ISDE Brazil

Saturday, 8      Day Six

With the hard part behind us all that is left is a seven mile road ride to the final moto.  For the day riders start in the order that we are placed currently in class.  Once again my bike started right up and rode the short distance to the track.  For the first time the final moto is going to be a super motard.  Most of the guys were a little apprehensive about racing on pavement, since many have never done it before, and didn't want to tear the skin off their bodies after five days of racing.   The track itself looked good except for the first turn.  The first turn had a long fourth gear straight and then a tight right hander on the cement.  The first half of the track was mostly on the asphalt, with a lot of chicanes to slow the bikes down, then the second half was mostly dirt.  The 125 moto was first and they were hauling.  These riders were drifting into turn and made it look gnarly.  In the second 125 moto Rodney Smith got a good start and then made his way into the lead about halfway through to take the win.  In the first 250 moto Giovanni Sala grabbed the early lead and held it to take a popular win.  I was in the fourth moto.  I was a bit nervous during the parade lap but felt better than I thought I would.  Unfortunately I came together with another rider on the start and was near the back of the field.  I was on the inside if the first turn and after avoiding a downed rider in the first turn I was on my way.  It was a hard track to pass on as the chicane sections funneled the riders down into on lined trains.  On the first lap a rider crashed hard and Bryce Olsen, who was right in front of me hit him and went over the bars.  I swerved around them and tried to move my way through the pack.  Surprisingly I was able to make quite a few passes.  I was taking outside in lines and making my turns early in order to get a better drive down the straights.  I was able to pass guys during the whole race and finished about twelfth place.  I was happy with the way I rode during the moto but wished that I had gotten a good start.  I was worried about racing on the pavement but it turned out to be a lot of fun.  All of the racers seemed to be using their heads and weren't trying to take each other out.  Maybe I will have to check out a super motard sometime.  Later in the day the 450 4 stroke moto was one of the best of the day.  Stephan Everts took the holeshot but Juha Saleman ran him down and made a pass a couple of laps into the race.  Everts stayed calm and a lap later made his way back into the lead and held the lead to the finish to take the win.  Everts won the event overall to cap off his incredible season.  Everts didn't take the lead to a couple of days into the race but was consistent as well as quick and used his sand experience to win his first off road race.  I got quicker as the week went on and ended up with a silver medal.  While I didn't achieve my goal of earning a gold medal I feel I improved my riding quite a bit during the race and feel much more comfortable on the bike.  This race I feel will serve as a good base to get me back to the front of the pack.

The Trophy Team finished the race in seventh place.  While they put a lot of effort into the race this year most of the team said that they wouldn't be back next year.  The Junior Team finished in ninth place.  Kurt Caselli overcame loosing his rear axel nut in a special test to become the Top American and finished ninth in class.  Without that problem he may have been able to finish as high as third in class and demonstrated world class speed all week.  The GNCC club team consisting of Randy Hawkins, Doug Blackwell, and Robbie Jenks finished second in the club competition.  

Friday, 7          Day Five

I started a few minutes earlier due to a few more people dropping out.  Today I was riding with a good Italian rider and John Wells.  John's bike was making some horrendous noises so he took it apart this morning and found the bearing behind the clutch hub had lost over half its balls, causing the whole basket to wobble and rub against the inside of the case.  John started 12 minutes late and was just trying to make it through the day.  Again right after the start the course led us right along the beach for a couple of miles to the beach test.  I wasn't really ready but pinned it and put in a solid ride.  After the test the course went through some whoops that are getting to be about four feet deep and are a lot of work to keep on top of.  Once we got through the rough stuff more roads let us to the first check.  After the first check was the second test of the day.  I am liking this test more and felt good through it.  There are some big braking bumps going into a corner that I wheelie,, then drop the front end and rail the berm.  The next section ended with the bog.  Barry Hawk was there again and pointed the hot line out to me and it worked perfectly.  The second check was right on the beach.  At the check they accidentally gave everyone the Trophy Team's race gas.  No ones' bike would run well with real gas in them because the bikes are jetted with the local gas. My bike still felt alright and I did fine through the beach test.  This test had deep loamy corners that were too tight for the deep sand which made it hard too keep your speed up.  I didn't have many people to pass and had another good test.  The dune section was next and once again I hooked up with Jason Webb and we passed each other back and fourth.  At one dune there were at least 50 locals standing on top of the dune. I did a berm shot around the top of the dune for all of the kids who were jumping up and down loving it.  The next section was the long boring section and I was glad to get it over with.  More road and a little trail led us back to the field test.  I don't think I did quite as well as the first pass through it but still went pretty fast.  From here we passed through a few more miles of road that brought us up to more sand dunes.  The dunes are definitely the most fun part of the course, I wish we had more of them.  The only test left was the fast beach test that I like.  I felt better in it in the afternoon than I did first thing in the morning and managed to put in a solid day today.  The trail back to the parc ferme had one more dune section in it.  I saw Kato standing at the top of a dune and bet that he got some really good pictures of the ocean and the dunes in the background.  I didn't change tires at the end of the day.  I checked the bike over and it is in real good shape.  I put a fresh air filter in, changed my front sprocket and cleaned the bike for the final moto.  

