The team would like to thank everyone who helped them before, during and after the ISDE Portugal 2009 . . . .
Dusty, Dave May Miller and all those who give up their time to run the service checks, with a special mention for Jack, Vera, Ted and Daph, JLF Designs, BFS, Stowmarket Caravans, Clothing Express, Little White Van Company, Caspa, Evergreen Garage, Jim Aim Motorcycles, Cannon BMW, Poole Motorcycles, Braintree MCC, Stowmarket MCC, Ipswich MCC, Woodbridge MCC, Diss MCC . . . and finally Figueria da Foz Hospital.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Day 6
The sixth and final day dawns. Typically in the six days there's a short loop of about 20km, however today the riders had 90km and a service check before they reached the impressive Augeda Motocross Circuit, home of the Grand Prix of Portugal.
The final 90km wasn't an easy ride, with the riders having to push on in the dust to ensure they made the time controls without penalties.
Julian stopped to help a fallen rider and was 1 minute late into the first time control (this minute was later credited back to him) unfortunately he was so angry about losing the first minute he checked into the final time control on time, a silly error for such an experienced Enduro rider meaning he gained another minute penalty as he should have stayed one minute late. Most importantly rider and machine made it to the GP circuit!
James arrived at Augeda with no problems.
Today was to be one of the hottest days so far, with both Julian and James racing near the end of the day, they had to control the nerves and stay out of the sun for most of the day!
Finally their races came, a sighting lap and the gate dropped . . . first to see the chequered flag was Julian and as Gordon Ramsey would say 6 Days DONE!!
James carried on racing until the end with a battle with fellow Brit Derek Little . . . James then saw the chequered flag too!
Congratulations to both Julian and James who finished one of the worlds toughest competitions!!
James finished 14th in class, 3rd Brit.
Julian finished 32nd in class, 4th Brit.
The final 90km wasn't an easy ride, with the riders having to push on in the dust to ensure they made the time controls without penalties.
Julian stopped to help a fallen rider and was 1 minute late into the first time control (this minute was later credited back to him) unfortunately he was so angry about losing the first minute he checked into the final time control on time, a silly error for such an experienced Enduro rider meaning he gained another minute penalty as he should have stayed one minute late. Most importantly rider and machine made it to the GP circuit!
James arrived at Augeda with no problems.
Today was to be one of the hottest days so far, with both Julian and James racing near the end of the day, they had to control the nerves and stay out of the sun for most of the day!
Finally their races came, a sighting lap and the gate dropped . . . first to see the chequered flag was Julian and as Gordon Ramsey would say 6 Days DONE!!
James carried on racing until the end with a battle with fellow Brit Derek Little . . . James then saw the chequered flag too!
Congratulations to both Julian and James who finished one of the worlds toughest competitions!!
James finished 14th in class, 3rd Brit.
Julian finished 32nd in class, 4th Brit.
Day 5
Day 5 is a tough day for body and spirit, so near yet so far away from finishing. James and Julian both finished Day 5 with no problems.
James was 3rd Brit in his class today, finishing 20th overall in class. Over the 5 days James stands 3rd Brit in class 14th overall, a fantastic result going into the 6th and final day.
Julian once again had good day, 7th Brit in class and 41st overall. Over the 5 days Julian stands 4th Brit in class and 34th overall. The first Brit in this class is Andrew Edwards in 18th place.
The third team member was enjoying the Portuguese hospital food (and nurses)!
The picture show, service checks, time controls and tyre changing and the end of the day.
James was 3rd Brit in his class today, finishing 20th overall in class. Over the 5 days James stands 3rd Brit in class 14th overall, a fantastic result going into the 6th and final day.
Julian once again had good day, 7th Brit in class and 41st overall. Over the 5 days Julian stands 4th Brit in class and 34th overall. The first Brit in this class is Andrew Edwards in 18th place.
The third team member was enjoying the Portuguese hospital food (and nurses)!
The picture show, service checks, time controls and tyre changing and the end of the day.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Day 4
Day 4 was a tough day with a lot of the British Team suffering with dehydration, the weather has been in the high twenties all week.
James and Julian both had really good days finish very well in the respective classes; James 14th and Julian 33rd.
James and Julian both had really good days finish very well in the respective classes; James 14th and Julian 33rd.
Day 3
Day 3 saw the end of the team's assult in the six days. After an excellent start on the tests by all three of the team, James Yearley had a bad crash on the second test.
James was qucikly transported to Fig. da Foz hospital and within 3 hours was in the operating theatre.
Julian and James Jackman both finished the day mving up positions in their respective classes. It was a tough day today!
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Day 2 - Tuesday
All the team have finished the second day of the ISDE. St George's MCC Team are now in 17th place overall, which is a fantastic result from a total of 91 club teams competing.
