Tag: italy

Six Days and over 600 miles later, this year’s FIM ISDE has come to an end as we see our Team USA Women defend their 2019 title becoming back-to-back World Champions, our Trophy Team podium with a 3^rd place team finish, and inspiring rides by our Junior Trophy riders despite being of team medal contention.

As the dust settles atop the Italian mountaintops, there is no doubt that Team USA is still a force to be reckoned with.  While we didn’t come home the World Trophy Championship, we still certainly made a splash across all the ranks once again.

The standout story that we have covered all week has indeed come to fruition.  The question every day so far has been “how long can Brandy Richards keep this win streak alive?”  Today we finally got our answer; The. Whole. Damn. Time.  Richards continued to dominate throughout Day Five and Six by remaining unbeaten in a single test the entire week, leading the Women’s World Trophy team to its second straight World Championship.  Accompanied by blistering fast top five rides by her teammate Rachel Gutish and the ever-consistent Britney Gallegos, the trio combined for a time more than fifteen minutes quicker than their closest competitors. 

The World Trophy riders were led by Taylor Robert, who was the fastest American each day.  That is, until Day Six when Junior Trophy team member Dante Oliveira took to the motocross track and outright won the final day’s event.  Robert ends his week in 5^th place overall after a solid showing in 2021. 

Finishing one spot outside the top ten, was Layne Michael in the 11^th place position.  Michael struggled early in the week trying to adapt and feel comfortable in the dry and dusty conditions.  But with time on the bike and finding the edge of where traction begins and ends, he laid down times consistently inside the top ten which will inspire confidence for the next time he puts on his boots to take on the world.  Johnny Girroir was the new comer to the team this year and showed several glimmers of absolute wicked speed.  Improvements through the week and a top fifteen finish, will hopefully mean that we will see Girroir representing the Stars n’ Bars again in the future.  Ryan Sipes finish merely one spot behind Girroir in the 16^th place position.  Inside to outside, back to inside again, it seems that Sipes struggled to really catch a groove this year aboard his 300cc two-stroke.  While 16^th is still an insanely good finish by all means, it’s safe to say that the first American to ever overall the thing probably came into the week with expectations to battle up front.  No matter where, The General is always fun to watch and a great addition to any team, or country for that matter!

Our Junior Trophy team really has a lot to hang their hat on this week.  Austin Walton got banged up on Day Two which through off the rest of his time in Italy, ultimately ending on Day Four with a broken Scapula.  Cody Barnes and Dante Oliveira both showed they were more than capable of stringing together rides capable of taking the center of the box.  Both of these JT riders had multiple top ten test finishes throughout the week and both finished inside the top twenty riders overall.  For Barnes’ first ISDE, he had a great run and acclimated rather quickly to all the demands this event requires.  Oliveira was the name being talked about last year when he turned all sorts of heads by earning the number one spot for club team riders overall.  This year, he moved up to JT team and the way he rode…. We wouldn’t be surprised if next year he moves up again to the World Trophy team!  Oliveira ends his week as the second fastest American rider in the 10^th place overall position.  As we mentioned earlier, he also took home the day win on Day Six and proved that he has what it takes to keep climbing the ladder. 

Below are the full Team USA results for Days Five and Six.

