Jamie Lanza, of the US Junior Team, rides down a rocky ledge during the second loop of Day-three.
Story and photos by Steve Berkner
With half of the Portuguese ISDE over, Team USA’s Trophy Team has settled into a solid sixth place. Trailing fifth place Sweden by two minutes 17.05 seconds and holding a two minute 22.26 second lead over seventh place Portugal after Day-three. The top four teams in the prestigious six rider ISDE classes are France, Italy, Finland and Australia.
The US Trophy team is still being lead by E3 rider Kurt Caselli who still maintains his fourth place finish in that class, even though he dropped from 6th to 7th overall. Caselli was still optimistic about his team’s chances of moving up in the standings.
Caselli said, “Everybody is doing a good job of keeping it together. Remember we lost Ricky (Dietrich) on Day-one and we have two (ISDE) rookies (Damon Huffman and Timmy Weigand) on the team. My hats off to both of them.
US Junior Trophy Team rider Cory Buttrick negotiates a step down hill section during Day-three of the ISDE.
“Even though I dropped an overall position doesn’t bother me too much as my score is based on my position in class and I’m holding my own there I guess. The problem is all of the fast guys are in my class but we still have three days to go.
“The course is really getting rough out there and today (Day-three) we headed up into the hills where there were less sand tests and more hard terrain, clay type tests, which normally aren’t my deal, but I’m adjusting the best I can.”
Damon Huffman is one of the “rookies” on the US Trophy team this year and he’s finally getting comfortable with the Six Days routine. Huffman said, “I guess my scores have been good. I would like to be doing a little better but we’re holding it together. Today was shorter time wise and that made a big difference.
“Day-one and Day-two were tough and the trail was getting beat up pretty bad. Day-three was easier, other than a couple of hills and a long whoop section that seem to go on for about an hour or so. Tomorrow (Day-four) uses the same trail and it is going to be brutal. Overall I’m having a good time and each day the routine seems to be getting easier.”
In the Junior Trophy Team division, the US maintained its third place position. After Day-two the three teams were within 15 seconds of each other. After day-three the US had lost time to the Spanish and French teams, which now have a two minute 33.16 and a two minute 17.o second lead respectively over the US juniors.
Half of that time was lost when US Rider Cory Buttrick lost one minute (60 seconds) when he was scored late for his end of day pre-check. Buttrick said, “There must be something wrong with my score as I’m sure I was 9 seconds into my minute when I went through that check.” Buttrick’s penalty point is currently being reviewed by the ISDE Jury with a decision due at the end of Day-four.
After three days of racing Amanda Mastin and her three rider US Women's World Cup team remain just 38.21 seconds out of third place.
Team USA’s Women’s World Cup Team remained in fourth place overall just 38.71 seconds behind the Australian Women’s team. First place France has over a 10 minute lead on the American women while the second place finishing team for Day-three Sweden has nearly a six minute lead over Team USA.
US Women’s World Cup team rider Maria Forsberg remains in third overall in that division.
Rory Sullivan remained top American in the Club Team division with his team, Carter Engineering, in 14th place overall. Along with Sullivan, US riders Fred Hoess, Jordan Brandt, Brian Sperle and Nick Fahringer are currently riding on Gold medal status, or within 10 percent of their respective classes’ leader.
All of the remaining 30 US riders that started Day-three finished.
Rory Sullivan held onto his top American Club Team rider position of third in the C3 class which is good enough for him to be in 83rd overall.