James Jackman had a " full on maintenance day" boiling the back brake in the first enduro test it needed bleeding, following that he changed a clutch at the service point, a spoke had to be cut out, finally he finished the day with a front and back tyre change and fixed the spoke.
Julian had another good day apart from crashing twice in the first enduro test.
James had an enjoyable day with the bike running well. James was on the same minute as an American today, after every check James 'high fived' with the American shouting "Another one down man!!"
Day's 1 & 2 terrain was mostly deep sand and it's taken it's toll on clutches on all machines. For Day 3 & 4 there's a change in terrain presenting a new challenge to riders and machines and alike.
These pictures show some action from today at a service check and tyre changing in the final fifteen minutes work period at the end of the day.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Monday - Day 1
Today started with lots of nerves, it never matters how many times you start the 6 Days it never gets any easier. James Yearley has completed three previous 6 Days and James Jackman one, however this was Julian's first.
We are pleased to report that all the boys completed today successfully, without losing any time and some good standings in their classes; Julian 36th, James Y 51st, James J 19th.
Team Manager, Deb Harvey wanted "More of the same!" from her team tomorrow.
James Jackman had a "good day" with "good tests apart from the last one where I dropped it on the beach". James finished over six hours in the saddle by changing a rear tyre and brake pads. He plans to change his clutch in the 10 minutes work allowance in the morning.
Rich and Daisy, James' mechanic and girlfriend also had a good day reporting that the sea was quite clod and that the 2nd test of the day was the best for catching a tan!!
Julian was contented with his first day, and looking forward to tomorrow with "the potential to go faster on a couple of tests". He enjoyed the day apart from the last check. Julian, was however suffering this evening with "arm ache" from eating a massive steak!
James Yearley reported that he "suffered badly from traffic on the tests, one particular one he overtook five riders and caught up a sixth. James was feeling good by the end of the day and on the final super test on the beach "got over excited" and crashed. The bike suffered some damage, but nothing that will hinder the start tomorrow.
James Y and Julian reported enjoying a couple of steep hills on the going, must be their trials skills coming into play.
When the boys finished 'Mums' Chris and Rachael were on hand with pasta to ensure they got some food into them as soon as they finished. The box of sarnies kindly made by Daph went down well too!!
It's 22:30 and we haven't stopped since getting up at 6am, time for bed now . . . zzzzzzz.
We are pleased to report that all the boys completed today successfully, without losing any time and some good standings in their classes; Julian 36th, James Y 51st, James J 19th.
Team Manager, Deb Harvey wanted "More of the same!" from her team tomorrow.
James Jackman had a "good day" with "good tests apart from the last one where I dropped it on the beach". James finished over six hours in the saddle by changing a rear tyre and brake pads. He plans to change his clutch in the 10 minutes work allowance in the morning.
Rich and Daisy, James' mechanic and girlfriend also had a good day reporting that the sea was quite clod and that the 2nd test of the day was the best for catching a tan!!
Julian was contented with his first day, and looking forward to tomorrow with "the potential to go faster on a couple of tests". He enjoyed the day apart from the last check. Julian, was however suffering this evening with "arm ache" from eating a massive steak!
James Yearley reported that he "suffered badly from traffic on the tests, one particular one he overtook five riders and caught up a sixth. James was feeling good by the end of the day and on the final super test on the beach "got over excited" and crashed. The bike suffered some damage, but nothing that will hinder the start tomorrow.
James Y and Julian reported enjoying a couple of steep hills on the going, must be their trials skills coming into play.
When the boys finished 'Mums' Chris and Rachael were on hand with pasta to ensure they got some food into them as soon as they finished. The box of sarnies kindly made by Daph went down well too!!
It's 22:30 and we haven't stopped since getting up at 6am, time for bed now . . . zzzzzzz.
Sunday - Opening Ceremony
Sunday saw the opening ceremony, with all the teams from all over the world marching through the streets of Fig. da Foz. The ceremony concluded with a fine show from the Purple Helemets and a fantastic firework display.
Friday's Girls Night Out
Good fun was had by all the girls, in fact over 30 of us! Big thanks to Marnie and Kay for getting us all together, however I think we all suffered the effects of the good night out on Saturday!!
Friday, 9 October 2009
Wednesday & Thursday
I started blogging at 07.30 when we arrived in the paddock for the final fettling on the bikes before technical inspection, however, even though the technology in the paddock was up to it with a great WiFi connection my laptop battery died half way through . . . so here we go again.
Wednesday was spent testing and getting the bikes ready for technical inspection today (Thursday). The testing went well with a few final tweaks to all the machines, Cannon BMW, Poole Yamaha & Jim Aim KTM. Oil and filters were changed, as too were tyre and mousses. Mousses (apart from being a yummy dessert) replace the inner tube in off-road tyres therefore mean the potential of a puncture is eliminated. Julian, however, did a few a few problems with his mousses, it had been sunbathing and had expanded somewhat, meaning that he would of 'houred out' if he was changing it on race day. At the end of every race day after 6 hours plus of riding competitors will be changing their tyres (without any assistance) in under 10 minutes.
