DAY 3
We have wireless now in the paddock. We were able to cruise to the first test this morning and watch the entire team....all the trophy team and then the club riders.
Alan is right, the three Utah guys are so amazingly consistent and comparable, it is amazing. There are lots of other riders, but our guys are doing great!! We cruised it back to the paddock and just barely got here in time as they were coming in. They are all in good spirits, good health, and bike and body are doing well.
The course today is brutal according to all reports. This is all new course today. Bikes are overheating and they're riding a slightly more relaxed schedule because of it, but tomorrow they're tightening up the schedule. It's going to result in some more attrition. The key here is for these guys to remain consistent and finish.
The entire US team is very very close together. As a result, the pits were chaotic for their first go around (they do the same loop twice). When they come in for tire changes tonight it's going to be crazy! We've been doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible. We've made good friends with a lot of the support crew of the other Club riders and it's become a great team effort.
We each have a key responsibility for "our" rider (me for Cory, Brad for Shawn, Pam for Jake), and then everyone else has some type of support role. Josh is our filter and axle guy. He's washed more filters this week than he probably has in his entire life. He's also gotten really good at taking rear axles, wiping them and greasing them. He's also "sticker boy" and he has pockets full of stickers and hands them out to all the little Mexican kids. The AMA guys love Josh and are constantly hollering his name for this or that. He loves it.
The weather has been more overcast today, but no rain yet. The guys coming in are saying that if it rains, the course is going to be impassable.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, Day 3
Although the routine of being in the paddock and helping with the team is becoming the same, each day brings unique little variables that make it all interesting again. Today was no different.
Days 3 and 4 are all new course. The riders ride about the same distance again (about 70-75 miles), done twice for a total around 150. Today was just a bit shorter, but it more than made up for it in the technical level required to get through it.
As previously mentioned, we're not able to chase our riders around to every special test. The sheer logistics of it make it near impossible, not to mention the fact that all of us as support team are assigned a job. However, today we decided to see our riders off from the impound area, and then try and chase them to the third special test (the one I previously posted pictures of near the "lake"). We planned that by doing so, we could see them ride a new test and still get back in time to be there in the pits for them before sending them out a second time. We would not risk chasing them to a test again, because it is imperative that we're back to assist with tire changes.
Start times for all riders were adjusted after the first day so our riders were starting earlier today. As you've witnessed from all the results, the three Utah riders are somehow riding at about the exact same pace, swapping positions in the special tests and bouncing around between about the 10th-15th range in the C3 class. This same thing is occurring for the entire US team though and as a result, they're all starting very closely together.
The implication of this is that they are then all coming into the pits together at the same time which makes it very challenging. Rather than us being able to focus on one rider, we're spread out across multiple riders and it adds to the chaos.
For those familiar with the ISDE format, the rider has 10 minutes during the morning impound to do any additional maintenance on his/her bike. As we were standing there this morning, Steve Morefield, one of the US Club riders from California, was doing a front tire change. His time was winding down quickly and he was frantically trying to get the wheel on his bike. He got it on, rolled to the start gate, and moved through with exactly one second to spare. It's the little intense moments like that when a whole crew of guys is working to help a single rider be successful, that make this event so unique and cool. As he rolled through, everyone was cheering and giving high-fives.
Another observation of being in the pits of the ISDE is that it's unlike any other pit experience you can have in the states. For one, it's an international event, and short of the recent MX Des Nations in Colorado, there's nothing else comparable. But at the ISDE, you see such a variety of bikes, particularly Euro bikes. There are Husky's everywhere, Husabergs, Gas Gas, TM, and of course KTM, Yamaha, and Honda. You see very few Suzuki's but there certainly are some.
From what I'm gathering, Days 3 and 4 are notoriously difficult at the ISDE. Bikes and bodies are starting to break down, and the course often becomes increasingly more difficult. Although they ride the same course, the decision to ride "Schedule A" or "Schedule B" is decided the night before. B is a slightly more "relaxed" schedule than A and the determination is made based upon multiple variables such as weather, course condition, etc. Today the guys were riding Schedule B and they seemed to have plenty of time at all the checks. Tomorrow they'll be riding the A schedule and everything is tightened up about 4-5 minutes for each section.
We booked it to Test 3 in hopes of catching our riders. This is the test set on a hillside in eucalyptus trees beside a reservoir. It has lots of off-camber turns and small ledges. As we arrived, we were excited to find that if we hurried, we could watch our Trophy riders first. We were literally running down the road when Caselli went by and we were just able to watch Mike Brown. There are a series of small ledges going up an uphill section and Josh was mesmerized watching Brown launch each one of them doubling them all the way up the hill and attacking the corners with the aggression of a National Motocross Champion, which he is. It was definitely cool.
