Posted November 19, 2006   Email   Print

The World Champion ISDE Junior Trophy Team: Ricky Dietrich, Kurt Caselli, team manager Lindsay Pirie, David Pearson and Russell Bobbitt.

U.S. Junior Team wins ISDE

Story and photos by Steve Berkner

For six days, the four riders on the U.S. Junior Trophy Team were tested by everything the FIM Maxxis International Six Days Enduro could throw at them.

Hundreds of kilometers of trails, mostly narrow single- and two-track winding through the Kinleith Forest just north of Taupo, New Zealand. Ever-changing weather that subjected them to cold, rain, wind and the occasional sunbeam through the clouds. And of course the toughest competition in the world.

But when the flag dropped at the end of the final moto on Day Six, it was mission accomplished. The U.S. Junior Trophy Team riders — Kurt Caselli, Ricky Dietrich, David Pearson and Russell Bobbitt — are world champions.

Officially, the U.S. team finished 8:19.78 ahead of France. Australia finished third with a score of 11:54.2.

Caselli led the team all week and finished second in his final moto test behind Belgium's Joel Smets.

"This feels so good," said Caselli. "We came here thinking we had chance of winning. Deep in my heart, I knew we could do it. It was a lot of hard work. We earned it. It was fun. It was another good Six Days."

Caselli and his teammates spoke from the center of a crowd of friends, spectators and journalists who gathered at the finish line after the final ISDE motocross special test to meet the new ISDE Junior Trophy Team World Champions.

"Everything went great here," said Dietrich, who finished second in the final E1 motocross special test behind Finland's Juha Salminen. "I felt strong all six days. I had a couple of bad tests here and there. But in the final moto I felt strong.

"When I got here two weeks ago, nobody knew who I was. Now they know who I am."

Dietrich, who was also crowned the WORCS champion two weeks ago, led his final moto for the first four laps before being passed by Salminen.

David Pearson also earned a podium spot by finishing third in the final E3 motocross.

"Oh yeah, this feels good!" he said. "When I went out for my final moto, Kurt told me that we had already won so there was no pressure on me. I used to struggle with my final motocross tests and for the last couple of months Kurt and I have been working on my moto skills. We've mostly been concentrating on riding in ruts and it paid off."

"What a way to end the year," said Bobbitt, recently crowned AMA National Enduro Series champ. "In my wildest dreams, if you would have told me a year ago that I was going to be on the winning ISDE Junior Team and win a National (Enduro) championship, I would said, 'No way.' This feels awesome!"

The Junior division is open to riders age 23 and under. In the World Trophy Team division, Finland won the title, ahead of France and Spain. The U.S. team, consisting of Jimmy Jarrett, Paul Neff, Ron Schmelzle, Fred Hoess, Aaron Kopp and Eric Bailey finished 10th.

For complete results, visit the official ISDE website.

 © 2006, American Motorcyclist Association