The Trophy Team and the Junior Team are both in ninth place.  Fred Hoess wasn't able to finish this year.  Yesterday he had his valves tighten up on him and his bike would hardly run and was impossible to start.  Today it quit altogether.  John Bergard and Paul Neff both lost time today.  Paul got lost and rode an extra twenty miles.  John Wells limped his bike along all day and looks like he is going to make it to the finish.  

Thursday, 6      Day Four

We rode a new course today.  It started right along the beach for a couple of miles and ended up at the first cross test which we did on Day 1.  The test has broken in nicely and has some good lines but is not too rough.  I had a good run through the test and started jumping off some of the blind dune drop offs.  I have been trying to go into the corners wide to miss the bumps and then get into the big sandy berm at the last second.  Leaving the test there were some dunes we rode across and then a bit of whooped out trail.  There was plenty of time at the first check to drink some water and look over the bike.  The nest section had some good trail and a big bog at the end.  Barry Hawk was there telling us where to go.  He told me to go on the left side for about the first ten feet then move to the right onto a small ledge.  I took my time and made it through without a problem.  Soon after the check we did the short test that we did the first day.  This test is starting to get rough and is getting some good berms in the corners.  I killed the first corner but going into the second I hit neutral and fell over right into a stake lining the course.  I haven't been wearing a check protector (too hot), and I got a little bruised up, but kept the bike running and tried to get right back into the swing of things.  The rest of the test went well. It was fun hitting the big bermed corners.  A combination of road and trail led us to the third check.  It was lucky that Eric Baily returned the axel nut and spacer I loaned him. Stephan Kreis lost one and was pumped that I had an extra and that he didn't have to finish the day with just a zip tie holding on his rear axel.  The third check was right on the beach at the beginning of the third test.  The test had some small dunes and was tight for how sandy it was.  Brian was cheering me on through this test and it went well until about the last ten corners when I caught a Japanese rider who wouldn't let me by.  I tried to pass him a couple of times but would get caught off line and he would stay ahead of me.  I have had problems with him three times during the six days. I was pretty pissed after the test and told him exactly what I was going to do to him next time. The next section was the best riding we have done so far.  We went across some big sand dunes for about three miles, then took the beach all the way back past the test.  After going through town the trail led to some more sand dunes.  I was riding with Jason Webb and we were having fun carving big arcs through the dunes.  An Italian rider flew off a big drop and landed in a heap at the bottom.  He seemed alright and was heading back to his bike, so we continued on.  In all we rode close to ten miles of dunes. It was the highlight of the six days trail.  The next section was the worst we have ridden.  We rode for 45 minutes down a dirt road that never turned.  It was a bit rough and rocky so we had to stand up and just keep it right at the sweet spot the whole time. The only interesting thing to happen to me in that section was a bus running me off the road.  I moved over to the side of the road where I saw a tire track.  The tire track led me straight into four three-foot-high sand mounds.  I downshifted and hit them like whoops and made it through better than I thought I would.  We had about ten minutes at the next check and filled up on water once more.  There were some more boring roads that led us back to the second field test of the day.  This time, I passed the guys in front of me easily and had a good test.  The day was winding down and we headed back into some more sand dunes on the way to the beach dune test.  I am liking this test more and more and had fun going around it.  My bike is running great. It is nice not having to baby it around trying to finish.  Still more dunes led us back to the pre-finish check.  I checked all my bolts and loosened up my rim lock for the days tire change.  I took my time because I was only doing a rear tire.  I also changed my filter again and resealed my pipe so it doesn't rattle all day.  I wiped the bike down and headed to impound.  At impound a local wanted to exchange my dirty sweaty jersey for a Ronoldo soccer jersey. I know my dad will appreciate it. All the US riders finished today. John Wells is finding a bearing race coming out of his oil and his bike isn't sounding too good.  I am riding better now and feel more aggressive.  Day 5 will be the same course as Day 4. Hoping for a good day tomorrow. 

