2017 ISDE Day 5 – Australia take World Trophy day win
The fifth and penultimate day of the ninety-second running of the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Brive, saw Australia claim their first FIM World Trophy team victory of the competition as Matthew Phillips – Sherco, Daniel Milner – KTM, Daniel Sanders – KTM and Joshua Green – Yamaha placed twenty-eight seconds ahead of France, who maintained their position at the head of the overall World Trophy team results.
Josh Green
“Today was a better day for me. I crashed in the third test but the rest were very good. We’re all pretty fatigued and many of us are carrying little niggling injuries. As a team we pulled together and made time on the French. Going into the Final Moto tomorrow will be exciting.”
In the FIM Junior World Trophy category Italy took the win, finishing ahead of France and the USA. With just the final day motocross races to be contested, France lead Italy in the overall Junior World trophy category by a slender twenty-eight seconds.
Lyndon Snodgrass
“Day Five is done and today started off a little slow in the early on. I picked up the pace in the later tests, although a few crashes held up my times. The tracks were great and the tests were fun.”
Also claiming their first Women’s World Trophy day win of the event, USA topped the results on day five but trail Australia in the overall Women’s World Trophy results by seven minutes.
Taking full advantage of the fact that France’s World Trophy team rider Christophe Nambotin – KTM was severely handicapped due to riding with a broken bone in his right hand, Australia claimed their first day win of the 92nd ISDE to finish twenty-eight seconds ahead of the home nation.
Continuing their impressive results Finland placed third with Great Britain fourth and Portugal fifth. But with only the final day motocross races remaining, France carry a sizeable seven-minute and thirty-two second lead into the final day of competition in Brive. Finland sit third overall, just under two-and-a-half minutes behind Australia.
Loic Larrieu
“It’s a great feeling to be in a very positive position in the World trophy category. With the injury to Christophe Nambotin this fifth day has been a tough one for us, but he is a very experienced and determined rider so he has done everything and more for the team. We are all looking forward to the final day. Personally, I want to do my part for team France, and if things go well I hope to also win the overall.”
In the FIM Junior World Trophy class a thrilling final is all but assured as just twenty-eight seconds separates class leaders France from Italy. On day five Italy went all out to reduce France’s lead, doing exactly that and shortening the gap from forty-four seconds to twenty-eight.
Helped by a strong performance by Davide Soreca – Honda, Italy are ready to go all-out in the hope of winning the Junior World Trophy class for the first time since 2008 when the event was held in Greece. But with their home advantage France will be anything but easy to beat. The USA sit third overall, ahead of Great Britain, Spain and Chile.
Claiming their first day win in the FIM Women’s World Trophy class, the performances of the USA’s Kacy Martinez – KTM, Rebecca Sheets – KTM and Brandy Richardson – KTM suggest that it might not be long before they are ready to challenge the mighty Australian trio of Tayla Jones – Husqvarna, Jess Gardiner – Yamaha and Jemma Wilson – Yamaha for the Women’s World Trophy title.
Getting their first day win in what is collectively their first ISDE, the USA topped the day by fifteen important seconds. With Australia second, Sweden finished third with France fourth. In the Women’s World Trophy standings Australia are nevertheless all but assured yet another class victory, carrying a seven-minute advantage into the final day.
Topping the Enduro 1 class results to maintain his position at the head of the overall class standings, Josep Garcia – Spain finished seven seconds ahead of Italy’s Davide Guarneri – Honda and heads into the final day motocross races with a forty-six second advantage.
Behind Garcia and Sipes in the overall E1 standings, Ryan Sipes is just fourteen seconds behind Guarneri with Jeremy Tarroux – Sherco, Eero Remes – TM and Davide Soreca – Honda rounding out the provisional top six.
Topping three of the penultimate day’s five special tests, Loic Larrieu – Yamaha was the rider to beat in the Enduro 2 class. Placing eight seconds ahead of Nathan Watson – KTM, Australia’s Daniel Milner – KTM ended the day third, ahead of Christophe Charlier – Husqvarna, Alex Salvini – Beta and Kailub Russell – KTM.
Daniel Milner
“It was a solid day and everything went pretty smoothly. I only had one crash, which I didn’t lose too much time from. The Team was great today and everything with the boys went according to plan. The rest of the lads picked up their game today (Milner joked)! We ended up making up time on the French and extended our lead to Finland.”
With the one-minute penalty he picked up earlier in the week removed at the end of the fourth day, Loic Larrieu – Yamaha holds a commanding one-minute and thirty-one second lead at the top of the E2 class standings. Daniel Milner – KTM sits second ahead of Albin Elowson – Husqvarna, Salvini, Charlier and Watson.
Winning four of the five special tests in the Enduro 3 class, Taylor Robert – KTM claimed an eight second margin of victory while also taking one step closer to the overall E3 class win. With Spain’s Jaume Betriu – KTM once again Robert’s closest challenger, Australia’s Daniel Sanders – KTM placed third ahead of Matti Seistola – Finland and Chilean Ruy Barbosa – Husqvarna.
Nostalgia filled the air for the 2017 ISDE with the second edition of the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy race. Featuring a long list of manufacturers from Cagiva, Triumph and SWM, the clocks were wound back to as early as 1972.
For Australia’s Vintage World Trophy team Geoff Ballard put in a superb ride to finish second, for the C82 Vintage class on his classic Maico machine. Peter Cave and Robe Shoemark finished 41st and 46th respectively. Over in the C79 class, Australia’s Michael Harding finished an impressive fifth, ahead of fellow countrymen Stephen Baker just behind him in sixth.
Australia’s Club Team currently stands in 24th position, Shane Watts finished 24th in the C1 Class, Ben Kearns in 12th for C2 and Scott Campbell 95th also for C2, at the end of Day Five.
The sixth and final day of the 2017 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), France will see competitors compete in the final motocross races, situated close to the paddock in Brive.
