Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine #59 ISDE Feature

EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

ISDE

& AGONY ECSTACY ANDY WIGAN

JOHN PEARSON MEDIA, JOHN HAMILTON

Any hope that Australia could defend its World Trophy Team title evaporated on the opening day of this year’s ISDE in Spain. But that didn’t stop several standout individual performances from the Aussies, or our Women’s team claiming a historic fourth consecutive win.

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t last year’s International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Slovakia, Australia walked away with every bit on silverware on offer. The Aussies created a slice of Six-Day history by winning the World, Junior and Women’s Trophy Team victories, plus the Watling Trophy, which is awarded to the mostimproved country. So, what happened at the recent 2016 ISDE in Spain? Did lofty expectations play a part in our teams’ less

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remarkable results? Were our riders unable to properly adapt to the revised team and scoring formats introduced for 2016? Or was it simply Australia’s turn to cop a serve of bad luck?

To get more of in insight into this year’s ISDE and the high- and low-lights of the Australian riders’ performance, we asked to a cross-section of Aussie riders, team management and supporters to reflect on their Spanish ISDE experience...

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

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TEAM MANAGER DON ATKINS

After Australia’s sweeping success at last year’s ISDE, we went into the Spanish event with high expectations. The boys started really strongly, too; all four riders in the World Trophy Team were in the top-20 Outright midway through Day 1, and the team was leading the standings.

But after Josh Strang injured his ankle and could not continue, we were soon recalibrating our expectations. Unlike previous years – when the World Trophy Team had six riders and could drop their slowest rider’s time each day – the new format sees only four riders in the team, with all scores counting on every day.

Josh has been a reliable rider for Australia for many years, so the injury was very unfortunate – for him and the team. And when Daniel Milner DNF’d on Day 2 after derailing a chain and demolishing a sprocket, we focused our attention on the Junior and Women’s teams, and to help support the personal goals of the two remaining rider World Trophy Team, Daniel Sanders and Lachy Stanford.

“What Daniel Sanders did this year – winning the E3 class again and finishing a close second Outright – was very impressive. After his first Six-Day in Argentina, he’s knuckled down and got his training methodology right, plus he’s refined the process of turning the KTM ISDE hire bike into a replica of the race bike he uses back home. Similarly, Daniel Milner has matured and is now showing some real team leadership qualities. It’s great to see these top guys taking on the responsibility for themselves and the team, and ensuring everyone gets the most out of their ISDE performances.

“Our Junior Trophy Team blooded two firsttime ISDE riders this year – Nic Tomlinson and

M O R E O N L I N E AT

Jack Simpson – who joined Tom McCormack.

So it was a bit of a development year for these guys, who’ll all take a lot of learning out of the event. It is a pity that it’s no loner possible to drop a score from the Junior team, because that makes it harder to introduce new riders to the international stage. The Women’s class still allows one of the three scores to be dropped for this very reason, and it means countries can enter the ISDE with a team of two. Speaking of the Women’s Team, Australia’s trio of Jemma Wilson, Jess Gardiner and Tayla Jones were magnificent in claiming their fourth consecutive ISDE win. That’s unprecedented at the event. It was undoubtedly their hardestfought win, as they were up against much improved competition – particularly from the likes of Germany and Spain.

“It’s true that the Australian Sports Commission cut funding for our team this year, but I have to draw attention to the extra effort and funding that Motorcycling Australia stepped up with; to Yamaha Australia’s Ray Howard for their sponsorship of the Women’s Team; and to Geoff Timpson, who put in a huge fundraising effort in the months leading up to the event. Through the contributions of those people in particular, we managed to offer our riders the same financial support as previous years. With me, Chris Gray, AJ Roberts, Trent Lean and MA’s Matt Falvo, we now have a strong and enthusiastic management group in place, and there’s certainly no shortage of riding talent in Australia now. So I’m very positive about our chances of being able to win that coveted trophy again.

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For Don’s take on Australia’s historic trilogy of ISDE wins in Slovakia last year, check out this fascinating interview with Team Australia’s long-time manager 12 months ago.

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

THE SUPPORTER TRENT LEAN

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It was a great honour for me to be invited along to this year’s Six-Day to assist the Australian management team. I got involved with packing and unpacking the team’s shipping container. I helped out at the controls and daily work periods. And I acted as a rider liaison, which is something I enjoyed doing for the AORC series this season back home.

