ISDE 2022: Everything you need to know about this year's International Six Days Enduro
By Team TMX on 28th Aug 22
As the 2022 ISDE approaches, we take a closer look at the iconic event that runs in France across next week.
The 96th Edition of the International Six Days Enduro fires into life on Monday, August 29 and runs until Saturday, September 3, at Le Puy en Velay in France with 564 riders from 30 nations present. It promises to be one of the best in recent history as the majority of the worlds best enduro riders will be battling it out for team and individual honours. There are a few exceptions such as current Enduro2 series leader Wil Ruprecht and seven-time world champion Brad Freeman but for the most part everyone who should be there is there.
The ISDE is a fairly unique competition and due to the large number of riders competing is a logistical nightmare for the organisers. Run as a traditional timecard enduro, riders are grouped into threes and set off at minute intervals. It normally takes around three hours to get everyone off and out onto the course which includes Time Checks, Special Tests and Service Areas.
As well as servicing and making repairs to their machines out on the trail, riders are given 15 minutes of service time each morning and another 15 minutes before returning their machines to the Parc Ferme each night.
Viewers of On Any Sunday will remember that riders have to start their bikes and travel 20 metres within so many seconds after their official start time. That rule still stands and occasionally catches people out.
For the duration of the event riders must work on their own machines so all tyre and mousse swaps, oil and air filter changes and general repairs must be done by the riders within the allocated times. If it takes longer than that then the time penalties start to mount up.
With a fairly slack time schedule, the results are mostly settled in the Special Tests. With so many riders going through them though, trail degradation is very real and hitting the tests at the prime time which is totally dependent on the time schedule can make a huge difference to a riders result.
In terms of the team results it varies class by class. In the headlining World Trophy competition each team has four riders with the best three riders times on each day combined to find the teams result for the day. A team can get by with three riders but if two or more DNF then its all over for that nation.
In the Junior World Trophy for riders under the age of 23, teams start with three riders and all three count towards the daily and overall totals. Theres no room for error which quite often has a huge effect on the outcome.
The Womens World Trophy teams also contain three riders but only the best two results on each day count towards the teams total.
The overall result in each team contest is based on all six days scores lowest combined time wins.
Individual awards are given in E1, E2 and E3 categories at each level with the bulk of the entry using E1-class machinery in this years event. Gold Medals are given to the top 10 per cent in each class, Silver to those in the first quarter and Bronze for all other finishers.
While weve been talking about the FIM classifications Trophy, Junior Trophy and Womens Trophy the bulk of the entry is made up of club teams with a handful of individual entrants also riding the event. As well as running through all the national teams in the three FIM classes, well also give you an insight into the British club teams who are competing also
The Route
Based near Loudes Airport to the west of Le Puy en Velay, the six days of ISDE action utilises three routes the first used on Day 1 and Day 2, the second for Days three and four while the third just gets used on Day 5. The sixth day is all about the motocross test which takes place on the same site as the Parc Ferme.
Days one and two see the riders head west to Saugues where the days first and fifth service points are based. From there a lengthy loop that heads as far north as Siaugues Sainte-Marie and Langeac returns the riders La bte du Gevuadan for the says final test. All the tests are marked on the map as Cross tests but well see about that in due time.
The third and fourth days see the riders head due South to Le Bouchet Saint Nicolas for the opening service point before heading to Saint Haon for the opening Enduro test. Langogne is the location of the next service point. A southerly loop contains Cross and Enduro tests at Volcan du Bonjour and Puylaurent before riders return to Langogne for another service point swiftly followed by a Cross test before riders head back north to base where a further Cross test awaits them.
Friday will see the riders head north to Saint Paulien, Vorey sur Arzon and then Retournac and Craponne sur Arzon taking three Cross and one Enduro test in along the way. From there its back to base where a now familiar Cross test awaits.
Each of the first five days will be made up of five timed Special Tests. Riders are expected to spend around eight hours out on their bikes each day with the first riders away at 7:30 and back at 15:30. With so many riders competing, the gap from the first group of riders to the last, spans around three and a half hours.
Saturdays motocross is split into two sessions with the Club teams competing in the morning and the national teams settling things in the afternoon. After that theres just the presentation, after party and monkey butt to deal with!
World Trophy
The main class of the ISDE, its the World Trophy team riders who well expect to see setting the fastest times and fighting for individual honours as well as the team awards. Not all nations have the three strong riders required to battle for the team win but this is the ISDE and in six days almost anything can happen and its not uncommon for curve balls to come at us.