We saw all the Trophy Team guys come through and it was fun to yell for them and encourage them on as well.
It's hard because I admittedly don't know all the Euro riders with exception to some of the more common names such as Juha Salminen, Johnny Aubert, Rodrig Thain, etc., but I will tell you that as you're standing there watching, you can see the amazing speed of some of their top guys and it's pure magic.
Another fun thing is to be standing there as a spectator and watching down through the trees for the ever so distinctive "Skunk" helmet, the trademark symbol of the US riders. They are easy to spot and then instantly you become on edge anticipating them coming through so you can cheer them on. You can tell they love it too.....who wouldn't.
We then saw our Utah guys come through. First was Jake. Jake is precise, smooth, and deceptively fast. I've described him that way before, but I don't know how else to say it. Next was Shawn. Shawn was looking good and consistent. We then anticipated Cory coming next because he was only a minute behind Shawn on start time. We waited......and waited....and then just like a nervous parent I started wondering what was going on. Did he have a mechanical problem? Was he hurt? Then, through the trees, the "Skunk" helmet appeared and all was good. In reality it was probably a total of 2-3 minutes but it sure did make me nervous. I felt the same way I do when I send my kids out for a desert race and anxiously anticipate them coming back to the pits.
Now it was time to get back to the pits and try and beat our riders back. We had left enough of the rest of the support team there to take care of our guys if we didn't make it back, but we really needed/wanted to be there. Driving in Mexico is......well interesting. Driving in Mexico while frantically trying to get back to your riders, while there are accidents, street protests, ambulances, and diversions of highways onto single lane cobblestone side roads, makes it even more interesting. We got stuck in a major traffic jam and began to get pretty frantic about getting back to our guys. We eventually made it but they were literally in the pits servicing their bikes as we got there. Brad was there and Cory's wife Kara, and several other people, but it is just frustrating when you can't be there to do the job you're supposed to do. We helped where we could and send them on their way. I could tell from their faces and comments that today was harder than yesterday.
The other thing that was occurring was that all the riders were coming in together. There are about twelve stations under the US tents and as riders come in, they just shuffle them into one of the available spots. When they are intermittently coming in this works fine, but when they're all coming in together, it creates a problem. The first pit after Loop 1 is not a big deal because they're just gassing, checking over their bikes, and fueling bodies, but at the end of the day when they're coming in for tire changes.....holy cow, watch out.
So, a few hours passed and it became time that we needed to start preparing for the Trophy guys to come in. There are a handful of the AMA team in in the pits that are managing the pits and monitoring everything. They primarily take care of the Trophy guys and the Club riders each seem to have their own person. The majority are Father/Son combos. However, remember that traffic jam that I was mentioning? Well, all the guys out chasing their riders that are usually back for the tire change pit at the end of the day, were all stuck in the traffic jam due to the protest in the street. We also knew that based on prescribed arrival times, that everyone was going to be coming at once.
Literally at the last minute, several of them arrived (Destry's dad, Nick Fahringers Dad, Taylor Roberts Dad and mechanic), but we were definitely short-handed. All of a sudden everyone is there and it's totally psychotic. Tire irons are flying, people are yelling, riders are being directed where to go, and everyone is doing their best. Jimmy Jarrett rolls up and I'm standing there and there's nobody to help. I jump in and it's just me and Jimmy at the time and I'm trying to help him while walking that fine line between "Get the "beep beep" out of my way", and "Where the "" are my tools and why aren't you helping me." The tire irons we had in the kit he was using weren't the ones he preferred and he was struggling a bit, but managed to get through it.
Eventually, all the Trophy and Junior Trophy guys got through and then the Club riders started filing in. Based on being in the C3 class, Jake, Shawn, and Cory are all towards the back. We can't set up a specific spot in the pits for them because we have to remain flexible enough to shift them around as necessary until just a few minutes before they get in.
They all arrived within minutes of one another and Jake, Cory, and Shawn were all pitting at the exact same time. Pam was helping Jake, I was helping Cory, and Brad was helping Shawn. Josh and Rich Black were hopping between all three of them doing anything and everything they could.
