Ninjette Newsbot
September 9th, 2015, 05:40 AM
Story and photos by Steve Berkner
A series of miscues on Day 2 dropped the U.S. World Trophy Team to second place, trailing Australia by a slim 8.24 seconds at the International Six Days Enduro being held in Kosice, Slovakia, this week.
“Today didn’t go as good as yesterday for the team," said U.S. ISDE Team Manager Antti Kallonen. "It was kind of a snowball effect where we just had too many little mistakes that added up.”
The U.S. World Trophy Team started the day about one-and-a-half minutes ahead of Australia.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/MIchael_Piillar.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider Michael Pillar navigates a downhill.
“It started right away when Taylor Robert crashed hard in the first test and finished down 30 seconds," Kallonen said. "It didn’t’ get much better for Taylor going on from there where he had a few more crashes as the day went on. Kailub Russell had a few tipovers as well, so did Thad Duvall, and when you add them all up we just gave up too much.
“We’re still happy with our results. Australia has moved just slightly ahead, but with all the problems we had today that’s something we can easily improve upon. Often when you have a bad day with a lot of problems, you have to make up minutes. Tomorrow, we only have to make up about 10 seconds.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Ryan_Sipes.sflb.ashx
After Day 2, U.S. World Trophy Team rider Ryan Sipes has the overall lead.
The only real exception to the U.S. Trophy Team’s bad luck was Ryan Sipes' success. Sipes moved into the individual overall lead, displacing teammate Kailub Russell, who moved to third after holding the held the overall honors at the end of Day 1.
“Today was a better day for me for sure," Sipes said. "I lost the day to (Australia’s Daniel) Milner, but I’m still in the lead for the overall. Our team kind of struggled today and we’re down a few seconds to the Australians, but we feel confident we’ll have a better day tomorrow and hopefully more than make it up.”
The remainder of the six-rider U.S. World Trophy Team is made up of riders Mike Brown and Gary Sutherlin.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Taylor_Robert.sflb.ashx
Taylor Robert during the last special test of Day 2.
“We’re already working on putting this day behind us and starting fresh tomorrow," Kallonen said. "Day 3 has some new trail and one new test, and we have had the best luck when everything is new to everybody. For the other two tests, the ones that are getting beat up, they're actually starting to look more like a GNCC track, and most of our guys have that type of experience, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
“Overall, we have to be happy. Here it is the end of Day 2, and we are only eight-and-a-half seconds out of the lead, something we’ve never had to deal with before where we are usually two to three minutes back from the leaders," he added. “Nothing is ever completely decided this early as we still have four days left of racing, so we just have to stay focused. One of the good things is that even with the bad day we’ve managed to pull (further) ahead of France and Spain, and that’s always a good thing.”
France and Spain are 2 minutes, 3 seconds and 6 minutes, 7 seconds, respectively, behind the U.S. World Trophy Team.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Brian_Garrahn.sflb.ashx
GoFasters.com U.S. club team rider Brian Garrahan.
In the Junior Trophy division, for riders under the age of 25, the U.S. team of Grant Baylor, Steward Baylor, Nick Davis and Layne Michael again finished in fourth place. Michael officially retired on Day 1 after crashing in a special test and dislocating and breaking two bones in his left wrist.
The U.S. Junior Team may be forced to officially retire as a team with Steward Baylor nursing a painful shoulder injury he suffered on Day 1.
“Steward was able to ride today even though he suffered a third-degree shoulder separation of his right shoulder yesterday," Kallonen said. "The doc says he will have to have it operated on when we get back to the States to get it right, but because the team is most likely out of the running for a podium finish, I will have to decide tonight if I’ll let him ride again and risk further injury. He’s not the kind of rider who ever quits, so I’m sure he’s going to want to ride again tomorrow, but we’ll have to decide what’s right.”
Each of the U.S. Trophy Teams -- World Trophy, Junior Trophy and Women’s Trophy -- are scored with the one worst score of the day for each team not counted in that day’s scores.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Brian_Storrie.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider Brian Storrie crosses a stream during Day 2.
The U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team remains intact where they again finished the day in fifth place.
“For the women’s teams, the last two days have been a struggle with all of the difficult terrain, but all our girls keep on finishing so anything could happen," Kallonen said. MP< In the three-rider club team division, the GoFaster.com team of Brian Garrahan, Nate Federer and Reid Brown moved up two places to sixth place.
“The main lines are just blown out and you have to be creative to avoid all the ruts, roots and rocks," Federer said regarding the trail conditions, which were used twice each day for the second consecutive day. "This is my first Six Days and I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
All 31 U.S. riders who started the day finished.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Heidi_Densley_1.sflb.ashx
Heidi Densley cheers on her husband, U.S. club team rider Jayson Densley.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/John_Kelley_1.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider John Kelley.
