From start to Finnish
By TMX Archives on 11th Aug 11
An incident-filled opening day at the 68th International Six Days Enduro, in Finland, ended with the home nation opening up a commanding lead at the head of the World Trophy team category, thanks in no small part to overall E1 and E3 class wins from Eero Remes and Marko Tarkkala.
In the World Junior Trophy class Sweden sealed victory ahead of France and Great Britain, despite an unfortunate day for team rider Danny McCanney. Britain's Trophy team ended day one in ninth while Team Scotland placed eighth.
Britain's World Junior Trophy team enjoyed a successful first day in Kotka, Finland, despite the off-track antics of Danny McCanney, who submerged his bike in a pond during the first lap.
Third in class behind Sweden and France, with Danny still very much in the competition, and with what will undoubtedly be a tough week ahead, Britain's Juniors hold a five-minute advantage over fourth-placed Spain.
It was a very different opening day for the British Trophy team as the six-man squad was disappointingly soon down to five. On the first test Greg Evans fell from his KTM, breaking his collarbone. Out of the event and likely to have an operation to fix the break, thankfully the rest of the team made it through the day without too many dramas.
In Enduro 1 Paul Edmondson finished the opening day highest placed Brit in 14th, as he looks to secure yet another gold medal.
Junior team rider Jack Rowland ended the day 20th having found the Finnish terrain a bit tougher than expected.
In fact with the weather having been fine and the course dry before the event, most nations were expecting a relatively easy week long trail ride. But heavy rain before the start of day one soon changed that.
Tom Sagar led home the Brits in E2 class finishing 20th. Junior team rider Alex Rockwell was next up in 33rd, one spot ahead of Si Wakely. Ashley Wood placed 37th, with just under one-minute separating the three riders.
Jonny Walker and Jordan Rose finished 13th and 14th in Enduro 3 with largely only Enduro World Championship regulars ahead of them.
The tough conditions meant that numerous Club team riders dropped time, but not any of the leading British teams.
Unsurprisingly Scandinavian teams placed at the top of the results, but Scottish riders Ricky Mair, Frazer Norrie and Neith Chatham worked hard for an eighth place result. Three minutes behind were Wales riders Lee Edmondson, Gethin price and Jon Hinam in tenth with St Georges team riders James Giddings,Tyson Maytom-Jones and James Jackman 13th.
