well and this year
was just rock bottom. On a good
Russell, who soldiered to
the best score by an American
(seventh E2 and 15th overall
even after needing his bad knee
drained on consecutive days
at the end of the week) said,
"It was a tough Six Days. I'm
happy to get through it some-
what healthy." That was despite
a huge crash before the last turn
of the last test on day five.
"Like I said, that's racing.
The British team, I knew was
going to be strong. Everybody
really stepped it up and we just
couldn't match them at all this
week, not even close."
Michael showed good speed
at times as well, but he too suf-
fered from too much inconsis-
tency, unlike last year, with time-
consuming spills at inopportune
After discovering the limits of
traction on the sight lap, Austin
Walton holeshot and won the final
moto for JWT riders.