Defending champs Italy are running without their TM-backed riders which is quite a big blow. However, Team Manager Andrea Balboni has still been able to assemble a really strong squad thats made up of EnduroGP championship leader Andrea Verona, Honda pair Thomas Oldrati and Samuele Bernardini and flamboyant veteran Alex Salvini who has hit top form in recent weeks. Theres no denying that the Italian team is a strong one and if all goes to plan will take some beating.
Josep Garcia
The Spanish quartet might not have as much raw speed as the Italians but youd have to expect Josep Garcia to be right at the top of the timing sheets in each test. Garcia is backed up by Jaume Betriu, Marc Sans and Bernat Cortes who is a front runner in the Junior series.
Team USA rarely disappoints and more often than not catch the European favourites by surprise. Kailub Russell, Dante Oliviera, Josh Toth and Layne Michael are by no means timecard specialists but they have pace by the bucketload keep an eye on this four as they could be the sleepers of the class.
The Swedes will be mostly reliant on Enduro3 world championship leader Mikael Persson and Albin Elowson to elevate their team. Persson was unbelievable at last years ISDE in Italy and will be looking for another strong performance in France.
Skipping through the also-ran nations, we eventually get to the host nation France. While Till de Clerq, Loic Larrieu, Hugo Blanjoue and Leo le Quere are a decent enough foursome they dont have that je ne sais quoi required to challenge for the overall win even with that home advantage.
Jamie McCanney
Team GB is made up of EnduroGP regulars who will feel right at home amongst the International paddock but could have done without losing Brad Freeman to injury. However, Nathan Watson has been on fire this summer and Steve Holcombe has found the pace required to hit the podium after his injuries. Manxmen Jamie McCanney and Jed Etchells are no slouches either and you have to think that Daryl Bolter might have assembled a podium team here provided they encounter no disasters. Lets see how they go were feeling optimistic about their chances though.
Steve Holcombe
The final team with podium potential on the FIM entry list is Team Australia who are without Wil Ruprecht who had to withdraw as TM hadnt budgeted for the event what a mistake a to make a! Even after losing their Wil, Daniel Milner, Todd Waters, Joshua Green and Andy Wilksch are a strong squad and solid top-five performers. Can they make the podium? Possibly, but itll be a close run thing
Jed Etchells
The World Trophy contest is made up of 22 teams which equate to 88 riders 39 of which are in the E1 class, 34 in E2 and just 15 E3 riders. The breakdown of brands used goes a little something like this 29 KTMs, 23 Husqvarnas, eight GASGAS, seven Hondas, six Shercos, four Betas, Yamahas and Fantics, two TMs and a single Rieju. Thats almost 70 per cent Austrian-built bikes.
World Trophy Teams
Italy
10 Andrea Verona (GASGAS) E1
11 Thomas Oldrati (Honda) E1
12 Alex Salvini (Husqvarna) E2
13 Samuele Bernardini (Honda) E1
Team Manager: Andrea Balboni
Spain
20 Marc Sans (Husqvarna) E3
21 Jaume Betriu (KTM) E3
22 Josep Garcia (KTM) E2
23 Bernat Cortes (GASGAS) E2
Team Manager: Cristobal Guerrero
USA
30 Kailub Russell (KTM) E2
31 Joshua Toth (KTM) E2
32 Layne Michael (Yamaha) E2
33 Dante Oliviera (KTM) E2
Team Manager: Michael Jolly
Sweden
40 Mikael Persson (Husqvarna) E3
41 Albin Elowson (KTM E2
42 Joakim Grelsson (KTM) E1
43 Oskar Ljungstrom (Honda) E1
Team Manager: Carl-John Bjerkert
Portugal
50 Goncalo Reis (GASGAS) E2
51 Luis Oliveira (Yamaha) E2
52 Diogo Vieira (GASGAS) E1
53 Ricardo Wilson (TM) E1
Team Manager: Manuel Marinheiro
Canada
70 Philippe Chaine (KTM) E1
71 Tyler Medaglia (GASGAS) E2
72 Owen McKill (TBC) E1
73 Jared Stock (Husqvarna) E3