Wednesday, 5  Day Three

Upon arriving to the container I learned that the start times had been condensed because some riders are out of the event.  Luckily I was there early enough to be ready to leave eight minutes earlier.  We were riding the same loop as day two with the same time schedule.  I was a bit sick in the morning so I was planning to conserve all the energy that I could during the day.  In the ten minute work period I only had to put on a pipe spring so after doing that I grabbed a bottle of water and watched the others sweat away.  It was rumored that yesterday the temperature was up to about 106 on some parts of the course and it felt just as hot today.  Once again my bike started first kick and it is still running strong.  After starting the course led straight to the dune test.  I started right behind Bryce Olsen and got to see him crash over a drop off when he got out of control in the whoops at the bottom.  I was trying to take outside lines and stay out of the bumps while keeping my speed around the corners.  To go faster I need to go through the big bumps more aggressively.  After the test along a road section a rider was waving us down.  I stopped and saw what was wrong and he said he needed gas.  He had a zip lock bag so I gave him a bag full and wished him good luck.  The road brought us to the first check.  When Josh Lojak went to leave the check his bike wouldn't start and traced it back to a bad ignition which put him out of the event.  The first terrain test was just after the check and I had a good test.  I had some trouble passing a couple of guys in the dust but I was riding well in the test.  The trail led up to the mountainous rocky section which I had fun going through again.  A bunch of road was next and it was really hot going across the valleys.  I was happy that we were just cruising down dirt roads and not struggling through some tight trails in the heat.  Just before arriving at the second enduro test I came across Ben Smith who overshot a turn and parked his bike in a rain rut that was as deep as his bike.  He asked if he could ride it through and I said it was doubtful.  There happened to be a couple of local kids standing there in the middle of nowhere so I told them to stop cheering for us and give us a hand getting the bike out.  One of the eight year old girls understood my sign language and we all managed to get Ben going again.  The second enduro test was soon after and I felt I had a good test.  I stuck to the inside of the off camber turns instead of going deep into the fluff and it seemed to work out well.  A rocky trail led us down to check four where I changed my oil.  The oil came out clean after a day and a half or riding- another good sign that my bike is holding up well.  Next, we did the first enduro test. Mikey Demaree was up in a helicopter and said that he got some really good footage of me going around the whole test.  I felt good in the test but it was getting choppy and dusty after four passes through it.  The long road section brought us to the dune test on last time.  I did alright through the test except where I saw Mikey.  When I saw him I forgot to turn and plowed right through some ribbon.  At the end of the day I changed both tires and my air filter.  Brian took his tires and mousses out of his bike so it was easy changing the mousses when I had a spare set waiting.  Changing tires is the hardest part of the day because it gets so hot and sweat pours all over and drenches the riding gear.  The best way to cool off after a day of riding seems to be to spend a few minutes lounging at the pool and relaxing.  I seem to be getting a bit better every day and feel good on the bike.  I am doing well in the dirt tests but am getting railed in the sand.  Yesterday Jeremy Puma and Morgan Crawford got lost and missed a check so they were disqualified and are out of the event.  Last I heard the Trophy Team is in tenth place and the Junior Team is in ninth.  