Test One

Test One not scored

Test Two

Robert: 3^rd – 7’02.12

Oliveira: 5^th – 7’03.57

Michael: 11^th  – 7’09.85

Girroir: 15^th – 7’13.15

Sipes: 20^th  – 7’15.00

Barnes: 33^rd – 7’19.87

Walton: DNS

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 7’38.39

Gutish: 10^th(EW) – 8’30.75

Gallegos: 14^th(EW) – 8’49.90

Test Three

Robert: 7^th – 15’03.23

Girroir: 9^th – 15’05.58

Michael: 14^th – 15’12.13

Oliveira: 16^th – 15’14.27 

Barnes: 26^th – 15’27.39

Sipes: 31^st – 15’36.78

Walton: DNS

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 16’51.29

Gutish: 4^th(EW) – 17’39.66

Gallegos: 15^th(EW) – 19’13.53

Test Four

Robert: 5^th – 8’43.96

Oliveira: 9^th – 8’47.88

Sipes: 15^th – 8’53.46

Michael: 27^th – 8’59.58

Barnes: 31^st – 9’02.01

Girroir: 33^rd – 9’03.16

Walton: DNS

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 9’21.58

Gutish: 7^th(EW) – 10’06.81            

Gallegos: 17^th(EW) – 10’37.39

Test Five

Robert: 3^rd – 7’10.21

Oliveira: 9^th – 7’15.67     

Barnes: 10^th – 7’16.18

Girroir: 11^th – 7’16.25

Michael: 18^th – 7’21.03

Sipes: 35^th – 7’30.78        

Walton: DNS

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 7’56.60          

Gutish: 12^th(EW) – 9’03.16            

Gallegos: 14^th(EW) – 9’18.89

Test 6

Oliveira: 3^rd – 9’00.32

Robert: 8^th – 9’07.25

Michael: 14^th – 9’11.52

Sipes: 18^th – 9’17.17

Barnes: 22^nd – 9’18.33     

Girroir: 31^st – 9’23.25

Walton: DNS     

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 9’46.01                          

Gutish: 6^th(EW) – 10’36.01

Gallegos: 17^th(EW) – 11’33.29     

Day Six MX

Oliveira: 1^st

Sipes: 5^th

Girroir: 8^th

Michael: 9^th

Barnes: 21^st

Robert: 17^th

Walton: DNS

Richards: 1^st       

Gutish: 3^rd          

Gallegos: 7^th

Thank you a ton for those that have read along this week, and thank you a ton to all of our Team USA riders that represented our country and sport so well.  It was a blast to watch along with you all and bring the info to our readers throughout the week.  Hopefully we can get a couple of these riders on board for a podcast and hear some more in depth stories from overseas and this year’s ISDE. 

About On The Pipe Podcast

On The Pipe Podcast is a grassroots off-road motorcycle racing media outlet created in 2017.  Ran by two-wheel enthusiast Tyler Shepardson, we provide various insights into the off-road racing world.  With weekly podcasts available on all platforms, plus photos, videos, breaking news, and social media content, our number one goal is to shine a brighter light on the off-road side of dirt bike racing.  With some of the hardest working and highest risk-taking athletes on earth racing between the trees, we feel it is necessary to bring the attention, media coverage, and respect these racers deserve. This is possible thanks to our friends at Armored Graphics and Ikthus CBD.

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Day Two of this year’s FIM ISDE is wrapped up and Team USA holds their 3^rd place World Trophy and 1^st place Women’s Trophy positions while we see the Junior Trophy Team take a step up into the 2^nd place position.

Notable American standouts on Day Two include Taylor Robert and Brandy Richards.  Robert, Dante Oliveira, and Johnny Girroir were the only American riders to improve their overall positions between the two days of racing.  Unfortunately, the remaining US Trophy team riders posted slightly higher overall finishes on Day Two than their Day One efforts; aside from Richards who remains at the top of the Women’s leaderboard.

Brandy Richards has had to wait the better part of two years to get back her barely missed opportunity at the title of “fastest woman on earth,” as far as the ISDE is concerned.  In her last running of the event, Richards clicked off multiple day overall wins but ultimately finished runner up to 2019 German Champion Maria Franke.  While Franke is not competing this year in Italy, Richards is leaving no doubt that her shortcoming then is fueling her fire now as she remains undefeated so far sweeping all twelve tests of racing.

2016 ISDE Overall Winer Taylor Robert posted on his Instagram account that the first test of the event yesterday saw him suffering crash that led to his worse overall test finish (20^th) of the event so far.  He spent yesterday battling back to reclaim lost time and continued that trend into today.  Robert would finish all six tests inside of the top 10 with half of those being in the top 5 overall.  For this effort, Robert would finish the day 4^th place overall which is an improvement over his Day One finish of 7^th.

Unfortunately, the largest change in finishes between the two days was 2015 Overall ISDE Winner Ryan Sipes.  “Not as good for me today.  Just never found the groove.  I tried to be a berminator out there in the huge silt berms but I actually went slower.  It’s just not my thing.  I’m not good at it.  I’m better sneaking around the inside with some old school throttle control,” admitted Sipes in an Instagram post from today.  While today was not at all how The General planned for his day to go,  I have no doubt that tomorrow he will come out swinging and let ‘er eat on that 300 two-stroke in true Ryan Sipes fashion.