Jake changed two tires, Cory did a rear and a filter, and Shawn did a rear. Shawn had plenty of time to do both, but was nervous to attempt both because once committed, if something goes wrong, it can really mess you up if you're late to impound and incur a penalty. Cory and I have adopted the philosophy of changing front and rear every other day and minimize the risk of hitting a snag and getting to impound late. As it stands, they're doing great and a one minute penalty or greater, would drop them considerable positions.
Day 3 was another success and it's a huge accomplishment to get all three of them through safely and in good time with good test scores.
I believe all other US riders had similar success with exception to Kerrie Schwartz on the Women's team who had a little more trouble today, but she's still riding and is a real trooper and will be back out there tomorrow.
After impounding bikes, Cory and Shawn were swooshed off to the Finnish tent again for another gourmet meal.
Shawn sporting quite the look after today. He had no clothes to change in to so a flannel jacket and riding shorts looked like a good combo.
On the way home Cory was downloading a lot of info about the course. He described it as brutal, and even admitted that he had to doggy paddle his bike up through some rocky sections (Cory would never admit that, unless it was really serious). He said there were tons of rocks and tons of singletrack which I admit was very surprising. He said there are a lot of tight and technical sections on today's course.
He said that they got into some very remote and incredibly poverty stricken areas with people living out of cardboard and tin shacks. At one point the course was routed under some old railroad tracks and he said there was a big mud hole that went right through raw sewage. He found a line up and around it instead
The surprising thing though is that they're really riding trail, and not just miles of sandy beach or dirt roads which seems common in so many other ISDE's. I admit I was skeptical about Mexico, but what I'm finding is that because of all the weird and liberal rules (or lack thereof) around here, I get the impression that they were able to get pretty creative in making the course. As a result, they're riding lots of awesome, difficult, and world-class trails, some of them virgin, rather than just dirt roads mixed in with Special Tests.
We're on to day 4. We've made it this far, and it's going to be exciting to see what tomorrow brings.
And, here's the Jake story of the night. Apparently Juha Salminen sought out Jake's wife Pam and asked to borrow his tire irons. The ones they had under the Finnish tent were not his preferred irons so he borrowed Jake's to do his tire changes, and then brought them back to Pam after he was done so Jake would have them in time for his pit. Pretty funny when a World Enduro Champion and GNCC champion and Finnish Trophy Team member seeks you out to borrow your tire irons....classic.
We have wireless now in the paddock. We were able to cruise to the first test this morning and watch the entire team....all the trophy team and then the club riders.
Alan is right, the three Utah guys are so amazingly consistent and comparable, it is amazing. There are lots of other riders, but our guys are doing great!! We cruised it back to the paddock and just barely got here in time as they were coming in. They are all in good spirits, good health, and bike and body are doing well.
The course today is brutal according to all reports. This is all new course today. Bikes are overheating and they're riding a slightly more relaxed schedule because of it, but tomorrow they're tightening up the schedule. It's going to result in some more attrition. The key here is for these guys to remain consistent and finish.
The entire US team is very very close together. As a result, the pits were chaotic for their first go around (they do the same loop twice). When they come in for tire changes tonight it's going to be crazy! We've been doing everything we can to be as prepared as possible. We've made good friends with a lot of the support crew of the other Club riders and it's become a great team effort.
We each have a key responsibility for "our" rider (me for Cory, Brad for Shawn, Pam for Jake), and then everyone else has some type of support role. Josh is our filter and axle guy. He's washed more filters this week than he probably has in his entire life. He's also gotten really good at taking rear axles, wiping them and greasing them. He's also "sticker boy" and he has pockets full of stickers and hands them out to all the little Mexican kids. The AMA guys love Josh and are constantly hollering his name for this or that. He loves it.
The weather has been more overcast today, but no rain yet. The guys coming in are saying that if it rains, the course is going to be impassable.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, Day 3
Although the routine of being in the paddock and helping with the team is becoming the same, each day brings unique little variables that make it all interesting again. Today was no different.
Days 3 and 4 are all new course. The riders ride about the same distance again (about 70-75 miles), done twice for a total around 150. Today was just a bit shorter, but it more than made up for it in the technical level required to get through it.
As previously mentioned, we're not able to chase our riders around to every special test. The sheer logistics of it make it near impossible, not to mention the fact that all of us as support team are assigned a job. However, today we decided to see our riders off from the impound area, and then try and chase them to the third special test (the one I previously posted pictures of near the "lake"). We planned that by doing so, we could see them ride a new test and still get back in time to be there in the pits for them before sending them out a second time. We would not risk chasing them to a test again, because it is imperative that we're back to assist with tire changes.
