Team USA has claimed the World Trophy for the third time in history at the 97th ISDE. Taylor Robert has been a consistent performer for the team in all three occasions. This time he was joined by Dante Oliveira, Johnny Girroir and Cole Martinez. In addition, the U.S. Women’s Trophy team also secured victory, marking their fourth win. The U.S. Junior World team moved up to second place on the final day due to the misfortune of the Swedish team in the final moto. Additionally, XC Gear emerged as the top Club team, resulting in the most successful year ever for the combined U.S. teams.
WORLD TROPHY TEAM (WT)
Heading into Day 6 with a comfortable lead at the top of the WT leaderboard, Team USA only needed consistent finishes to secure their first ISDE crown since 2019. Dante Oliveira, from FMF KTM Factory Racing, took the lead and maintained it, winning the final moto for the day and securing second place in the individual E2 Class standings. This also placed him third overall for the week.
Before retiring ahead of the 2023 edition, ISDE legend Taylor Robert delivered a standout performance, achieving multiple top-three overall times across the Six Days and finishing in third position in the E2 Class, contributing significantly to Team USA’s success.
Johnny Girroir overcame a head cold midway through the event to secure a strong set of finishes in Argentina, finishing fourth on Day 6 and sealing fourth place in the E2 Class, and fifth overall, with his 350 XC-F. Along with the efforts of Cole Martinez (Honda), the United States team secured victory at the iconic event for its 97th edition through remarkable consistency.
Dante Oliveira: “The Six Days is over! I got the win in the final moto here and the team absolutely killed it! So stoked to do this with the crew after all the work we’ve put in, and now we’re the 2023 ISDE Champions, baby! Let’s go!”
Taylor Robert: “Finished on top here in Argentina – that’s the way to do it. It’s an incredible feeling to wrap up this year’s ISDE Championship, it’s such a famed, tough, and grueling event, and taking the win here is a storybook ending to my career. Thank you to everyone who has made it possible.”
Johnny Girroir: “This has been one hell of a week. Lots of ups and downs, but as a team, we totally killed it. This is so awesome, representing the United States, getting the win, this feels great.”
JUNIOR WORLD TROPHY TEAM (JWT)
A dramatic final moto saw Team USA’s Junior World Trophy Team make a final push towards the top spot, starting the day in third place. A spirited performance by eventual winner Mateo Oliveira, who claimed a dominant win in the JWT category on that day, combined with second place by Kai Aiello (Husqvarna Motorcycles) and KTM-supported Grant Davis finishing in sixth place, propelled the Team into a hard-fought second position at the conclusion of this year’s ISDE.
Mateo Oliveira: “Today was so crazy, I have no words to describe it! I went down off the start and really had to charge my way back through the field, and then found out that the JWT Team moved up to second position after today also. I’m just so stoked that all of our teams are on the podium, and I was able to secure an ISDE final moto win – it’s been a long time coming for me, so to cap it off with Dante getting the WT win and Taylor going out on top is just amazing. I’m speechless!”
WOMEN’S WORLD TROPHY TEAM (WWT)
In a dominant performance for the Women’s World Trophy Team in San Juan, KTM-supported Brandy Richards once again led the way by capturing the Day 6 victory, finishing first only once across the completed Six Days. Korie Steede secured a strong ride to finish in fourth place, with Rachel Gutish (GASGAS) in sixth place, resulting in a successful outing for Team USA and crowning them ISDE champions for the first time since 2021.
Brandy Richards: “This week was quite the week! It’s a massive effort to keep everything together, making sure we’re well-rested and that the bikes are ready to perform the following day. Coming into the final moto, I wanted to do well and I’m happy with how I finished, and I’m just so proud of the women on our team, so excited that we all finished and got the job done.”
Korie Steede: “This feels so special! Our team really killed it this week, putting in really fast, consistent times on tracks that were hugely demanding and super technical. It hasn’t been easy for us at all, and I’m just so proud of everyone, and proud to be champions this year.”
World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6)
1. USA, 16:31:10.03
2. France, +17:03.71
3. Great Britain, +18:23.74
4. Chile, +55:05.56
5. Venezuela, +2:31:26.31
Junior World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6)
1. France, 12:55:52.59
2. USA, +5:20.92
3. Sweden, +26:09.74
4. Argentina, +45:10:60
5. Czech Republic, +1:04:37.26
Women’s World Trophy Classification (After Day 6 of 6)
1. USA, 14:43:34:90
2. Australia, +6:47:43.12
3. Latin America, +7:36:11.70
4. France, +11:52.13.89
5. Argentina, +15:15:59.72