The ACU British ISDE Teams experienced mixed results on the fourth day of competition. With the week having run smoothly for all the British riders so far, Friday brought bad luck and the first DNF for the GB teams with the loss of Lee Sealey. A change in weather conditions and some more technical tests kept things interesting throughout the day, and the Trophy team were able to continue their strong form and keep pushing towards the podium positions.
After overnight thunderstorms and rain it was a very muddy start to proceedings on Day 4, and the Cross Test at Gastiain suffered greatly, with its banked turns set on a hillside becoming slick; the riders comparing it with
“riding on ice”. The Enduro Test, on the other hand, while demanding at over 11 minutes long, was home to a
‘stickier’ consistency of mud and despite some slippery roots and rocks in the forest section, most riders favoured the grip and feel of the test.
The Extreme Test, which is run at the end of each lap all week long, is now feeling like a familiar hunting ground for the majority of riders, and this is where most preferred to try and make up any lost time.
After Team Spain rider Ivan Cervantes suffered a nasty crash, the GB Trophy Team were able to make some real progress against their closest rivals, making a crucial move up the standings into 3rd place.
But for the Junior Team it was a day which saw their chances slip away as Lee Sealey suffered a mechanical failure at the beginning of the 2nd lap.
ACU British ISDE Team Manager, Dusty Martin:
“Obviously we’re really disappointed with the loss of Lee Sealey today. But luckily everything else is going smoothly and we’re feeling positive about the next two days. I’d like to give a special mention to our chef, Dave, who does a fantastic job of catering for the riders every day and making sure they’re getting a choice of nutritious meals at the end of the day. It’s a really important factor in keeping the riders feeling their best”
Danny McCanney (7th Overall):
“I had a massive crash on the Cross Test today, just where we jump across the road. It was a big one so I’m just happy to be in one piece and have my bike in one piece too!”
Jamie McCanney (8th Overall):
“I’m still taking a bit of time to get used to the bike, but little by little I’m feeling happier with it. I’m really pleased with my progress and the progress of the team, we’re aiming to carry on pushing!”
Nathan Watson (10 Overall):
“Today was a good one for me! I finally felt really comfortable with the bike and everything just clicked really. It’s the best I’ve felt all week and I hope to keep it that way for the remaining two days”
Jamie Lewis (31st Overall):
“I couldn’t really get to grips with the Enduro Test at Zuñiga that we’ve been using for the last couple of days. But the other two tests I quite liked! My results are improving all the time so I’m keeping positive” ACU GB ISDE Junior Trophy Team:
Josh Gotts (58th Overall):
“I’m pretty pleased with today, everything went smoothly and I didn’t have any problems or make any mistakes really! But I really feel for Lee, as I went out early on last year and it’s not a nice feeling!”
Jack Edmondson (32nd Overall):
“I’m really happy with my results the last few days, and today I surprised myself with some of my tests times. I just got on with it and managed to stay out of trouble luckily. It’s just a real shame for Lee”
Lee Sealey (DNF):
“I’m absolutely gutted. It’s hard to put it into words really. I was planning to change my piston at this evening’s service in the paddock as I felt the bike was losing power but unfortunately it seized on the liaison section before the Enduro Test on the 2nd lap. I was stuck out in the middle of nowhere on the side of a mountain for several hours in the cold, but that’s nothing compared with the feeling of letting the team down 2016 International Six Day Enduro, Navarra, Spain Provisional Day Four results World Trophy:
1 USA 02:40:59.68
2 Italy 02:41:25.70 (+00:00:23.37)
3 Great Britain 02:41:56.14 (+00:00:56.46)
Junior Trophy:
1 Sweden 02:02:28.44
2 Italy 04:05:24.67 (+02:02:51.81)
3 Spain 02:02:52.08 (+00:00:23.64)
7 Great Britain 02:05:25.94 (+00:02:57.50)
Individual: World Trophy
7 Danny McCanney (E3, Husqvarna) 2:43:02.96
8 Jamie McCanney (E2, Yamaha) 2:4353.51
10 Nathan Watson (E1, KTM) 2:44:38.67
31 Jamie Lewis (E2, Yamaha) 2:48:45.59
Junior Trophy
32 Jack Edmondson (E1, KTM) 2:48:46.53
58 Josh Gotts (E2, TM) 2:52:24.94
DNF Lee Sealey (E1, Yamaha).