Team Manager: Renee Turner
Belgium
90 Erik Willems (Husqvarna) E2
91 Dimitri Vanhoenacker (KTM) E2
92 Tim Louis (Rieju) E3
93 Dietgar Damiaens (KTM) E2
Team Manager: Philippe Rorive
Germany
100 Yanich Spachmuller (GASGAS) E1
101 Davide von Zitzewitz (KTM) E2
102 Paul Rossbach (Beta) E2
103 Florian Gorner (KTM) E3
Team Manager: Frank Wiegmann
Poland
110 Patryk Kuleszo (Husqvarna) E1
111 Dawid Babickz (KTM) E1
112 Maciej Wieckowski (GASGAS) E1
113 Aleksander Bracik (Beta) E1
Team Manager: Maciej Wrobel
Finland
120 Pyry Juupaluoma (Fantic) E1
121 Eemil Pohjola (Honda) E1
122 Antto Hanninen (Husqvarna) E1
123 Peetu Juupaluoma (Husqvarna) E1
Team Manager: Pekka Kulju
Austria
130 Christopher Heinz (Husqvarna) E1
131 Michael Feichtinger (KTM) E2
132 Walter Feichtinger (KTM) E2
133 Mario Hirschmugl (KTM) E3
Team Manager: Bernhard Walzer
Mexico
150 Jorge Alvarez (KTM) E2
151 Arturo Rodruguez (KTM) E2
152 Roberto Ramirez (Honda) E1
153 Didier Goirand (Sherco) E3
Team Manager: Mario Martinez
Estonia
160 Veiko Raats (KTM) E1
161 Priit Biene (Husqvarna) E2
162 Hendrik Talviku (KTM) E2
163 Juri Triisa (KTM) E3
Team Manager: Veiko Biene
Venezuela
170 Manuel Fumero (KTM) E1
171 Carlos Badiali (KTM) E2
172 Xavier Claro (Sherco) E2
173 Raimundo Trasolini (Sherco) E3
Tea, Manager: Pablo Rosa
France
180 Till de Clerq (Sherco) E1
181 Loic Larrieu (Fantic) E1
182 Hugo Blanjoue (KTM) E2
183 Leo Le Quere (Sherco) E3
Team Manager: Frederic Weill
Chile
190 Sebastien Pakciarz (Husqvarna) E1
191 Jouquin Borgono (Honda) E1
192 Luciano Collantes (Husqvarna) E1
193 Vicente Miranda (Husqvarna) E1
Team Manager: Pablo Levalle
Great Britain
200 Steve Holcombe (Beta) E2
201 Nathan Watson (Honda) E1
202 Jed Etchells (Fantic) E1
203 Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) E1
Team Manager: Daryl Bolter
Australia
210 Daniel Milner (Fantic) E1
211 Todd Waters (Husqvarna) E2
212 Joshua Green (Yamaha) E1
213 Andy Wilksch (Husqvarna) E3
Team Manager: Anthony Jae Roberts
Greece
220 Panagiotis Kakouris (Beta) E1
221 Kimon Karampelas (Husqvarna) E2
222 Ioannis Chasapis (KTM) E3
223 Dimitrios Varsamis (KTM) E1
Team Manager: Trikos Konstantinos
Lithuania
240 Nerimantas Jucius (Husqvarna) E2
241 Dziugas Kazakeviius (GASGAS) E2
242 Danielius Zostautas (Husqvarna) E1
243 Andrius Mitkevicius (KTM) E3
Team Manager: Zilvinas Kazakevicus
New Zealand
250 Liam Draper (KTM) E2
251 Dylan Yearbury (Husqvarna) E3
252 Tom Buxton (Husqvarna) E2
253 Seth Reardom (Yamaha) E1
Team Manager: Justin Stevenson
Latin America
260 Giraldo Bedoya (KTM) E1
261 Juan Giraldo (Husqvarna) E1
262 Juan Bustamante (Husqvarna) E2
263 Martin Bustamante (Sherco) E2
Team Manager: Jose Tomas Diaz
Junior Trophy
The Under 23 team contest is run under slightly different rules than the World Trophy competition with the biggest being that all scores count so theres no dropping bad results here and if someone goes out then the whole job is jiggered.
On paper it looks like the host nation should dominate with recently crowned Junior Champion Zachary Pichon leading the way. Pichon is joined by the very quick Luc Furgier and Antoine Alix wholl be going all out to take the win on home soil.
Zach Pichon
But the Scandinavian teams could challenge them with Sweden running Max Ahlin, Albin Norrbin and Axel Semb while the Finnish team is made up of Samuli Puhakainen, Roni Kytonen and Hermanni Haijala. Four of those six names (two on each team) are at the sharp end of the Youth and Junior classes of the world series so based on that then theyre a fairly safe bet although theres no such thing in a competition that requires long days in the saddle over some extremely technical terrain.
Roni Kytonen
Team USA bring WORCs ace Mateo Oliveira, Cody Barnes and Austin Walton over who all have good pace but are lacking experience in a competition of this nature.