Tuesday, 4      Day Two

We had a different course for day two and started an hour earlier.  I didn't have anything to do to my bike in the morning work period so I just gave it a quick once over and went to the start.  At eight in the morning it is already 85 degrees, actually is always about 85 degrees down here.  Jason Webb was having a bit of trouble getting his bike started and only had twenty seconds left so I yelled over to him to hold it wide open and give it a good kick.  On the second kick it fired and he was off.  My bike started first kick again and I headed off to the first dune test just down the road.  I am getting more used to the test and was having fun carving up the sand.  The bumps on the track are hard to rail and it is easy to tuck the front end.  Brian had impounded his bike again and so he went out on day two.  He got to the first test that he had problems with yesterday and he only made it six more corners before his bike did the same thing.  He had the drill down this time and dragged his bike out of the sand and hitchhiked it back to the parc ferme.  A rider can only re-impound once and that only applies to club riders so Brian's six days is officially over.  After the first test we headed out on a bunch of road.  Once again there were a ton of locals lining the streets and it was hard to find where the course went.  The best way to find the course is the turn arrows that are spray painted on the road or buildings.  After the first check we only had a short distance to the enduro test.  This test was laid out on a natural grassy field but had a bunch of clumps in it making it mainly one lined.  It was a nice change actually getting to race across solid ground for a change.  I caught a couple of guys in the test but made it around them pretty easily.  The trail leaving the test brought us up into the mountains.  We made our way up to some rocky terrain and it turned out to be some really good single track.  It was nice to be on some technical terrain for a change.  A lot of riders were having trouble in the rocks but I made my way through pretty easily.  Halfway through the section we came across Eric Bailey who was broken down on the side of the trail.  I asked if he needed anything and he said he needed a rear axel nut.  I happened to have one with me and asked if he needed the spacer also.  He thought his six days was over and was stoked someone had the parts he needed.  He dropped ten minutes at the next check but is still in the race.  We headed down the back side of the mountain and to the next check where we had a few minutes to get some water into our systems.  The next section was all road that looked right out of Lucerne Valley.  We were on wide straight roads for miles.  Gregg Gillian took a bit too long in the morning replacing his rear brake system and dropped back to the minute with Eric Bee and I and we all rode together down most of the dusty fireroads.  Along one of the roads there was a British rider down that apparently had a heart attack while riding.  There was a test after the next check that had some hills in it.  The test was right in a little town and we went through a couple of trash piles then up the hills and out of town.  It had some good off camber corners in it and most of the flat turns had a good size rut in them.  I felt good in the test and am feeling that I am riding better than I did on day one.  Next we went back into the mountains where there was a long steep switchback hill that went through some banana fields.  Most of the hill had a rut in it over head deep.  We ended down the hill and back to the rough test that we did second in the morning.  It had a good line though it now and except for having to pass four guys and deal with their dust I felt like I had another good test.  All we had left to do was follow the road back to town that we came out on in the morning and do the dune test one more time.  I felt better in the dunes this time but am getting waxed pretty bad in the sand.  I changed my rear tire at the end of today, my front tire looks like it had one more day in it.  Brian has to take off his tires off his bike so I can put them on my bike for day four.  I also changed my first air filter at the end of the day.  The filter cover system that I have been using is working really well, so I am going to keep changing those covers and not the air filters to try to keep as much sand out of the engine as possible.  We ride the same course as today again tomorrow and I am going to try to pick the pace up in the sand.  Our Trophy Team was twelfth after the first day and has some tough competition to deal with.  Ty Davis is the top American but Kurt Casselli is riding really well.  He finished fifth in class today and finished as high as second in class in a test.  We lost our other two women riders today and Brian...again. 

Monday, 3      Day One

Being club riders Brian and I started at the back of the pack.  My start time was 9:45 and I was on the same minute as Eric Bee.  I had a bunch of US guys in front of me and a couple on the minute behind.  Brian is the last US rider and starts at 10:00.  I got my bike and went to the start line.  When my time came up my bike started first kick and I was off.  The first thing I noticed was that there was a minimum of course arrows.  There are only arrows at the turns and no feel good arrows.  The course is pretty dusty and whooped out by the time I got there.  There is a ton of road both pavement and two tracked so it was pretty easy.  When arriving at the first check there were at least ten American riders at the check making it chaotic.  After check one we did some trail sections and arrived at the first cross test.  The test was all sand dunes.  It was fun riding the test but when bumps develop it makes things difficult because you can't see them and your front end tucks pretty easily.  I had a good ride but crashed in the last corner.  Barry Hawk had some major problems and seized his bike.  He said it wasn't sounding different than on the practice track.  Brian also ran into disaster in the first test.  He was having a good run until his bike stopped and wouldn't start.  It didn't seize so he tried to change his plug and find out what was wrong.  He finally found out that is was electrical because he didn't have any spark.  He tried to get a quad to carry him back.  That didn't work so he basically had to drag his bike out of the sand.  He hitched a ride back to parc ferme and brought the bike to KTM.  He told them that it didn't have any spark and they went "Ah we know what the problem is."  Evidently a couple of four strokes have had this problem.  When the bike gets hot the solder melts on the ignition.  The bike Brian had didn't have a very good solder job from the factory.  They soldered the wires back together and Brian put his bike back into impound.  He was pretty pissed to be out so early and not have a chance to do well.  From the first test we rode down the beach for a couple miles.  It was a long sand section that ended at the second test.  This was the test that we had a buggy ride around.  I liked this test and felt alright around it.  Jason Webb is on the minute ahead of me and had just got a flat tire a couple miles earlier but still had a good clip going when I got by him in the test.  He got the tire changed at the next test just a little ways ahead.  The next section was the longest section of the day and had some tight trail sections for about five miles.  It was nice to get off of the road for a while and ride some good trail.  The rest of the section was a big road ride.  After the next check we made our way to a special test.  This was the field test that we checked out.  The test was whooped out in and out of the corners and one lined making it hard to get around.  My bike ran a little rich in the test on the top end so at the next check I changed my air filter cover and that made it run clean again.  We did a bunch more road and made it back to combined check one and five.  At this check we learned that Rodney Smith got lost on the trail and arrived late.  With Barry being out and a problem a win for the Trophy Team looks like a long shot.  From there we rode the same course that we did earlier.  In the middle of the section we went down by a river and there was actually some muddy ruts.  One bike was stuck up to the seat so with a little bit of line selection I got through it.  We did the first sand dune test again and I felt better and didn't fall.  I caught up to a Japanese rider and  when I was going around the outside of him he goosed it making me bobble.  By the time I got back to speed he was already two corners ahead again showing me how bad mistake cost your time.  After a splash of gas we headed out to the beach.  Robbie Zimmerman caught up to me when I got some gas so we rode together for the beach section.  We were side by side coming down in front of the hotel and he had a better line through a river or sewer drain so he got in front of me.  Right after that he his a culvert insert that he didn't see and did a big old handstand right in front of all the US support crew in front of the hotel.  I thought he was done but he pulled it off.  I had another decent test on the second dune test.  On the way back in the markings were scarce but I made it back to the pre finish but only had two minutes.  At the work period I was surprised to see Brian and found out what happened to him.  I changed a back tire and oil and parked it for the night.  It was a pretty easy day overall.  The trail is easy being mostly road.  The tests are the hardest part, both to ride and on the bikes.  One other rider didn't make it today who was Lisa Arsenault.  No one else had any major problems.  Wally Palmer got hit by a car but is fine.  Eric Bee who I am riding with got a little lost in the last section and barely missed the pre finish check.  Mike Sigety got a flat tire and ended up dropping twelve minutes.  One day down, five to go.

