Silleda, Galicia in the north west of Spain was host to the 2024 Noco FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) and the scene of some truly epic enduro racing. Team Australia dived head-first into what was the 98th ISDE with a four-man Trophy Team headed by veteran racer Josh Strang and relative young guns Jonte Reynders, Kyron Bacon and Cooper Sheidow. There was some criticism over the selection with the likes of EnduroGP regular Wil Ruprecht and recently crowned Australian Off-Road Champion Daniel Milner not on the 2024 ISDE team, but critics can say what they like because it’s not the critic who counts, it’s the man in the arena as famously put by Theodore Roosevelt.
Strang is a passionate Aussie who always puts his hand up for racing on the Australian Team which was recognised when he was announced as the flag bearer for the 2024 ISDE opening ceremony in Silleda. Bacon had the experience of the 2022 ISDE under his belt but Reynders and Sheidow went into the Spanish event as ISDE rookies.
The Australian Junior Trophy Team had Korey McMahon back for his second stint at an ISDE after racing in France in 2022. ISDE rookies Angus Riordan and Will Dennett completed the Team.
With a strong ISDE history the Australian Women’s Team was considered a favourite for the female division with the experienced multi-time Team riders Jess Gardiner and Tayla Jones joined by current Australia Off-Road Champion Danielle McDonald.
The field was stacked with 600 riders from 30 different nations so it was never going to be easy. While the ISDE is a Team event, all eyes were on the individuals at the top of the score sheets which included EnduroGP heavy-hitters Steve Holcombe, Andrea Verona and Josep Garcia. National pride is one thing but winning the ISDE outright comes with huge bragging rights and quite possibly a very big bonus cheque.
WET AND WILD
While plenty of people associate Spain with sunshine and beautiful beaches, the trails and special tests of the 2024 ISDE were wet and the European riders were right at home. When Verona was forced out of the race after his Factory GASGAS expired, it was a high-revving and heart-thumping duel between Great Britain’s Steve Holcombe and Spain’s Josep Garcia; the flying Spaniard eventually taking his fourth consecutive ISDE outright win on home soil with a jaw-dropping ride. The pace these two riders displayed was insane and it’s definitely worth watching if you care to look up some highlights online.
The coveted Trophy Team win went to a very tight performance by France which was led by Beta RR 250 rider Theo Espinasse who managed to placed third outright. The French Team of Espinasse, Le Quere, Hugo Blanjoue and Julien Roussaly was consistent and fast. The French boys were on it!
Team Australia was also consistent with Strang solid as a rock while Bacon and Reynders charged hard moving into the top echelon of a few special tests. It was Angus Riordan, however, who proved to be the shining light as he topped the outright charts of all Aussie riders placing 17th outright and leading the Junior Trophy Team for fourth place.
With Strang the experienced elder statesman and Riordan the flashy young rookie leading the charge, we’ll let them tell their stories of the 98th International Six Days Enduro.
TEAM LEADER STRANG
Australian Trophy Team leader Josh Strang shares his ISDE experience.
“With the Six Day being back in Europe this year and the fact that I am riding a European brand bike, I figured it would be easy to source a bike for the event. I know my career is coming to a close so I wanted to try and get in another Six Day while I had good support. I got selected for the Team and I found a sponsor in the US that paid for my bike rental so I was committed. The plan was to ride a Sherco but that arrangement crumbled after I terminated my contract with the US Sherco importer around six weeks before the event. I didn’t have a problem with the brand, just the US importer. The Beta was my choice and the decision to race the two-stroke was basically on cost because it was around €1500 cheaper than renting a four-stroke.
“This was my eighth Six Day and in terms of numbers I am very old in comparison to the other riders on our team. I can see we are from different eras. It’s funny because I remember being on the Six Day Team with riders like (Chris) Hollis, Pricey (Toby Price), (Matt) Phillips and (Daniel) Milner. I am that era and those guys are gone. Maybe one day Gus (Riordan) or Kyron (Bacon) will say, “I remember when I raced with Strang when he was old as hell.” I’m the old guy racing with kids.
