Italy extend World Trophy lead as 6DAYS® Italia reaches halfway point

• 6DAYS® Italia competitors greeted with new course for Day Three
• Italy increase advantage in World Trophy class
• Italy, Australia and France battle for Junior World Trophy honours

Marking the midway point in this year’s 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nations, Day Three saw competitors face a new course and fresh set of special tests. With today’s Loop Two – Three Valli only being used once in this year’s 6DAYS® Italia, riders were eager to capitalise on the virgin terrain and sunny weather.

At the head of the World Trophy classification, Italy set out on Day Three to cement their control of the 6DAYS® Italia. Steadily increasing their race lead as the day progressed, they arrived back to the race paddock at the end of the day with a very healthy four-minute-and-three-second advantage over France in second.

With Italy beginning to edge clear of their rivals, behind them the fight for second continued between France and Sweden. France started out the day with a thirty-nine-second gap over Sweden and ended it with thirty-seven seconds. With both nations very evenly matched, Sweden will look again on Day Four to bridge the gap to the French.

Outside of the podium placings, there was plenty of change between fourth, fifth and sixth position. Spain enjoyed a strong ride, once again boosted by team leader Josep Garcia (KTM) taking the outright individual win and jumped from sixth up to fourth. The United States remain stationed in fifth, some fifty-four seconds behind Spain, but are only twelve seconds ahead of Australia, who dropped from fourth to sixth today.

“I was looking forward to today with the new tests, but I kind of missed the mark a little in pace,” said the United States’ Cody Barnes (Honda). “They were a little bit more slick than I anticipated, but tomorrow is another day. The transfer up in the mountains had a big climb and was super slick. If we are using it again tomorrow, it’s going to be interesting!”

Great Britain reach the halfway point of this year’s 6DAYS® Italia in seventh, with almost two minutes in hand over Finland in eighth. Chile and Austria complete the top ten at the end of Day Three.

Three-way fight develops for Junior honours

The Junior World Trophy category produced some of the closest racing seen on Day Three. The battle for victory has developed into a three-nation race between Italy, Australia and France. Italy continue to lead at the midway point in the race, but unlike their World Trophy countrymen, have no room for error.

After over five hours of timed special test racing, only one-minute-and-one-second separates the top-three. Today saw France make a comeback, racing to the Day Three victory and bringing themselves back into the fight. While Italy continues to lead, it is clear everything is very much to play for.

“In the first special test I had a very big crash, and I lost a lot of time,” said Italy’s Manuel Verzeroli (TM MOTO). “I really had to pick myself up from that. Luckily all is okay, we are still leading and I can go again tomorrow.”

Although continuing to hold onto fourth, it was not the best of days for the United States. They lost some more time to the top three, but also slipped into the clutches of a hard-charging Spain in fifth. Only twenty-one seconds now split both nations, with Spain eyeing up another attack on Day Four.

Chile hold off Sweden for sixth, while Great Britain remain in eighth. Slovenia and FIM Europe round out the top-ten at the end of Day Three.

Business as usual for United States in Women’s World Trophy

In the MOTOREX Women’s World Trophy class it was business as usual for the United States. The defending champions enjoyed another dominant performance, extending their overall lead to more than twenty-one minutes. However, on the second special test a tricky, rocky climb caught out both Korie Steede (Husqvarna) and Brandy Richards (KTM), proving the United States are not completely invincible in this year’s 6DAYS® Italia.

“On the second test, both Brandy (Richards) and myself got hung up on a climb and lost some time,” mentioned the United States’ Korie Steede. “It felt like we spent the day playing catch-up after that.”

Behind them, France upped their pace to build a three-minute-and-thirty-three second advantage over Australia in third. Host nation Italy lie fourth and are now just under ten minutes behind Australia. Great Britain is fifth.

In the battle for sixth and seventh, Canada and Slovakia are separated by just over two minutes, with plenty of racing still left to come. Chile and Germany are eighth and ninth, respectively.

Third-straight day win for Josep Garcia

In the outright individual classification, Spain’s Josep Garcia (KTM) claimed his third consecutive day win. The Spaniard came out swinging this morning to win the opening special test before Italy’s Andrea Verona fought back with the quickest time on the second special test. However, Garcia regained control, sweeping the remaining four tests of the day, to win by eight seconds.

With Verona second, Sweden’s Mikael Persson (Triumph) fared well to place third. Italy’s Samuele Bernardini (Honda) and Morgan Lesiardo (Triumph) rounded out the top five.

Garcia was also the best of the Enduro1 class riders, taking the category win by a healthy fifty-two seconds over Persson in second. Bernardini and Lesiardo were third and fourth, respectively, while France’s Leo Joyon (Beta) completed the top five.

Verona secured a one-minute-and-twenty-second margin of victory in the Enduro2 class, but behind him the remainder of the top-five positions were split by just ten seconds. Sweden’s Albin Norrbin (Fantic) edged out the United States’ Dante Oliveira (KTM) by one second to claim the runner-up result, With Oliveira third, Spain’s Sergio Navarro (Husqvarna) was less than one-second behind him in fourth, with Italy’s Manolo Morettini (Honda) fifth.

The battle for Enduro3 class honours was extremely tight, with the top three split by less than ten seconds. France’s Leo Le Quere (TM MOTO) took his second Enduro3 win of the week, beating his fellow countryman Julien Roussaly (Sherco) by seven seconds. Italy’s Kevin Cristino (Fantic) finished third. Spain’s Alejandro Navarro (GASGAS) and Australia’s Josh Strang (Beta) rounded out the top five.

In the Women’s class, it was a memorable victory for Australia’s Danielle McDonald (Yamaha). The young eighteen-year-old delivered a fantastic performance on Day Three to top the classification by a strong forty-two seconds. Beaten for the first time this week, the United States’ Brandy Richards had to settle for second, while fellow American Rachel Gutish (RIEJU) took third. Canada’s Shelby Turner (GASGAS) enjoyed another strong ride for fourth, with Italy’s Francesca Nocera (Honda) fifth.

MC Italia top of the Club Team Award category

The Club Team Award category saw MC Italia A control their overall race lead on Day Three. They lead Team Rabaconda by three-minutes-and-forty-six-seconds. BBM Racing – Time complete the top-three.

There was no major change to the Veteran Club Team category with Gottbros Team continuing to lead the way. Motosport Bozkov 2 are second, but nearly twenty minutes behind. Team Canada – Veteran round out the top three. Randy Mastin Memorial lead the Women’s Club Team.

A new course, Loop Three – Val Seriana will greet competitors for Day Four, and the second half of this year’s 6DAYS® Italia. Considered the most-challenging route in this year’s race, the Val Seriana is a famous valley in the Bergamo region, which is steeped in Enduro history.