Below are the Trophy Team members results for Day Two.

Test One

Robert: 5^th – 8’29.89

Oliveira: 9^th – 8’32.38

Michael: 10^th – 8’32.72

Girroir: 14^th – 8’36.86

Walton: 16^th – 8’38.63

Sipes: 19^th – 8’40.09

Barnes: 35^th – 8’49.49

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 9’11.03

Gutish: 6^th(EW) – 10’02.39

Gallegos: 18^th(EW) – 10’50.56

Test Two

Robert: 3^rd – 7’56.69

Oliveira: 10^th – 8’06.64

Girroir: 16^th – 8’10.91

Sipes: 21^st – 8’12.35

Michael: 22^nd – 8’13.18

Barnes: 25^th – 8’15.91

Walton: 48^th – 8’27.65

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 8’51.92

Gutish: 4^th(EW) – 9’24.08

Gallegos: 20^th(EW) – 10’52.78

Test Three

Robert: 6^th – 9’43.33

Oliveira: 15^th – 9’53.27

Girroir: 18^th – 9’55.42

Michael: 20^th – 9’56.26

Sipes: 23^rd – 9’58.08

Barnes: 25^th – 10’00.86

Walton: 26^th – 10’02.69

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 11’04.18

Gutish: 6^th(EW) – 11’57.11

Gallegos: 18^th(EW) – 12’43.59

Test Four

Robert: 7^th – 5’08.40

Michael: 9^th – 5’08.64

Sipes: 11^th – 5’09.15

Oliveira: 13^th – 5’09.55

Barnes: 22^nd – 5’14.17

Walton: 27^th – 5’14.85

Girroir: 37^th – 5’17.16

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 5’34.37

Gutish: 8^th(EW) – 5’53.46              

Gallegos: 15^th(EW) – 5’59.77

Test Five

Robert: 7^th – 8’08.49

Girroir: 10^th – 8’10.15

Barnes: 13^th – 8’11.28

Michael: 16^th – 8’14.15

Walton: 19^th – 8’15.03

Sipes: 22^nd – 8’18.56

Oliveira: 23^rd – 8’19.79

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 9’03.80

Gutish: 5^th(EW) – 9’37.02              

Gallegos: 19^th(EW) – 10’47.63

Test 6

Robert: 4^th – 7’58.03

Oliveira: 6^th – 7’58.63

Michael: 15^th – 8’09.45

Girroir: 16^th – 8’09.95

Barnes: 21^st – 8’12.34      

Sipes: 23^rd – 8’13.10

Walton: 34^th – 8’20.21    

Richards: 1^st(EW) – 8’49.21          

Gutish: 7^th(EW) – 9’38.46

Gallegos: 17^th(EW) – 10’29.05

Team Italy remains on top in the WT standings with a cumulative time of 4:49’40.52.  Team Spain sits in 2^nd 1’22.18 behind the leaders and Team USA 1’14.33 behind that.

Team Italy also holds the JT lead with a time of 4:54’12.45, with Team USA 1’49.01 back in 2^nd holding a 56.39 second gap over Team France.

Team USA lengthens its WWT lead to 5’47.20 over Team Great Brittain and 6’15.75 ahead of Team Spain.

We will continue to watch along and bring you updates each day to help you stay in the loop and cheer on Team USA!  If you want to stay even closer to the action, give International Photographer Nir Amos a follow on IG @nir_amos32 some awesome shots of the world’s top talent throughout the week.

About On The Pipe Podcast

On The Pipe Podcast is a grassroots off-road motorcycle racing media outlet created in 2017.  Ran by two-wheel enthusiast Tyler Shepardson, we provide various insights into the off-road racing world.  With weekly podcasts available on all platforms, plus photos, videos, breaking news, and social media content, our number one goal is to shine a brighter light on the off-road side of dirt bike racing.  With some of the hardest working and highest risk-taking athletes on earth racing between the trees, we feel it is necessary to bring the attention, media coverage, and respect these racers deserve. This is possible thanks to our friends at Armored Graphics and Ikthus CBD.

Give us a follow!

IG: @OnThePipePodcast

YouTube.com/OnThePipePodcast

Facebook.com/OnThePipePodcast

TikTok: @OnThePipePodcast

OnThePipePodcast.com

And subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Google Play, YouTube and more!