“I only new Gus and Jess, Tayla and Danielle and the Team management. I’d never met the other guys before and I was interested to see how they act around each other because I know what I can be like with some of my competitors in GNCC. I got along with Korey (McMahon) really well. He reminds me of someone from my hometown of Inverell. I was most interested in how Jonte and Kyron get along because they’re the main guys in the AORC but for the ISDE, we all got along. Everyone was quite mellow and it was pretty good. The Team supporters always do a good job but this year there was a group of them that took our dirty washing at the end of each day to wash it. Things like that mean a lot. Some of the younger riders might not understand how big of a deal that stuff is because we have a lot on our plate.
“The event was very European. The last few Six Days I have done have been very dry with a lot of highway riding which is not all that enjoyable. But this year we were riding through the countryside with really old buildings and old rock fences and you really feel like you are experiencing Europe. I liked it. As for the weather, we got rain at least once every day of the event. But for some reason the ground seemed to hold up pretty well and it soaked in, except for a couple of tests that were scrapped on day-five when the water just sat on top of the ground. It was pretty wild.
“The special tests were fast and flowing. Even the enduro tests in the trees were fast and there were a lot of grass track tests. When we walked the tests before the race started the tests looked like they offered a bunch of traction with what looked like a layer of good dirt on top but it cut down to a slippery and rocky base. I struggled and you can see a lot of the American riders struggled as well. But if you look at the European riders, it looks like they were riding on Velcro. I really struggled with the conditions but I had a blast.
“I hadn’t ridden a carburetted two-stroke since 2007 and when I tested it before the race it must have got hot and it ran-on a bit. I thought it was too lean so I richened it up. Then on the first day of the race it wouldn’t rev out for me. Clearly, I went way too rich and it was all my fault. During the day when I had more than 10 minutes at a time control I’d pull the carby apart. I changed the needle clip position then at another control I changed the main jet. It was a nervous situation because when you take that spring off the slide, sometimes it doesn’t want to go back in. I didn’t have any problems doing it but it made me nervous.
“The special tests were fun but I think I struggled with learning how to ride a two-stroke again and changing down gears when I needed to. Out on the transport sections it was so much fun to ride. I’d just shift into top gear and ride at a comfortable pace. To be honest, I switched brands just six weeks before this race so I was still learning to ride the brand, let alone a two-stroke. I ran the stock RR suspension with my own springs which was probably too soft for me.
“The part of the race I didn’t enjoy was my test times. I was upset with myself for that. Once I figured out the dirt and the gear changes required for a two-stroke, I was still posting the same consistent test times. I’d finish a test thinking I set a good time and to see I was so far back wasn’t enjoyable for me. I was quite frustrated and I believe I should have done better than I did.
“Every bit of conversation during the race revolved around Garcia and Holcombe and how they were doing what they did. It’s crazy and they’re definitely in a league of their own right now. When you get on the edge that far, there has to be something on the line. Those guys have got to be making money at the Six Day. I could be wrong, but I’ll go as far to say they could be making $10,000 for an outright win for a day. They are going that gnarly, that there has to be a heap of money on the line, per day. I came into the start of the final test of day two, waiting for my turn and I saw Holcombe cross the line and he won the test and he won the day and he was pumped and held his bike off the limiter for at least six seconds. You don’t do that unless you’re making cream. I’m not making a cent doing it.
“The final moto was muddy with a single rut and it rained all day. To do good in that stuff you have to put a smile on your face. I know some riders struggled with it but I enjoyed it and found it quite easy, although I wasn’t in the fast moto. I know my career is drawing to a close sometime soon so being at another Six Day on the Aussie Team for the last time, or not, was pretty exciting for me.”
RIORDAN FASTEST AUSSIE
Angus Riordan tells his story of racing the ISDE for the first time and what it’s like finishing as the fastest Aussie.
