VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY MARK KARIYA
I
t's said that the more difficult
the task, the greater the re-
ward. If that's the case, the 31
American riders, support staff
and everyone else involved will
long remember the 97th NOCO
FIM International Six Days Enduro
(ISDE) as it was possibly the most
physically grueling edition ever
due to unexpectedly hot weather
combined with long hours on the
bike coping with never-ending
rock-littered trails and tests that
wilted even the best.
But in the end, the Americans
emerged with an unprecedented
treasure trove of hardware,
winning the coveted FIM World
Trophy (WT) for the third time fol
-
lowing victories in 2016 and 2019,
the Women's World Trophy (WWT)
for the fourth time ('07, '19, '21),
Club team honors and a gifted
last-minute runner-up in Junior
World Trophy (WWT).
As is always the case in an
event with so many moving parts,
the week was not without its chal
-
lenges, but the U.S. seemed to
respond to each calmly and logi-
cally, keeping riders' nerves at bay
to enable them to do their jobs as
best they could.
And, of course, it started well in
advance of arrival at the Circuito
San Juan Villacum road race facil
-
ity, which served as the hub of
activities. Though shipping delays
caused a few weeks of concern,
all the bikes, spares, tools and
gear did finally show up.
The riders arrived on time and
spent the permitted pre-race days
walking each of the special tests
The U.S. World
Trophy and Women's
World Trophy Teams
celebrate on top of
the ISDE podium in
Argentina.
STRIKES GOLD
TEAM USA CAPTURES THIRD ISDE
TITLE IN ARGENTINA