Start times for all riders were adjusted after the first day so our riders were starting earlier today. As you've witnessed from all the results, the three Utah riders are somehow riding at about the exact same pace, swapping positions in the special tests and bouncing around between about the 10th-15th range in the C3 class. This same thing is occurring for the entire US team though and as a result, they're all starting very closely together.
The implication of this is that they are then all coming into the pits together at the same time which makes it very challenging. Rather than us being able to focus on one rider, we're spread out across multiple riders and it adds to the chaos.
For those familiar with the ISDE format, the rider has 10 minutes during the morning impound to do any additional maintenance on his/her bike. As we were standing there this morning, Steve Morefield, one of the US Club riders from California, was doing a front tire change. His time was winding down quickly and he was frantically trying to get the wheel on his bike. He got it on, rolled to the start gate, and moved through with exactly one second to spare. It's the little intense moments like that when a whole crew of guys is working to help a single rider be successful, that make this event so unique and cool. As he rolled through, everyone was cheering and giving high-fives.
Another observation of being in the pits of the ISDE is that it's unlike any other pit experience you can have in the states. For one, it's an international event, and short of the recent MX Des Nations in Colorado, there's nothing else comparable. But at the ISDE, you see such a variety of bikes, particularly Euro bikes. There are Husky's everywhere, Husabergs, Gas Gas, TM, and of course KTM, Yamaha, and Honda. You see very few Suzuki's but there certainly are some.
From what I'm gathering, Days 3 and 4 are notoriously difficult at the ISDE. Bikes and bodies are starting to break down, and the course often becomes increasingly more difficult. Although they ride the same course, the decision to ride "Schedule A" or "Schedule B" is decided the night before. B is a slightly more "relaxed" schedule than A and the determination is made based upon multiple variables such as weather, course condition, etc. Today the guys were riding Schedule B and they seemed to have plenty of time at all the checks. Tomorrow they'll be riding the A schedule and everything is tightened up about 4-5 minutes for each section.
We booked it to Test 3 in hopes of catching our riders. This is the test set on a hillside in eucalyptus trees beside a reservoir. It has lots of off-camber turns and small ledges. As we arrived, we were excited to find that if we hurried, we could watch our Trophy riders first. We were literally running down the road when Caselli went by and we were just able to watch Mike Brown. There are a series of small ledges going up an uphill section and Josh was mesmerized watching Brown launch each one of them doubling them all the way up the hill and attacking the corners with the aggression of a National Motocross Champion, which he is. It was definitely cool.
We saw all the Trophy Team guys come through and it was fun to yell for them and encourage them on as well.
It's hard because I admittedly don't know all the Euro riders with exception to some of the more common names such as Juha Salminen, Johnny Aubert, Rodrig Thain, etc., but I will tell you that as you're standing there watching, you can see the amazing speed of some of their top guys and it's pure magic.
Another fun thing is to be standing there as a spectator and watching down through the trees for the ever so distinctive "Skunk" helmet, the trademark symbol of the US riders. They are easy to spot and then instantly you become on edge anticipating them coming through so you can cheer them on. You can tell they love it too.....who wouldn't.
We then saw our Utah guys come through. First was Jake. Jake is precise, smooth, and deceptively fast. I've described him that way before, but I don't know how else to say it. Next was Shawn. Shawn was looking good and consistent. We then anticipated Cory coming next because he was only a minute behind Shawn on start time. We waited......and waited....and then just like a nervous parent I started wondering what was going on. Did he have a mechanical problem? Was he hurt? Then, through the trees, the "Skunk" helmet appeared and all was good. In reality it was probably a total of 2-3 minutes but it sure did make me nervous. I felt the same way I do when I send my kids out for a desert race and anxiously anticipate them coming back to the pits.
Now it was time to get back to the pits and try and beat our riders back. We had left enough of the rest of the support team there to take care of our guys if we didn't make it back, but we really needed/wanted to be there. Driving in Mexico is......well interesting. Driving in Mexico while frantically trying to get back to your riders, while there are accidents, street protests, ambulances, and diversions of highways onto single lane cobblestone side roads, makes it even more interesting. We got stuck in a major traffic jam and began to get pretty frantic about getting back to our guys. We eventually made it but they were literally in the pits servicing their bikes as we got there. Brad was there and Cory's wife Kara, and several other people, but it is just frustrating when you can't be there to do the job you're supposed to do. We helped where we could and send them on their way. I could tell from their faces and comments that today was harder than yesterday.
