Racing

2022 Team USA International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) Camp

It’s no vacation.

July 19, 2022

The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is a very specialized event. The closest thing we have to the Six Days format here in the United States is the Sprint Enduro series in the east. However, American squads have had plenty of success at the international event during recent years.

After taking over management of the US ISDE Trophy Teams in 2012, then-FMF KTM Factory Racing off-road team manager Antti Kallonen took the US squad to a historic first-ever World Trophy Team victory in Spain in 2016.Shan Moore

After taking over the US ISDE Trophy Team effort in 2012 prior to that year’s ISDE in Germany, Antti Kallonen guided the US squad to a historic first-ever World Trophy Team victory in Spain in 2016. According to Kallonen, organization was one of the keys to success during that four-year period. To help prepare the riders for the event, Kallonen holds a camp each year for US team members.

The 2022 ISDE will be held in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, from August 29 through September 3. US team members are Kailub Russell, Josh Toth, Layne Michael, and Dante Oliveira on the World Trophy Team; Cody Barnes, Mateo Oliveira, and Austin Walton on the Junior Trophy Team; and Brandy Richards, Korie Steede, and Rachel Gutish on the Women’s Trophy Team.

Steward Baylor was originally picked to compete on this year’s US Trophy Team, but won’t be able to compete due to injuries. Filling in for him is eight-time GNCC champ Kailub Russell, who is coming out of retirement for the race.Shan Moore

Kailub Russell was a last-minute replacement for Steward Baylor after he injured his neck. Russell is coming out of retirement after two years away from racing, and is excited to have the opportunity to go after the only award left on his bucket list—an ISDE individual overall award.

“It’s really important to me to get this chance,” Russell said. “I’m not sure if I’ve still got the full ability nowadays, but we’re working on getting it back. Having two years off from racing off-road has been good. I’m kind of re-motivated again to do it. I’m having a lot of fun with it. I needed a good, long break away from dirt bikes.”

US Junior Trophy Team member Mateo Oliveira changes a throttle cable on his muddy bike in between tests during the ISDE simulation. According to FIM regulations, the objective of the race is to test the reliability of the motorcycles and the skill of the riders, so outside assistance is prohibited and riders are expected to perform all maintenance tasks without the help of a mechanic, although a mechanic or other person can hand tools to the rider and give advice.Shan Moore

This year’s four-day camp was held in conjunction with the two-day Sprint Enduro World Championship in Sandy Level, Virginia, and Kallonen put the troops through a rigorous curriculum. Team members were required to race the two-day event (plus two more days of simulated racing) using DOT-approved “eco” tires (which are required at Six Days), as well as perform various maintenance tasks during the 15-minute rest period between tests to simulate ISDE competition. The team also remained at the track after the race for more preparation on Monday and Tuesday.

At the beginning of the camp, Kallonen emphasized the importance of preparation. “Since we don’t race the Six Day format here, we need to prepare and practice,” he said. “Most of our riders this year have already been to Six Days, and they have the speed. They have the technique. They have all the tools. So the camp is to just fine-tune or to tailor their riding toward Six Days.”

Each day at the ISDE, riders are given a 15-minute work period before the start of the day and at the end of the day to perform any maintenance needed before starting the race and before impounding the bike for the night. Brandy Richards, who led last year’s US Women’s team to the Women’s Trophy Team victory (Richards won every single test in the Women’s division at last year’s event), changes her DOT-approved tire during a 15-minute break in between tests during the camp. On average, riders are expected to change a tire in under three minutes.Shan Moore

Kallonen went on to explain the keys to success at Six Days. “Preparation is everything,” he said. “If you haven’t prepared and you go to a race, you already know you’re going to fail. When you’re prepared, you’re prepared to win and prepared for the worst, and you’re prepared for all the things that can go wrong.

“I have three things that I’m really big on emphasizing: mindset, preparation, and execution,” Kallonen added. “If you’re not doing each of these 100 percent, you don’t have the full package and you’re not going to perform when the time comes. You have to have the mindset from the get-go. That mindset takes you all the way to the finish line when the final race is over. It’s also going to take you through the preparation, the execution, anything that can happen. Then preparation, that’s the biggest thing. That’s what we’re doing at the camp. We’re preparing. We’re preparing to work on bikes. We’re preparing to hone our skills for sprint speed now. And once you have the preparation, that gives you the confidence to execute.”

Craig DeLong will be riding on the US Club Team in France, and he was excited for the opportunity and to be able to prepare at the camp. “I’m more comfortable on the enduro test, so for me, this is good practice for France, especially the cross test,” he said. “I know for guys like Spaniard Josep Garcia, the cross tests are their bread and butter, so I’m looking forward to the camp and being able to work and maybe see some new lines and try to pick up a couple seconds. I’m excited; France is coming quick.”Shan Moore

Another key, according to Kallonen, is to start fast. “Every time we have won at the ISDE, we have been strong on day 1,” Kallonen explained. “The years that we’ve struggled, our day 1 wasn’t good enough. The reason? We weren’t prepared. The riders didn’t do their homework. Now we have six weeks before the race and we need to do our homework all the way until we leave. Once we get to France, the first day is crucial. If you just look at the history and the stats, how we stack up and how the race forms, usually the team that has been up there from day 1 is the team that wins. So that’s our goal, that when we go, we’re confident and we have a good day 1.”

The European riders have a big advantage at ISDE since at FIM events like World Enduro they have to use DOT tires, while they are not required here in the States. Brandy Richards spoke about the difference between the DOT tires and regular knobby tires. “Because of how the knobs are placed, you can’t get on the edges of the tire,” she said. “You have to ride straight up and down, which is super hard on some of the off-camber corners.”

The US team will be going for a third World Trophy Team award at this year’s event in France.Shan Moore

This year in France, the US squad will be going for a third World Trophy Team award. Previous US winners are Kailub Russell, Taylor Robert, Thad Duvall, and Layne Michael in 2016 in Spain; and Steward Baylor, Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell, and Ryan Sipes in 2019 in Portugal.

A US team has won the Junior Trophy Team award on three occasions: Steve Hatch, Jimmy Lewis, David Rhodes, and Chris Smith in Czechoslovakia in 1991; Kurt Caselli, Ricky Dietrich, Russell Bobbitt, and David Pearson in 2006 in New Zealand; and Grant Baylor, Steward Baylor, Trevor Bollinger, and Justin Jones in Argentina in 2014.

In 1973, at the event held in the United States, Dick Burleson, Malcolm Smith, Ed Schmidt, and Ron Bohn won the Silver Vase class, which is the equivalent of today’s Junior Trophy class.

Women’s Trophy Team winners include Nicole Bradford, Mandiy Maston, and Lacy Jones in Chile in 2007; Tarah Gieger, Brandy Richards, and Rebecca Sheets in 2019 in Portugal; and Brandy Richards, Rachel Gutish, and Britney Gallegos in 2021 in Italy.