Juha’s participation in the six days hasn’t been all bad, he’s clocked up more than his fair share of World Trophy team wins with Finland and topped the New Zealand event, back in 2006, overall. But it’s Juha’s catalogue of misfortune that qualifies him as arguably the most unfortunate top-level rider there is.

“It’s disappointing, of course it is, but I guess I’m kind of used to it now. I just don’t seem to have much luck at the six days,” commented Juha from the paddock in Germany.

Starting back in ’99 when the event was run in Portugal Juha broke his scaphoid the day before technical control opened, ruling him out of the event. Frustratingly for the Finn he’s endured more than his fair share of bad luck ever since. “In France I had a problem with a bearing in my engine, that put me out of the event. In Poland, in 2004, I had another problem and didn’t finish. In Greece I was leading overall before the final motocross. I high-sided in the first corner and broke my throttle and that put me out of the event. That was a re-start, because the first race was red flagged. That was my fault, I just got on the gas too soon on the dusty asphalt and another rider hit my bike.

“Thankfully New Zealand went perfectly, and I got the overall win there. And in Finland last year things went well too. You have to take the good with the bad at the ISDE, it’s all part of it.”