The other thing that was occurring was that all the riders were coming in together. There are about twelve stations under the US tents and as riders come in, they just shuffle them into one of the available spots. When they are intermittently coming in this works fine, but when they're all coming in together, it creates a problem. The first pit after Loop 1 is not a big deal because they're just gassing, checking over their bikes, and fueling bodies, but at the end of the day when they're coming in for tire changes.....holy cow, watch out.
So, a few hours passed and it became time that we needed to start preparing for the Trophy guys to come in. There are a handful of the AMA team in in the pits that are managing the pits and monitoring everything. They primarily take care of the Trophy guys and the Club riders each seem to have their own person. The majority are Father/Son combos. However, remember that traffic jam that I was mentioning? Well, all the guys out chasing their riders that are usually back for the tire change pit at the end of the day, were all stuck in the traffic jam due to the protest in the street. We also knew that based on prescribed arrival times, that everyone was going to be coming at once.
Literally at the last minute, several of them arrived (Destry's dad, Nick Fahringers Dad, Taylor Roberts Dad and mechanic), but we were definitely short-handed. All of a sudden everyone is there and it's totally psychotic. Tire irons are flying, people are yelling, riders are being directed where to go, and everyone is doing their best. Jimmy Jarrett rolls up and I'm standing there and there's nobody to help. I jump in and it's just me and Jimmy at the time and I'm trying to help him while walking that fine line between "Get the "beep beep" out of my way", and "Where the "" are my tools and why aren't you helping me." The tire irons we had in the kit he was using weren't the ones he preferred and he was struggling a bit, but managed to get through it.
Eventually, all the Trophy and Junior Trophy guys got through and then the Club riders started filing in. Based on being in the C3 class, Jake, Shawn, and Cory are all towards the back. We can't set up a specific spot in the pits for them because we have to remain flexible enough to shift them around as necessary until just a few minutes before they get in.
They all arrived within minutes of one another and Jake, Cory, and Shawn were all pitting at the exact same time. Pam was helping Jake, I was helping Cory, and Brad was helping Shawn. Josh and Rich Black were hopping between all three of them doing anything and everything they could.
Jake changed two tires, Cory did a rear and a filter, and Shawn did a rear. Shawn had plenty of time to do both, but was nervous to attempt both because once committed, if something goes wrong, it can really mess you up if you're late to impound and incur a penalty. Cory and I have adopted the philosophy of changing front and rear every other day and minimize the risk of hitting a snag and getting to impound late. As it stands, they're doing great and a one minute penalty or greater, would drop them considerable positions.
Day 3 was another success and it's a huge accomplishment to get all three of them through safely and in good time with good test scores.
I believe all other US riders had similar success with exception to Kerrie Schwartz on the Women's team who had a little more trouble today, but she's still riding and is a real trooper and will be back out there tomorrow.
After impounding bikes, Cory and Shawn were swooshed off to the Finnish tent again for another gourmet meal.
Shawn sporting quite the look after today. He had no clothes to change in to so a flannel jacket and riding shorts looked like a good combo.
On the way home Cory was downloading a lot of info about the course. He described it as brutal, and even admitted that he had to doggy paddle his bike up through some rocky sections (Cory would never admit that, unless it was really serious). He said there were tons of rocks and tons of singletrack which I admit was very surprising. He said there are a lot of tight and technical sections on today's course.
He said that they got into some very remote and incredibly poverty stricken areas with people living out of cardboard and tin shacks. At one point the course was routed under some old railroad tracks and he said there was a big mud hole that went right through raw sewage. He found a line up and around it instead
The surprising thing though is that they're really riding trail, and not just miles of sandy beach or dirt roads which seems common in so many other ISDE's. I admit I was skeptical about Mexico, but what I'm finding is that because of all the weird and liberal rules (or lack thereof) around here, I get the impression that they were able to get pretty creative in making the course. As a result, they're riding lots of awesome, difficult, and world-class trails, some of them virgin, rather than just dirt roads mixed in with Special Tests.
We're on to day 4. We've made it this far, and it's going to be exciting to see what tomorrow brings.
And, here's the Jake story of the night. Apparently Juha Salminen sought out Jake's wife Pam and asked to borrow his tire irons. The ones they had under the Finnish tent were not his preferred irons so he borrowed Jake's to do his tire changes, and then brought them back to Pam after he was done so Jake would have them in time for his pit. Pretty funny when a World Enduro Champion and GNCC champion and Finnish Trophy Team member seeks you out to borrow your tire irons....classic.
