ISDE Day Six
Distasteful end to ISDE 2015 as France crowned victors
Update – Two Months later Australia were reinstated as winners
At the end of the 2015 FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Slovakia, France has been crowned the FIM World Trophy team winners. Successfully defending their ISDE title, at the end of a long, hard and physically demanding week of racing France secured their fourth consecutive World Trophy win.
Delivering the victory for France in Kosice, Marc Bourgeois – Yamaha, Anthony Boissiere – Sherco, Loic Larrieu – Sherco, Antoine Basset – KTM, Jeremy Joly – KTM and Mathias Bellino – Husqvarna topped the standings by one minute following twenty-one hours of special test racing.
Despite winning day six, Australia was unable to gain enough of an advantage on their French rivals and claimed the runner-up result. However, there is perhaps a pall of uncertainty surrounding the results. On day three many of the French team were disqualified from the event for breaching the rules, then on day five were provisionally reinstated, and thus able to claim victory. This led to Australia climbing to the top step of the podium and chanting Aussie-Aussie-Aussie, as Spain looked on and France were yet to mount the podium to claim the top spot on the rostrum. Something that no doubt put a sheepish grin on the organisers and FIM officials present. The rules are fairly clear cut, they were broken, no wonder Team Australia felt they had a right to that top step.
Repeating their podium result of 2014, Spain ended a difficult and tiring race in third overall. With Italy fourth, Great Britain completed the top five.
In the FIM Junior World Trophy team competition the day belonged to Australia. Finally ending a twenty-year winless streak, Australia secured the top step of the podium. Maintaining their comfortable advantage at the head of the field, they signed off on the weeklong race in style by securing the win on day six.
Knowing that it would take a lot of luck to overhaul Australia for victory, Sweden delivered a safe ride during the final motocross races to end the ISDE as runners up. In the battle for the final step of the podium, Italy held off a late charge by France to place third. Despite giving it their best effort on the final day, France had to be content with fourth while Great Britain finished just over two minutes behind the French in fifth.
Making it a hat trick of victories, Australia were the clear winners of the FIM Women’s World Trophy team competition. With an insurmountable advantage over their rivals, Australia yet again recorded the class win – their sixth of the week – to remain undefeated in Slovakia. Behind Australia, France ended their race in second. Completing the top three, Sweden joined Australia and France on the podium in third. Finland and USA rounded out the top five.
Tayla Jones – “I think this week has gone even better than I could have expected. My first goal was to defend our Women’s World Trophy title, which we did. But to win every day and only lose two special tests – both to Jemma – has been incredible.”
Delivering a start-to-finish victory in the final motocross, Spain’s Josep Garcia – Husqvarna was the winner of the Enduro 1 class on day six. Chasing him home for second, Great Britain’s Jamie McCanney – Husqvarna capped off what has been a fantastic week to secure the overall class win. With the fight for the runner-up result going down to the wire, France’s Anthony Boissiere – Sherco did enough to beat Spain’s Cristobal Guerrero – Yamaha by five seconds to place second.
Ending his ISDE in style, USA’s Ryan Sipes – Husqvarna signed off with a confident win in the Enduro 2 class on day six. The race win ensured Sipes his debut outright individual ISDE victory.
Ryan Sipes – “I had a good start to the race winning the first special tests, and things continued to go well. After day three I was leading the overall and started to build confidence. On day five there was a little bit of pressure and I was subconsciously riding a bit conservatively. I just wanted to be safe and preserve my lead, which worked out. This was my first ISDE as a member of USA’s World Trophy Team and it was a huge honour to be picked. To win outright individual victory is more than I could have possibly hoped for.”
Providing the closest challenge to Sipes in Slovakia, Australia’s Daniel Milner – Yamaha closed out the ISDE as runner-up to the American. France’s Loic Larrieu – Sherco completed the top three.
Daniel Milner – “It’s been a good week. I managed to win a day outright while also consistently challenge for the overall victory. Of course I’d love to have taken the win but to end six days of racing just 45 seconds behind isn’t really a bad thing. Overall I can’t fault how things have gone. My bike was flawless and aside from swapping handlebars and suspension I pretty much rode my bike as it came out of the crate. To deliver this level of result on it is fantastic.”
Italy’s Davide Guarneri – TM was the runaway winner of the Enduro 3 class on day six. Ending what has been an incredible performance in Kosice, Australia’s Daniel Sanders – KTM recorded the overall class win. Improving all week, France’s Mathias Bellino – Husqvarna took second while Italy’s Oscar Balletti – KTM finished less than five seconds behind Bellino in third.
With the ninetieth edition of the ISDE complete, Spain now looks forward to the honourable role of hosting the 2016 FIM International Six Days Enduro in just of a year’s time. However, we imagine some questions still remain over the final official World Trophy results from Slovakia, which certainly have shrouded the 2015 event in a distasteful shadow.
Results – FIM International Six Days Enduro 2015
World Trophy Team
1. France – 21:08:30.76 – Marc Bourgeois (Yamaha), Anthony Boissiere (Sherco), Loic Larrieu (Sherco), Antoine Basset (KTM), Jeremy Joly (KTM), Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna)
2. Australia – 21:09:31.14 – Joshua Green (Yamaha), Daniel Milner (Yamaha), Matthew Phillips (KTM), Beau Ralston (Yamaha), Lachlan Stanford (Husqvarna), Glenn Kearney (Husqvarna)
3. Spain – 21:18:57.52 – Jonathan Barragan (Gas Gas), Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna), Josep Garcia (Husqvarna), Victor Guerrero (KTM), Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco), Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha)
Junior World Trophy
1. Australia – 12:56:33.09 – Broc Grabham (Sherco), Tom Mason (KTM), Daniel Sanders (KTM), Tye Simmonds (KTM)
2. Sweden – 13:11:59.93 – Jesper Borjesson (Husqvarna), Michael Persson (Yamaha), John Ramstrom (Husqvarna), Tommy Sjostrom (Gas Gas)
3. Italy – 13:23:17.17 – Nicolo Bruschi (Honda), Matteo Pavoni (KTM), Mirko Spandre (KTM), Michele Marchelli (Husqvarna)
Women’s World Trophy
1. Australia – 10:15:02.65 – Jessica Gardiner (Sherco), Tayla Jones (Yamaha), Jemma Wilson (Yamaha)
2. France – 11:10:56.38 – Blandine Dufrene (KTM), Geraldine Fournel (Sherco), Audrey Rossat (Husqvarna)
3. Sweden – 11:30:23.63 – 1. Jessica Jonsson (Kawasaki), Emelie Karlsson (Yamaha), Emmily Smalsjo (Yamaha)
Enduro 1
1. Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) 4:12:06.87
2. Anthony Boissiere (Sherco) 4:13:24.64
3. Cristobal Guerrero (Yamaha) 4:13:30.25
5. Joshua Green (Yamaha) 4:15:17.86
6. Marc Bourgeois (Yamaha) 4:15:56.18
Enduro 2
1. Ryan Sipes (Husqvarna) 4:07:37.44
2. Daniel Milner (Yamaha) 4:08:20.83
3. Loic Larrieu (Sherco) 4:10:50.21
Enduro Women
1. Tayla Jones (Yamaha) 5:02:57.80
2. Jemma Wilson (Yamaha) 5:14:35.17
3. Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) 5:15:10.93