Team GB is made up of Alex Walton, Aaron Gordon and Youth world championship leader Harry Edmondson a very experienced trio despite their tender years. All three are capable of putting in consistently strong results and have the potential to pull off a great result. Time will tell on this one but a top-five finish should be achievable with a podium possible if luck goes their way.
Unsurprisingly, considering their tender age the majority of the line-up is on E1 machinery although the manufacturer breakdown in much less Austrian biased with eight KTMS, six each of Beta and GASGAS bikes, five Shercos, Hondas and Yamahas, four Husqvarnas and three TMs and three Fantics. The other three are TBC.
Junior Trophy Teams
Italy
14 Morgan Lesiardo (Sherco) E2
15 Enrico Rinaldi (GASGAS) E1
16 Claudio Spanu (Honda) E1
Team Manager: Alessandro Zanni
Spain
25 Albert Fontova (Honda) E1
26 Adria Sanchez (KTM) E1
27 Julio Pando (Beta) E2
Team Manager: Cristobal Guerrero
USA
34 Mateo Oliveira (KTM) E1
35 Cody Barnes (Honda) E1
36 Austin Walton (Husqvarna) E2
Team Manager: Michael Jolly
Sweden
44 Max Ahlin (Beta) E3
45 Albin Norrbin (Fantic) E3
46 Axel Semb (KTM) E2
Team Manager: Carl Johan Bjerkert
Portugal
54 Tomas Clemente (GASGAS) E1
55 Frederico Rocha (TM Racing) E1
56 Renato Silva (Beta) E1
Team Manager: Manuel Marinheiro
Czech Republic
64 Zdenek Pitel (Husqvarna) E1
65 Matej Skuta (Beta) E1
66 Matyas Chlum (Sherco) E1
Team Manager: Miroslav Haruda
Belgium
94 Florian Tichoux (GASGAS) E1
95 Dante Nijs (Beta) E1
96 Mike Vanderheyden (Husqvarna) E2
Team Manager: Philippe Rorive
Germany
104 Pascal Sadecki (Fantic) E1
105 Luca Wiesinger (Sherco) E1
106 Karl Weigelt (KTM) E2
Team Manager: Wilfried Meine
Finland
124 Hermanni Haljala (TM) E1
125 Samuli Puhakainen (TM) E1
126 Roni Kytonen Honda) E1
Team Manager: Jari Kakko
Austria
134 Marcel Schnolzer (KTM) E2
135 David Rinner (KTM) E3
136 Thomas Hecher (GASGAS) E3
Team Manager: Bernhard Walzer
Netherlands
144 Tommie Jochems (KTM) E1
145 Mike Bokslag (GASGAS) E2
146 Marc Zomer (KTM) E1
Team Manager: Mario Pieterse
France
184 Antoine Alix (Husqvarna) E1
185 Luc Fargier (Beta) E3
186 Zachary Pichon (Sherco) E2
Team Manager: Pierre-Marie Castella
Chile
194 Eloy de Gavardo (TBC) E1
195 August Cortez (TBC) E1
196 Jeremias Scheile (TBC) E1
Team Manager: Pablo Levalle
Great Britain
204 Aaron Gordon (Yamaha) E1
205 Alex Walton (Sherco) E1
206 Harry Edmondson (Fantic) E1
Team Manager: Daryl Bolter
Australia
214 Kyron Bacon (Yamaha) E1
215 Korey McMahon (GASGAS) E2
216 Blake Hollis (Yamaha) E1
Team Manager: Anthony Jae Roberts
New Zealand
254 James Scott (Honda) E1
255 Thomas Watts (Yamaha) E1
256 Will Yeoman (Yamaha) E1
Team Manager: Justin Stevenson
Womens World Trophy
Nine national teams of three riders are entered for the Womens World Trophy with the best two scores from each day counting towards the overall which works against the Brits whod probably be a shoo-in if all three counted cest la vie!
Jane Daniels
On World Championship results youd still have to predict a Team GB win with Jane Daniels unbeaten and Rosie Rowett always on or near to the podium. Nieve Holmes has been equally impressive in the European Enduro Championship and regularly runs a similar pace to Rowett in the events where they meet. Theyre a really strong team with great backing from a great team led by lifetime enthusiast Mick Seward a win is possible but a silver medal more likely.
Standing between the British girls and the win are Team USA and were basing that on Brandy Richards performance in 2021 where she took every test win with quite an advantage. Richards returns in 2022 with Rachel Gutish who also had a great ride in last years ISDE. Korie Steede joins them on the back of an incredible season in the GNCC.
