FMF KTM Factory Team riders Kailub Russell and Taylor Robert return to the 2016 USA ISDE Trophy Team
Monday, May 2, 2016 | 9:20 AM
The AMA released the 2016 USA ISDE Trophy and Junior Trophy Teams for the 91st running of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) today, which will be held Oct. 11-16, 2016 in Navarra, Spain.
Thirty-five countries are represented at the ISDE event each year, and this season the USA ISDE Trophy Team will include: FMF KTM Factory Team riders Kailub Russell and Taylor Robert as well as KR4 Husqvarna Racing Team rider Thad DuVall and last year’s ISDE overall winner Coastal Racing Husqvarna Team rider Ryan Sipes.
Russell will race the E1 class aboard the KTM 250 XC-F. Robert and Sipes will each race the E2 class aboard 350cc motorcycles while DuVall will race the TE 300 in the E3 class.
The Junior Trophy Team will include: SRT KTM rider Steward Baylor, his brother, AmPro Yamaha Racing Team rider Grant Baylor and JCR Honda Racing Team rider Trevor Bollinger. Both Baylor brothers will compete in the E2 class, while Bollinger will compete in the E1 division.
The format of the ISDE Trophy and Junior Trophy teams has changed for the 2016 season, where Trophy teams will consist of 4 riders, while Junior teams will be reduced to 3 riders versus the previous rule of 6-rider Trophy team and 4-rider Junior trophy teams.
“The new rule made selection much more difficult this season,” stated ISDE Team Manager Antti Kallonen. “It took a lot of time to select the riders for each team but we are confident in our decision and feel each of these riders will do a great job representing USA.”
Kallonen continued, “I think this new rule change will make the competition closer. Our USA Trophy Team is solid. Ryan won the overall at ISDE last year and Kailub was on top of the ranks until an injury sidelined him. With Taylor racing the full Enduro World Championship Series this season, it should give him an added edge to be familiar with the format and bike set-up. Thad will be a strong competitor to complete our team as they fight for the first-ever overall win for the USA team.”
In regards to the Junior Team selection, Kallonen stated, “Our three riders made up the 2014 winning team in Argentina, which makes our expectations high. Trevor has shown phenomenal speed this year at the GNCC’s and has emerged as the fastest XC2 Pro Lites rider. Steward and Grant Baylor both sit in a top position in the National Enduro Series and are very experienced with ISDE racing.”
Both teams will meet in late July to conduct a training camp in Arizona in order to prepare for the event. This will be the third training camp that has been coordinated for the riders in order to assist the trophy teams as they prepare for the ISDE.
In addition, the team is excited for the upcoming 3rd Annual ISDE golf tournament fundraiser that will be held on Friday, June 24th in Snowshoe, W. Va. with all proceeds going toward the USA Trophy Team riders. For more details on this event, please click here.