On The Pegs November 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 11 | Page 56

On The Pegs
P 56
On The Pegs
Vol. 3 Issue 11 - November 2018
P 57
PREVIEW: 2018 ISDE
The 2018 edition of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is rapidly approach-
ing. On November 12th, over 600 riders from 30 different countries will gather in
Viña del Mar, Chile for the 93rd edition of the storied event. If you’re not familiar
with Six Days, the event will consist of five days of enduro competition over ap-
proximately 300 km in the Valparaíso region, followed by a final day motocross
near Viña del Mar. It is a test of rider and machine as once the race begins, outside
assistance is limited only to haxzardous materials help (gas and oil) and handing
tools and parts to the racers.
The 2018 U.S. World Trophy Team includes: Ryan Sipes, on a Husqvarna FE 250;
Taylor Robert, riding a KTM 450 XC-F; Zach Bell, riding a Husqvarna TX 300; and
Steward Baylor, on a KTM 450 XC-F.
Steward was a last minute addition to the team when it was announced in mid-
October that Kailub Russell was going to undergo shoulder surgery immediately
after wrapping up the GNCC title.
Baylor will be making his fourth appearance at Six Days (most recently in Spain
in 2016) and his first as member of the US World Trophy Team.
“It’s a big honor to be picked for the team,” Steward told On The Pegs. “It was a
last minute deal so I have some work to do to prepare. I’m flying to California to
do some suspension testing to get ready since I’ll be riding the bike they shipped
down there for Kailub.”
Steward races a 350 in the National Enduro series and raced a 2019 450 moto-
cross bike in the final two rounds of the Sprint Enduro series to see if that would
be the displacement he’d race next year, however in Chile he won’t have a choice,
it’ll be the 450 Kailiub was set to race in the E2 class.
Sipes was the 2015 ISDE overall winner. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Robert was
the 2016 ISDE overall winner. Meanwhile, Bell is a standout motocrosser turned