Wednesday at 17.30 was administration and the entire British team got through with no issues. Administration is where licences, log books, insurance documents, passports, driving licences etc. are checked and approved. All bikes must be 'road legal' for competition in Enduro.
Following administration we had the first of many British Team Meetings in a hotel in town. John Collins who is representing all the British Contingent on the FIM Jury went through some clarifications on rules and the start of special tests.
At the end of Wednesday it all seemed to be a little more real that on Monday the race we've spent months preparing for would finally be here. It was a late finish the team and Kurt finally sat down to eat at around 10pm!
Thursday morning started early, we had technical inspection at 09.00, and wanted to make sure all the bikes were ready, and made time for the essential team photographs.
Techincal inspection is where the bikes and helmets are checked for safety and legality. Helemts are checked to ensure they meet European safety standards, engine and chasis numbers are checked against the log book, bikes are noise tested they mustn't be louder than the 94db limit, finally certain parts of the bikes which cannot be changed throughout the race are painted. Thankfully St Georges MCC go through their technical inspections with no problems at all.
James, Julian and James will spend the remainder of today and tomorrow walking special tests.
Thursday also sees the arrival of the remainder of our team, parents, girlfriends and mechanics; Chris, John, Chris, Trevor, Rachael, Rich and Daisy.
Best of all it's 'Girls Night Out' tonight!!
Below are some pictures taken over the last couple of days.
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
motoGP Estoril
Deb and Abs spent the weekend at the motoGP in Estoril, it was great to be there, the sound of the bikes were amazing. Compared to the season so far the main race was a little tame, with Lorenzo taking the lead after the first couple of laps, Stoner had a great comeback and made it onto the podium. Whilst the peoples favourite 'Rossi' seemed to struggle and didn't challenge the leading three finishing in fourth place.
The 125's didn't disappoint, with the Brit Bradley Smith after having a great start dropped back to fifth, a few laps later saw him challenge the front runners and for a while he lead the race, finally finishing in third place . . . great race!!
The 125's didn't disappoint, with the Brit Bradley Smith after having a great start dropped back to fifth, a few laps later saw him challenge the front runners and for a while he lead the race, finally finishing in third place . . . great race!!
The Team Arrive in Fig. da Foz
The team have now all arrived safely. We spent yesterday setting up our pits, unloading and sorting out the vans. All the 'Brits' are together in the pits which makes for a nice team atmosphere, with 32 riders there's a lot of organising to be done and with the help of Dave May-Miller everything will run smoothly.
Final jobs have been done to the bikes, so after a quick run out on the practice track later this week they should be ready to race. Julian, James & James are out walking tests today, with 7 tests a day there's a lot of walking to be done before the race starts on Monday 12 October.
The weather has been wet! To quote Julian 'We should have just gone to Merthyr Tydfil'. However, after a heavy downpour this morning the sun is now shining. From what we've seen of the tests the sandy going should suit the boys riding just nicely.
Final jobs have been done to the bikes, so after a quick run out on the practice track later this week they should be ready to race. Julian, James & James are out walking tests today, with 7 tests a day there's a lot of walking to be done before the race starts on Monday 12 October.
The weather has been wet! To quote Julian 'We should have just gone to Merthyr Tydfil'. However, after a heavy downpour this morning the sun is now shining. From what we've seen of the tests the sandy going should suit the boys riding just nicely.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
What is the ISDE?
Usually referred to as the ‘Olympics of Motorcycling’ the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is the oldest off road team motorcycle event on the FIM Calendar. The ISDE was first held in 1913 and has occurred annually since, apart from interruptions due to World War I and World War II, at various locations throughout the world, this year’s ISDE is taking place in Portugal. The ISDE attracts entries of more than 500 riders, together with thousands of support crew and spectators.
The ISDE is a supreme true test of machine, rider skill, and reliability. Over the six days and upwards of 1250 miles for each rider the teams must contend with strict rules about time allowances and restrictions on mechanical replacements, carrying out his own track-side repairs and maintenance.
The ISDE is a supreme true test of machine, rider skill, and reliability. Over the six days and upwards of 1250 miles for each rider the teams must contend with strict rules about time allowances and restrictions on mechanical replacements, carrying out his own track-side repairs and maintenance.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
The ISDE Blog
With less than one week until we leave for Portugal the final preparations are underway. One of the 'things to do' was to create a blog to update all friends and family back home of our progress throughout the competition.
So here it is the 'St Georges MCC' Blog, I aim to update this as much as possible, I hope you enjoy reading it.
So here it is the 'St Georges MCC' Blog, I aim to update this as much as possible, I hope you enjoy reading it.
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