2018 ISDE Day 1 Results: Team USA Leads Australia
The 93rd edition of the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) got underway Monday in Vina del Mar, Chile. And after a full day of challenges, Team USA (Ryan Sipes (Husqvarna), Taylor Robert (KTM), Steward Baylor (KTM) and Zachary Bell (Husqvarna) took the overall lead in the FIM World Trophy class.
But it wasn’t a runaway margin; led by fastest rider Robert, Team USA finished day one with a total time of 2.45:10.30, a mere 4.14 seconds ahead of Team Australia (Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders, Lyndon Snodgrass, Joshua Strang).
Finishing third in the World Class was Team Spain, who was over an hour behind Team USA.
“To be in this position after day one is very promising,” KTM rider Robert said after day one. “Last year we lost the entire race on day one, so we were very aware of not making that mistake again. Everyone put their best foot forward today, with a little room to spare.
“Personally, it’s been a great day, I only had one major mistake and managed to finish no less than third in each special test, so that’s been a real confidence boost for sure.”
In the FIM Junior World Trophy class, Team Italy Andrea Verona (TM), Matteo Cavallo (Beta) and Davide Soreca (TM) took the early day-one lead.
Behind them, defending champions France are within striking distance of their rivals, sitting 13 seconds adrift as runners up on day one. With only a further 20 seconds separating France from third placed United States (Josh Toth, Ben Kelley, Grant Baylor), competition is already proving close in the Junior ranks.
As expected Australia were quick to establish their dominance in the FIM Women’s World Trophy category, taking a commanding lead on day one. Led by Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones, the defending champions have already pulled over ninety seconds clear of the United States in second, with Spain a further two minutes and sixteen seconds back in third. France and Sweden complete the top five.
With Taylor Robert fastest outright, the KTM rider also topped the Enduro 2 category. Following Robert home for second overall on day one, Australia’s Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna) best-placed Enduro 3 competitor, while Robert’s teammate Ryan Sipes (Husqvarna) was quickest in Enduro 1.
Day two of the FIM ISDE will see riders complete the same Pacific Challenge course.