“Last year, Australia won the Senior, Junior, Women’s and Watling trophies. So, as Australia’s Don Atkins pointed out at the ISDE’s opening ceremony this year, we’ll never have the honour of winning all four trophies again. But it was really nice to see our team members carry those trophies into the bullfighting ring and then on to Pamploma’s town square, which was used for the opening ceremony.

It was a real highlight to be part of that, walking behind Dan Milner, who carried the Aussie flag.

“I’d always got the impression that management had been pretty strict with what Australian riders got up to socially while they were at a Six-Day, but it

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struck me that our riders all took on a real sense of responsibility this year. I was really impressed with the team spirit, and the fact our riders focused on the job at hand rather than falling into the trap of feeling pressured to emulate last year’s success. As team captain, Daniel Milner kept things light-hearted and social. The Aussies are so popular that everyone always wants a slice of them at the event, but our riders were 100 percent focused when it came to racing.

“What a lot of people don’t realise is how ISDE teams depend so heavily on the family and/or friends that most riders bring along as supporters – people who are there on their own dollar not just to cheer the riders on, but also to perform the key tasks of food preparation, manning controls, sorting fuel and parts, and the hundred other things required. Along with the team’s photographers, John Pearson and John Hamilton, the vibe of the entire Australian group was really positive. And without these supporters, you literally couldn’t take part in the Six-Day.

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THE FIRST-TIME JUNIOR NIC TOMLINSON

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I’m only 19 years old, so it was a real honour to be selected on Australia’s Junior Trophy Team.

After our Junior team won last year, everyone was watching us as the reigning champs, which is why I think I put too much pressure on myself. The same probably applied to Jack Simpson, who was also racing his first Six-Day. “I ended up finishing 16th in the E3 class, which was respectable, and our Junior Trophy Team ran sixth in the end. It was a really steep learning curve for us all, and with that experience under

our belts, I know we’ll approach the next ISDE with a lot more confidence. The event taught me not to over-think things and to focus only on myself, rather than be distracted by what other riders are up to. I also realised that I need to sort out what food I eat to make sure I’m right physically. It might sound crazy, but as the food is so different over in Spain, it’s not easy to make sure your body is properly fuelled up for the six days of racing. The event is all about adapting to a foreign set of circumstances.

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

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ISDE

& AGONY ECSTACY

E3 WORLD CHAMP DANIEL SANDERS

After wining the E3 class and going fourth Outright at last year’s ISDE in Slovakia, I came into this year’s event thinking that I had a shot at the Outright. My plan was to defend my E3 title and run top-three Outright, but after a dominant year in Australia, I was confident I could do better. Plus I’d had the benefit of getting comfortable aboard the all-new 2017 KTM before the event. I’d raced the 2017 300EXC in the final four AORC rounds, so having the opportunity to fine-tune the bike’s set-up before the ISDE was a big advantage, too.

“Initially, I was shattered not to win the Outright in Spain – mainly because I was never more than 20 seconds from the lead for the entire six days.

But now that I look back on it, finishing second Outright – just 18 seconds off Taylor Robert – was pretty damn satisfying. I bagged my second E3 title in a row, improved on last year’s Outright result, and did enough to attract the attention of more Europebased race teams. I think I’ve improved a lot since last year, mainly because I’m now making fewer mistakes under pressure. With such a deep field at the Six-Day, you just can’t afford to lose 10 or 20 seconds in a small crash, as it’ll push you way, way down the standings.

It’s all about piecing sections of the track together, flowing, making sure you’re strong in every type of terrain, and on the pace in both the enduro-style tests and the final moto. That versatility was critical in Spain because half the event was dry, rocky and dusty, and the other half was wet and slick.

“This year’s Six-Day was also a bit different for me due to the fact we lost Josh Strang with an injury on Day 1. That put our World Trophy Team out of the running, but it also allowed me to focus on my individual result and take a few more risks. We weren’t the only country to question the change to the smaller, four-man team this year, and the fact you couldn’t drop your worst rider’s score each day.

I understand they made the change to reduce the expense for countries to enter a team. But on the flipside, with no ‘joker rider’, one injury or bike problem throws the chance of a decent team result out the window. And that means all the time and effort and cost in sending a team is suddenly wasted.

For 2017, I hope they move to five riders per team, and reinstate the ability to drop one rider’s score.

