Drama reigns in Spain on day one of the 2024 FIM International Six Days Enduro with France World Trophy Team dominating ahead of USA, Josep Garcia goes fastest overall – Italian and Great Britain hopes are dashed with DNFs.

2024 ISDE Spain day 1 in a nutshell:

• To say the opening day in Galicia was a dramatic one would be an understatement. Podium World Trophy contenders going out with mechanical failures, big crashes early on, bikes not starting off the start ramp as riders left in the dark and in the end white-wash of the result – or should that be blue wash.
• Drama began from the start as Great Britain’s World Trophy team rider Harry Edmondson’s GASGAS wouldn’t spark into life on the start ramp. Rules say you must ride away from the start for 20 metres but Harry didn't make one and lost around 40 minutes fixing the issue. Once going, harry clawed back time but not enough and was disqualified for being over time and for outside assistance which means GB are out the World Trophy Team contest.
• More devastating blow were dealt to team Italy later in the morning as key members of their World and Junior trophy teams, Andrea Verona and Manuel Verzeroli, both went out with broken engines. Both are Farioli bikes too which must leave a few squeaky bums as factory KTM personnel listen hard to Josep Garcia’s bike for the rest of the week.
• Meanwhile the French World Trophy team were shrugging and saying to themselves, “n’est pas un problème”. You only had to look at the overall scratch results sheet to know the score with all four French riders inside the top 10. Led by Theo Espinasse, they sit third, fourth, fifth and sixth scratch for a “just perfect” team result said Hugo Blanjoue at the finish.
• Defending World Trophy holders USA looked like the conditions came as a culture shock as they tackled the opening enduro test this morning. It was gnarly stuff, the kind the EnduroGP boys eat for lunch and Team USA didn’t look happy diners.
• By the second lap things started to click as the test roughed-up. They followed suit with France, clocking collective good test times (seventh, ninth, 11th and 12th) for a net result of 2’05.81 deficit for the lead.
• Led by their standout performer, world champion and three-times ISDE outright winner Josep Garcia, Team Spain lay third after day one. It was a collective effort on their part, plus a healthy amount of local knowledge on tests they’ve ridden in Spanish Enduro, they finished 2’43.96 behind France.
• Team Australia had some standout performances, and at least one test which must have suited Aussie-style enduro, to finish fourth but 7’31.27 adrift – although their cause was not helped by a couple of crashes, in particular Cooper Sheidow whose Yamaha took quite a beating in enduro test one.
• The weather was kind today by the way but with typical Galician weather ahead, it felt like day one was an important one to solidify the books.
• In the individual standings Steve Holcombe was fast out the blocks, clocking in with the first test win, despite being held up by Dante Oliveira, to lead half of day one.
• As the day unfolded, with riders making a long trek back and forth between the paddock in Silleda and two tests side-by-side on the edge of Santiago de Compostela, a fight emerged between Holcombe, Espinasse and Garcia. However, in typical style, Josep clocked a huge 10 seconds faster time on the second visit to the nine minute-plus enduro test, thanks in part to a mistake from Holcombe and suddenly day one was Josep’s by nine seconds.
• In the Junior World Trophy contest, Italy’s exit thanks to Manuel Verzeroli’s bike failure was a blow but it hasn’t dented what looks set to be one of the highlights of this year’s Six Days. The top 10 scratch in the Juniors – Max Ahlin, Kevin Cristino, Antoine Alix and Angus Riordan ­– are all within five seconds.
• Favourites, Team Sweden (who spectacularly lost the Junior Trophy on the final MX test last year), have a fight on their hands. All three Swedes are in the top 10 but France have the same finished just 14.94s behind with USA 1’25.47 further back in third.
• If things look close in the Juniors, the surely do in the Women’s World Trophy contest. The dominant team in recent years, USA, have their old foes Australia back challenging once again and finished day one 1’39.33 adrift.
• Some of the conditions, the soil, rocks and roots are similar to Scandinavia, especially where it is wet and muddy, and that seems to be helping the Swedish Women who sit third, 2’56.82 adrift of USA.
• The individual Women’s award so far looks familiar with Brandy Richards fastest but not by much as Spain’s Women’s World Champion Mireia Badia sitting 6.39s behind. The new GNCC champion, New Zealand’s Rachel Archer, is third scratch on her lonely Kawasaki in the Trophy classes, 38.66 down on Richards.
• The range of bikes couldn’t be wider in fact and it remains one of the elements which makes the ISDE. Growling 500s versus 250 four-strokes bouncing off the limiters and everything in between. Fastest scratch is Garcia on the 250F proving corner speed can be king but the grunt of Holcombe’s 400 Honda and a carburetted 300 two-stroke of Espinasse in third make it fascinating.
• Team Italy do have something to shout about in the Club Trophy category. They lead handsomely with almost four minutes gap to Le Puy en Velay French team and Spain’s official RFME squad.

2024 ISDE day 1 results, World Trophy:

Junior World Trophy:

Women’s World Trophy:

Day 1 scratch result (top 30):

Club Trophy (top 20):

Photo Credit: Future7Media