Click here for full story... (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/15-09-09/U_S_Trophy_Team_slips_to_second_on_Day_2_at_ISDE.aspx)
A series of miscues on Day 2 dropped the U.S. World Trophy Team to second place, trailing Australia by a slim 8.24 seconds at the International Six Days Enduro being held in Kosice, Slovakia, this week.
“Today didn’t go as good as yesterday for the team," said U.S. ISDE Team Manager Antti Kallonen. "It was kind of a snowball effect where we just had too many little mistakes that added up.”
The U.S. World Trophy Team started the day about one-and-a-half minutes ahead of Australia.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/MIchael_Piillar.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider Michael Pillar navigates a downhill.
“It started right away when Taylor Robert crashed hard in the first test and finished down 30 seconds," Kallonen said. "It didn’t’ get much better for Taylor going on from there where he had a few more crashes as the day went on. Kailub Russell had a few tipovers as well, so did Thad Duvall, and when you add them all up we just gave up too much.
“We’re still happy with our results. Australia has moved just slightly ahead, but with all the problems we had today that’s something we can easily improve upon. Often when you have a bad day with a lot of problems, you have to make up minutes. Tomorrow, we only have to make up about 10 seconds.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Ryan_Sipes.sflb.ashx
After Day 2, U.S. World Trophy Team rider Ryan Sipes has the overall lead.
The only real exception to the U.S. Trophy Team’s bad luck was Ryan Sipes' success. Sipes moved into the individual overall lead, displacing teammate Kailub Russell, who moved to third after holding the held the overall honors at the end of Day 1.
“Today was a better day for me for sure," Sipes said. "I lost the day to (Australia’s Daniel) Milner, but I’m still in the lead for the overall. Our team kind of struggled today and we’re down a few seconds to the Australians, but we feel confident we’ll have a better day tomorrow and hopefully more than make it up.”
The remainder of the six-rider U.S. World Trophy Team is made up of riders Mike Brown and Gary Sutherlin.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Taylor_Robert.sflb.ashx
Taylor Robert during the last special test of Day 2.
“We’re already working on putting this day behind us and starting fresh tomorrow," Kallonen said. "Day 3 has some new trail and one new test, and we have had the best luck when everything is new to everybody. For the other two tests, the ones that are getting beat up, they're actually starting to look more like a GNCC track, and most of our guys have that type of experience, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
“Overall, we have to be happy. Here it is the end of Day 2, and we are only eight-and-a-half seconds out of the lead, something we’ve never had to deal with before where we are usually two to three minutes back from the leaders," he added. “Nothing is ever completely decided this early as we still have four days left of racing, so we just have to stay focused. One of the good things is that even with the bad day we’ve managed to pull (further) ahead of France and Spain, and that’s always a good thing.”
France and Spain are 2 minutes, 3 seconds and 6 minutes, 7 seconds, respectively, behind the U.S. World Trophy Team.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Brian_Garrahn.sflb.ashx
GoFasters.com U.S. club team rider Brian Garrahan.
In the Junior Trophy division, for riders under the age of 25, the U.S. team of Grant Baylor, Steward Baylor, Nick Davis and Layne Michael again finished in fourth place. Michael officially retired on Day 1 after crashing in a special test and dislocating and breaking two bones in his left wrist.
The U.S. Junior Team may be forced to officially retire as a team with Steward Baylor nursing a painful shoulder injury he suffered on Day 1.
“Steward was able to ride today even though he suffered a third-degree shoulder separation of his right shoulder yesterday," Kallonen said. "The doc says he will have to have it operated on when we get back to the States to get it right, but because the team is most likely out of the running for a podium finish, I will have to decide tonight if I’ll let him ride again and risk further injury. He’s not the kind of rider who ever quits, so I’m sure he’s going to want to ride again tomorrow, but we’ll have to decide what’s right.”
Each of the U.S. Trophy Teams -- World Trophy, Junior Trophy and Women’s Trophy -- are scored with the one worst score of the day for each team not counted in that day’s scores.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Brian_Storrie.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider Brian Storrie crosses a stream during Day 2.
The U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team remains intact where they again finished the day in fifth place.
“For the women’s teams, the last two days have been a struggle with all of the difficult terrain, but all our girls keep on finishing so anything could happen," Kallonen said. MP< In the three-rider club team division, the GoFaster.com team of Brian Garrahan, Nate Federer and Reid Brown moved up two places to sixth place.
“The main lines are just blown out and you have to be creative to avoid all the ruts, roots and rocks," Federer said regarding the trail conditions, which were used twice each day for the second consecutive day. "This is my first Six Days and I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
All 31 U.S. riders who started the day finished.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Heidi_Densley_1.sflb.ashx
Heidi Densley cheers on her husband, U.S. club team rider Jayson Densley.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/John_Kelley_1.sflb.ashx
U.S. club team rider John Kelley.
Click here for full story... (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/15-09-09/U_S_Trophy_Team_slips_to_second_on_Day_2_at_ISDE.aspx)