I am having a hard time getting my fix of six days material. I have been on every website since 6am this morning looking for updates. It is just not the same not being there. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that we all miss. I was fortunate enough to go to Slovakia with good friends of mine Daniel Janus and Jay Hall. I think the USA needs a media person who could volunteer there time to keep us updated from across the pond. I volunteer!! There are tons of great pics from Steve Berkner on the gofaters.com site. Jay is the Parc ferme team manager and just by the pics you can tell just how involved he and his wife tammy are to the team. Along with many other voluneers that go unseen is what makes team USA such a pride to represent.
lots of E3 presence at the top of the charts,,,lots of power robbing sand, E3=lots of power. I like seeing Sam Aro up top, that guy rocks! The French team are holding up well Thain,Meo,Nambotin are like a parade in the specials. Looks like some weird/bad luck for our guys.
Knight is out....boo hoo...NOT! Ben smith is out after day 2...reason unknown Dave Kamo is out on Jun team for USA....wiring harnes melted and shriveled up on hi bike....trophy and junior have used up their "jokers" by day 2....not good.....sand must be eating bikes alive Joe
after 2 daze.... On trophy we sit in 6th about 11 minutes out. Belgium, Spain UK and USA have lost their "joker" On Junior, we sit in 4th about 2 1/2 minutes out. Port, Arg, UK Aust, and USA have lost their "joker".. Finland has lost 2 of 4 making them out of junior. just under 1/2 of club teams are out and we have 5 of 7 still in with the top 5 in the top 20%! Testimony to 5 womens taems is they all are in and none has lost a rider yet! You go Girls!
Cycle News is reporting that ben's retirement is from gettinghis "Bell Rung" in a big crash. I hope he is okay.
I would really like to know the inside scoop on Kamo's Kato,,,,,the wire harness fried!!?? This is a guy who rarly DNFs in the H&H series of hammering over ugly terrain, that is a strange dnf for a modern bike.(agree??) very tough competition, hard on machinery, yes the Flyin French are just railing like a train through the specials
http://www.isde2009-live.info/ wow after todays 7 specials Nambotin G-G 1st oa 1st E3, Meo Hus 2nd OA 2nd E3, Thain TM 5th oa 1st E2. My mang Sam Aro won a special!!! note 5 different marques in the first 5 OA positions G-G,Hus,KTM,TM,YAm that is great for the sport!! Caselli 7th OA! 4th E3 Also another fave of mine Anders! still moving along for his career twilight show on the beemer.
Ben Smith I spoke to Ben's dad today he had A bad crash in A test, knocked him out. Aperently all is ok as best as we know. The ISDE is such A great experince to bad it ended early for Ben.
bummer for Ben , glad he is OK,,,,smart to walk away from the bell ringer and check himself out. The D1 and D2 course must be hammered.
Ben Smith posted this on ECEA bb...... Sorry to dissapoint every body, by not being able to finish. I just want to clarify what happened to me. It was in the forst test of day two. I remember going into the test, but thats it until I came to on a stretcher with people putting a neck brace on me. It was at least ten minutes I was incoherent beacause there were other american riders that rode by and said I was sitting up with my helmet off, and they were at least 4 minutes behind me. Everything is a bit fuzzy after I came to, but I vaguely remember geing carried off on the stretcher, and being looked over. So after about another 25 minutes I was walking around, they gave me a shot of something, and I was told to hang out for another 30 minutes. So after about 5-10 I put my gear on and rode. I knew where I had to go so I rode the day out taking it easy in the sand tests not to have another get off. At the end of the day, I had only dropped 35 minutes. I came in to my 15 minute work period changed both my tires in about 10 and looked over the bike, and impounded like nothing happened. Club riders are allowed to reimpound after not finishing a day, they ride for no metal but they can ride for their team. Since I finished the day, but didn't get a finish time for the first test, I needed to notify the people at the finish check that I had troubles on the course and was REimpounding, as if I didn't finish the day. But since I didn't tell them, I was excluded from competition. There is a whole mess of rules about this, and Our FIM jury representitive stuck up for me, but they stood by their crazy rules. Again, I'm sorry for the dissapointment, but I'm ok, just a headache, and neck pain, but I'm more bummed out than words can explain Ben Smith
Simo Kirrssi and his big BMW had some issues today and he was hit with a 8 min and a 5 minute penalty for finland, they used their "joker" already so it hurt the score and allowed USA Trophy team to move up one from 6th O/A to 5th for the end of day 4. 4th place Sweden is withi 1 minute of them so we could move up one on day 5 if the boys still keep it up. Whole team is doing well buut Casselli and Abbot are riding above and beyond.
for Ben Smith, Thanks for representing, glad you are ok, sounds like a really big concussion, smart move to resign (by your own process or theirs) from the competition, keep safe, and get a neuro check from your MD. It happens to the best when you are pushing the envelope (Caselli last year and Knight too this year among others, you are in fast company) . Rootin' for you and all the club riders again soon, get back on that horse!! R Go Caselli, Go Dez, Go Hoess!! and all the others
D5 drama, the French lost Gaultier, Italians are @4 minutes behind, but France still has their fastest riders intact, happy to see the Oz crew in podium position, Chris Hollis has been strong on his Husky!