“The ISDE was pretty awesome. The venue was sick and the parc ferme was actually under cover which made starting in the mornings and the afternoon work period enjoyable because the weather was really shit. I set my goals pretty high for the event but I didn’t get them which was a bit annoying but I did learn a few things and I had fun, which is the main thing.
“Bike setup was so crucial. In GNCC or the likes of Hattah you have three hours to get used to your bike. You can be uncomfortable for 20 or 30 minutes then get used to your bike and you can just soldier on. But at the Six Day, one dab of the foot in an eight-minute sprint might lose you that sprint. You can’t make mistakes and if your bike isn’t set up right, it’s just a big pain in the arse.
“Next time I’d make my bike’s suspension softer, and bib mousse setup is so important. When you put a new mousse in, it’s like riding on 50psi in the rear and you don’t get any traction. When I drilled them out I had perfect traction. I knew this but I didn’t do it soon enough.
“Representing Australia was pretty cool. There was a good group of us and it was a great experience to verse the other countries. It was pretty cool being the fastest Aussie. Luckily, I had a good day-five and final moto which bumped me up the outright order a bit because Jonte and Kyron were above me before that. The final moto was shocking. It had potential to be really good but it rained all day and turned to shit.
“The whole Team stayed in the same motel and we all ate breakfast and dinner together. It was cool. I shared a room with Korey McMahaon and we get along well so we carried on like idiots for the two weeks we were over there, just keeping it fun. I’d definitely do it again.”
AUSSIE LADIES SECOND BEST
Jess Gardiner notched up her 12th ISDE in Spain which is a huge achievement. Not only that, Jess placed third in the women’s division, playing a huge role in the Australian Women’s Team placing second behind Team USA. Gardiner’s experience elevated her performance as the lead Australian in what was a very muddy and challenging finale. Gardiner commenting after the final moto, “That was one of the muddiest races I’ve ever done. I have the best teammates in the world and I am so proud of them. So pumped I had a decent final moto, making up enough time to finish third individually for the week. It’s a massive effort that starts months earlier, the fundraisers, the Team supporters here at the event. I couldn’t be more proud for Australia.”
FAST FACTS
Two-Stroke enduro bikes are fast! Five out of the top-10 outright riders at the ISDE were racing on a two-stroke. The highest placed two-stroke rider was Theo Espinasse of France who was racing a Beta RR 250. While plenty of off-road riders in Australia love big capacity four-stroke machines, it appears quite the opposite for riders at the ISDE. The highest placed 500cc four-stroke rider was Ben Herrera from Chile on a KTM 500EXC placing 30th outright. Australian Junior Trophy Team rider Korey McMahon was the highest placed 450cc four-stroke rider placing 33rd outright.
RESULTS
TROPHY TEAM
- France – 14:05’34:97
- USA – 14:11’13:05
- Spain – 14:19’47:30
- Australia – 14:35’28:43
Kyron Bacon, Yamaha WR250F – 3:35’54:70
Jonte Reynders, Sherco 300SEF – 3:35’05:64
Josh Strang, Beta RR 300 – 3:37’14:96
Cooper Sheidow, Yamaha WR250F – 3:48’12:14
JUNIOR TROPHY TEAM
- Sweden – 10:36’43:30
- France – 10:42’34:11
- USA – 10:51’11:85
- Australia – 10:54;46:36
Angus Riordan, KTM 250EXC – 3:33’26:89
Korey McMahon, GASGAS EC450 – 3:39’53”71
William Dennett, Yamaha WR450F – 3:41’25:76
WOMEN
- USA – 11:34’20:80
- Australia – 11:40’41:98
Jess Gardiner, Yamaha WR250F – 3:50’44:97
Tayla Jones, Husqvarna TE250 – 3:54’29:33
Danielle McDonald, Yamaha WR250F – 3:55’27:68
- Sweden – 12:04’38:75
OVERALL
- Josep Garcia, Spain – KTM 250EXC. 3:23’25:34
- Steve Holcombe, Great Britain – Honda CRF300R. 3:25’42:78
- Theo Espinasse, France – Beta RR 250. 3:28’47:09