Team Spain pushed Team GB in last years ISDE but dont seem to have progressed at the same rate as the Brits and lack the overall might. The same is true of most other teams with one or two having one strong rider but few have the two required to see them through.
Once again E1 is the class of choice with around three-quarters of the entry running 250 four-stroke or 125cc two-stroke machines. Interestingly, Mireia Badia is the sole E3 entrant does she know something nobody else does?
KTM is the manufacturer of choice once more with Beta almost as popular there are seven KTMs and five Betas in the 27-rider line-up. Husqvarna and Sherco have three riders apiece, Fantic two and GASGAS, Reiju and Yamaha all a single entrant. There are some TBCs in there though which is why the numbers dont quite add up.
Womens World Trophy Teams
USA
301 Brandy Richards (KTM) E2
302 Rachel Gutish (GASGAS) E2
303 Korie Steede (KTM) E1
Team Manager: Michael Jolly
Great Britain
304 Jane Daniels (Fantic) E1
305 Rosie Rowett (KTM) E2
306 Nieve Holmes (Sherco) E1
Team Manager: Mike Seward
Spain
307 Julia Calvo (Beta) E2
308 Mireia Badia (Rieju) E3
309 Nora Esteban (Husqvarna) E1
Team Manager: Cristobal Guerrero
Sweden
310 Hanna Berzelius (Husqvarna) E2
311 Emelie Borg Nilsson (KTM) E1
312 Linnea Akesson (Beta) E1
Team Manager: Mikael Nilsson
Germany
313 Samantha Buhmann (Beta) E1
314 Tanja Schlosser (Beta) E1
315 Anne Borchers (Fantic) E1
Team Manager: Marcus Junger
France
316 Marine Lemoine (Sherco) E1
317 Elodie Chaplot (Sherco) E1
318 Justine Martel (KTM) E1
Team Manager: Stephanie Boulsson
Canada
319 Kristen Broderik (TBC) E1
320 Marie-Claude Boudreau (TBC) E1
321 Shelby Turner (TBC) E1
Team Manager: Renee Turner
Finland
322 Vilvi-Maria Makinen (Husqvarna) E1
323 Janette Mielonen (TBC) E1
324 Irina Turkki (Beta) E1
Team Manager: Maire Jantti
Australia
325 Jess Gardiner (Yamaha) E1
326 Emelie Karlsson (KTM) E1
327 Ebony Nielsen (KTM) E1
Team Manager: Anthony Jae Roberts
The British Club Teams
The club and manufacturer teams form the bulk of the ISDE entry and in amongst the bazillion French squads there are 12 UK club teams. Heres the list of teams and riders
Rhayader MC
423 Adam James (Sherco) C3
523 Shaun Buchan (GASGAS) C2
623 Jack Probert (Sherco) C1
MCC of Wales
440 Harry Houghton (Beta) C3
540 Harry Hillier-Rees (Sherco) C3
640 Jack Cadwallader (Beta) C2
Team St George
453 James Jackman (Yamaha) C1
553 Rudy Austin (GASGAS) C1
653 Alfie Coles (Husqvarna) C1
Manchester 17 MCC
461 Steve Malone (KTM) C2
561 Steve Hague (Husqvarna) C2
661 Robert McLeod (Yamaha) C1
Midshires Team
469 Charlie Chater (Yamaha) C1
569 Sam Davies (GASGAS) C1
669 TBC (TBC) TBC
Normandy MCC
477 Michael Burgess (KTM) C2
577 Shane McKane (Husqvarna) C2
677 Elliot Davies (Husqvarna) C3
Team Scotland
485 Ben Thomson (Sherco) C2
585 Euan McConnell (TM) C3
685 Jordan Scott (TM) C3
Braintree & DMC
499 Luke Parker (GASGAS) C2
599 Ben Clark (Sherco) C3
699 Will Hughes (KTM) C2
Dyfed Dirtbike Club
709 Alun Jones (Beta) C3
809 Gareth Jones (Beta) C1
909 Rhys Evans (KTM) C1
West Devon MCC
712 Andrew Elliott (Husqvarna) C1
812 Matthew Yates (Husqvarna) C2
912 Simon Thomas (Husqvarna) C1
Witley MCC
720 Simon Beken (KTM) C2
820 Guy Chandler (GASGAS) C2
920 Joshua Kirby (KTM) C2
Army MCA
728 Aaron Coupland (KTM) C2
828 Tom Ellwood (KTM) C2
928 Haydon Maller (KTM) C2
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