New for this year’s NOCO FIM 6DAYS® in Galicia, Spain, is the addition of a Women’s Club Team category.

Intended as an eventual steppingstone to the Women’s World Trophy, it allows women competitors to gain experience in the FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE), while avoiding the added pressure of wearing their national jersey.

While the Club Team Award category has always been open to female riders, competition for a place on a team is fierce. In the past, many often jumped straight into the Women’s World Trophy class simply to gain NOCO FIM 6DAYS® experience.

As a two-time winner of the Women’s World Trophy with the United States, Rachel Gutish (Sherco) welcomes the arrival of the Women’s Club Team, while recalling her own FIM 6DAYS® debut.

“I was just a sixteen-year-old kid when I raced the 6DAYS® for the first time,” recalls Gutish. “I was in the deep end on the Trophy team, wearing my national jersey, with minimal experience.

“It was a hugely steep learning curve for me, so it’s great to see progress like this being made. It’s fantastic for women in enduro.”

Much like Gutish, seventeen-year-old Delun Davies (Fantic) from Wales embarked on her own NOCO FIM 6DAYS® journey when she rolled off the start line for the first time on Monday.

However, by racing for the Builth Wells MCC Ladies team in the Women’s Club Team, it came with a lot less pressure and expectation that hopefully Davies will benefit from.

“This is my first 6DAYS®,” tells Davies, outside the NOCO Parc Fermé at the end of day two. “I race hare and hound cross-country youth races at home in Wales, but got the opportunity to come here with Builth Wells MCC Ladies and took it.

“It’s been an incredible experience so far. Day one was great, but I struggled this morning. By the afternoon I picked up speed and was right there.

“While it’s nice to race against the men, it’s good to have our own category to focus on. I hope one day I can progress to the Women’s World Trophy class. With more experience like this on the world stage, it might happen for me one day.”

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