Enduro21’s 2021 International Six Days Enduro coverage officially opens for business live and direct from Rivanazzano Terme in Italy. The bikes are checked into the parc ferme, tests are walked and we await the 95th ISDE opening ceremony but until then, here’s a taster of what’s going on in the paddock...

There’s a relaxed, dare we say a quiet and subdued atmosphere in the Rivanazzano paddock. Two long days of technical inspections and admin have already been ticked off for all but a few stragglers at the 2021 ISDE and this feels like the quiet before the storm. If you haven’t been to an ISDE then it is like a regular race paddock but with the everything turned up to 11.

From the size of the place to the numbers of bikes and humans, it is as big as it gets. Nerves and excitement are floating about in equal measure as dusty footed riders come and go in a fleet of hire cars. The sprawl of awnings in the paddock take turns being a ghost town and empty or hives of activity as hundreds of riders take turns to check through the paperwork and progress to scrutineering before putting their bikes directly into parc ferme. 

No matter how prepared the riders and teams are for this mammoth event, scrutineering will always bite a few and hiccups are inevitable. This year non-approved helmets, no body armour and non-working lights seemed favourite reasons for bikes to turnaround and head back to the pits for a rethink.  

What have we learned so far?  This ISDE is “gonna be fast”

The build-up days are our first chance to talk with the riders and sense how ridrs feel about the special tests and their event ahead. The truth is most riders who Enduro21 talked to said the tests are not quite what they were expecting from host nation Italy.

Most riders have walked each of the 10 different tests for the five days ahead (excluding the final MX test on day six) at least twice by now ­and the general vibe is things are going to be fast, dry and dusty. Only one day looks like we could see showers but the weather is well into the 30 degrees and sunny.

Think Italian enduro and you think rocks, dry riverbeds, single tracks and tight woods. Sure, they do a rolling open grass test pretty damn good too but riders here are saying this week isn’t going to be all “typically Italian”.

“It’s wide, open and much faster than I expected,” says Taylor Robert for the reigning World Trophy holders, Team USA. “Things are getting silty out there already and there aren’t any bikes on it yet.”

Tech inspection explained

With so many bikes and riders passing through technical control, technical inspections means a busy three-day process that is essential to the safe and fair running of the event. FIM ISDE Technical Director Peter Radoczi explains how it works…

“For technical inspection we have three days and it starts with local, home riders on the Thursday before the event starts, and ends with overseas riders such as the USA, Chile, Mexico, etc, on the Saturday.

“We do this because overseas nations need a little longer than local riders to get their bikes set-up and ready from the event. Sometimes, we also do inspections on the Sunday before the race starts, but only if one of the shipping containers carrying a nations’ bikes arrives very late. But this will be approved by Race Direction. We always try to find a solution for riders to prepare their bikes correctly.”

When it comes to enduro, and specifically the ISDE, five key areas of each motorcycle are marked pre-event. “Enduro is a very specific discipline for checking and marking,” explains Peter. “Our rules say that the enduro bike has to be marked in five places – the main frame, front wheel (hub), rear wheel (hub), silencer, and the crankcase. For the marking we use special colour, tamperproof stickers, and seals. We also check tyres, because for enduro homologated tyres are compulsory. We do not forget to check the front light, rear light and brake light.”

With enduro being a test of rider and machine, each rider must arrive at the finish of each day of the ISDE with all marked parts attached to his bike. Failure to do so can lead to disqualification.

Stopping riders simply replacing broken parts with new ones, fitting louder silencers that offer more power, or swapping a wheel for one with a new tyre already fitted, marked parts ensure the fair running of any ISDE. A bike, and it’s marked parts, must go the distance, just like its rider.

In addition to marking each motorcycle, technical staff also check rider’s helmets and body armour, to ensure rider safety. They also check each bike for sound.

“The sound test is very important,” adds Peter. “Each bike must be under a certain decibel limit and must remain like that throughout the competition. The silencer can be changed if damaged, re-tested and marked again.

“We can check any motorcycle for sound at any time during the event. Keeping sound levels down is important for everyone, that is why at the end of each day riders have thirty minutes to repair or replace their silencer, if they need it.”

Tomorrow, Saturday August 28, sees the traditional opening ceremony for the ISDE with the stage set in Visconti Castle in the centre of Pavia, some 35km north of the Rivanazzano Terme paddock.

The day of rest, Sunday will be a last chance for riders to check tests but many will be taking it easy ahead of a long week ahead.

Enduro21 will bring you daily results, news, rider interviews direct from the paddock so stay tuned.

Photo Credit: Enduro21 | Andrea Belluschi