“It’s hard to reflect on this massive international event without also making mention of the afterparty.

It’s always a memorable occasion because you get to have a few drinks with riders and fans from all around the world. After getting their historic first ISDE win, the American guys were super-stoked and letting their hair down ore than most. It was an emotional win for them too, seeing as the late Kurt Caselli had played such a key role in laying the foundations for Team USA’s ISDE effort. I’m already looking forward to taking on the American and French teams next year, when the ISDE takes place in France.

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

THREE WINNING WOMEN...

JEMMA WILSON

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This was my sixth Six-Day, and it was supercool to get the fourth win in a row. There was a lot of competition from Germany, Spain and America. In previous years, we sort of knew we would win unless there was some big drama, but there were a lot of strong female riders in Spain. I found it more gratifying to get the win this year, because we had to fight hard for it.

Personally, it wasn’t my best Six-Day. I’ve been riding really well all year, but I just felt flat in Spain and finished fifth Overall – only eight seconds off fourth. Jess and Tayla both worked really hard the whole week for the times we got. Well done to Motorcycling Australia and to all the helpers. It’s a huge effort to get to the event. Thanks also to Yamaha’s support for the Women’s team. We will definitely be looking to extend our ISDE winning streak to five in France next year.

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M O R E O N L I N E AT Want to know more about these world title-winning Australian women? profile we published about all three shortly Check out this revealing online profile after their historic fourth consecutive ISDE win in Spain.

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

TAYLA JONES

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I am so stoked to get our fourth world title because it was a lot harder this year with so many good riders in the mix. The whole week, Jess, Jemma and I rode consistently well. I got the Final Moto win, which topped off my week nicely, but it’s the team win that means the most to me because

JESS GARDINER

Jess and Jemma are such awesome teammates. I couldn’t ask for a better couple of girls to be racing with. We are all very supportive of each other, and just want to make sure we all finish safely. Thanks also to everyone who helped to get us over to Spain, especially Yamaha.

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It’s so cool to have the same three chicks become four-time World Champions at the ISDE. It has been a pleasure to ride with Jemma and Tayla these past four years and, with many of the other countries fielding strong girls in Spain, this year provided the most exciting racing in the Women’s class I’ve ever seen. That meant there wasn’t much room for error. Although I made a small

mistake on Day 1, I am really happy that I was able to come back strongly. I was a little disappointed about my individual results, but as a team I couldn’t be happier being on that top step. It’s always an honour to hear that national anthem playing. I would like to give an especially big thankyou to Yamaha bLU cRU for their support.

It’s a very special achievement for us all.

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EVENT 2016 ISDE, SPAIN

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

JOHN PEARSON

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A bloke called Geoff Timpson offered to pay for both me and another photographer, John Hamilton, to join the Aussie team effort in Spain.

I’ve been shooting the AORC for a couple of years now, so it was opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse. Geoff’s been a huge supporter of off-road racing in Australia for a number of years, plus he put in a big fundraising effort – at AORC rounds, major desert races and even at some V8 Supercar events. Anyway, Geoff asked for nothing in return, except that John and I help generate as much exposure for Aussie riders as we could through all the media channels in Oz. “It was such a cool experience because, rather than just being photographer, we were made feel very much part of the team. We travelled to and from Spain with the team, and got to witness all the work that goes into preparing the bikes and riders for a huge international event like this. What amazed me most were the logistics required to get so many people and so much equipment to the other side of the world, and how that one 20-foot shipping container is such a critical part of each team’s ISDE effort. That’s especially the case with teams like Australia and the USA, who travelled from the other side of the globe. The sheer scale of the event – from the pits, to the course, to the administration, to the 500 riders involved, to the timing system – really blew me away too.

“As much as it was really cool to get to meet big-name international riders in Spain, it was also great to experience the spirit that’s made the Aussie teams so successful in recent years. It’s not until you get to an event like that Six-Day that you realise how much everyone depends on each other. John and I wore the team shirt every time we picked up a camera because we wanted people to know we were part of the Aussie team, which has a huge following in Europe. You’ve only got to look at the crowds outside the Aussies’ pit area to realise how popular our riders are. Last year, Team Australia won all the trophies they could win. But I think the level of popularity the Aussie riders now enjoy at the ISDE is largely because they’re all down-to-earth and approachable characters.

That’s what the fans really love about them.

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