T
he U.S. World Trophy Team
will have to wait until next
year in Chile to challenge for the
win after Thad Duvall injured his
left wrist in a crash in the very
first test of the very first day of
the 92nd International Six Days
Enduro in Brive-la-Gaillarde,
France, August 28.
A member of last year's victori-
ous U.S. World Trophy team, he
explained, "I tried to ride it out
[after the crash]. I don't know;
the more I rode, the worse it
got."
Duvall is now scheduled to
board a flight home Tuesday
morning so his regular doctors
can determine the extent of the
injury and how to treat it. Duvall
is currently leading the AMA
Enduro National Champion-
ship and locked in a close duel
with leader Kailub Russell in the
GNCC Championship.
He added, "Don't get me
wrong⏤I'm super-disappointed
in an injury, but I'm more disap-
pointed in letting the team down
and letting a lot of people down
that support it."
With Duvall sidelined, it's
impossible for the U.S. to chal-
lenge for the win since there are
no throwaways in ISDE Trophy
competition anymore.
The good news?
If there's anything, it's that last
year's fastest overall individual,
Taylor Robert, is in the hunt
to repeat that feat as he trails
Christophe Nambotin of the lead-
ing French World Trophy team by
6.19 seconds in both the overall
standings as well as in the E3
class (500cc two-stroke/650cc
four-stroke).
"It's definitely disappoint-
ing, but in one sense, it's less
pressure on [the three of] us
[still going] because now all we
really have to do is focus on
ourselves, and if we mess it up
for ourselves, then it's all on us,"
Robert said. "We don't have to
worry about wrecking it for the
team so we can just leave it all
on the table."
Teammate Ryan Sipes, the
fastest overall individual at the
IN
THE
WIND
P32
DISAPPOINTING
START FOR U.S.
ISDE TEAM
Taylor Robert prepares to roll
his bike up to the start stage.
He put himself in position
to repeat as fastest overall
individual, as he trails fellow
E3 racer Christophe Nambotin
by 6.19 seconds.