Sunday, 2

KTM had jetting done in the morning so Brian and I jeted the bike.  Stock the bike came with a 38 pilot, H needle in the middle, and a 168.  The jetting I was running now is a 50 pilot, G needle dropped to the bottom, and I ended up with a 178 main.  It felt good, maybe a bit rich on the top, but with sand dunes I wanted to go on the rich side.  Brian had to jet a four stroke, which he has never done before, but his bike felt good and strong.  All of the four strokes looked real good and seemed to be running strong in the deep sand.  We got the bikes dialed in then headed into impound.  We got through no problem this time.  We headed back to the container to get organized for the race and oil some filters.  After we were dialed, my girlfriend Paige, drug me into town to do some shopping.  We went to a big mall and checked out some swimsuits and she did her thing.  We had dinner and then went to the team meeting to see what was going on.  Everything is ready, now it's time to have some fun.

Saturday, 1 

Still no one else has put their bikes in impound because they are waiting for gas.  All the US riders that had their bikes in impound got one hour to take them out to work on them because when we impounded the bikes we were planning on participating in a parade and some riders had old tires without mousses on their bikes.  About three hours after the US guys got their bikes into into impound a tanker full of gas arrived.  People were honking their horns and going crazy, like a scene out of Road Warriors.  We wanted KTM to get jetting specs because they know how to jet better than me so we went out and walked a couple of special tests.  The first one we went to was just a small field.  There was nothing in the sandy field so we just gave it a quick look over and went out looking for the next test.  After getting a little lost we found the next test which was right on the beach.  The test was a little tight for the sandy conditions but looked good.  We saw a local who tried to drive down the beach and buried their car right next to the water and looked a little worried about getting the car out before the tide came in.  Shane Watts decided to go home today because his shoulder wasn't strong enough to race.

Friday, 31

In the morning I did a little more tweaking to the bike and then went for another moto on the practice track.  The practice track is getting really rough and lots of guys are struggling in the deep sand.  I have been trying to keep it smooth and not be too hard on the bike while breaking it in.  The suspension feels really good stock and I am happy with the way the bike is running.  I went back to the Parc Ferme and found that the US team was the only one with their bikes in impound. Everyone else is still waiting for the gas truck to arrive so that they can jet the bikes according to the fuel that is going to be used.  According to a message posted at administration,  impound will close at 6PM on Sunday and there is no set schedule for countries to impound. We parked our bikes in the corner of the container and went to check out special tests.  Mikey from Topspeed Productions just arrived so he went out with us to see what the terrain is going to be like.  When we got near the test the local kids directed us to where we should park.  They wanted to "watch the car" for us- for a fee, of course. We ended up renting a dune buggy from the local guys. They took us all around the special test. The first part of the test was on the beach, by the water, and was nearly flat with a good amount of vegetation. The far side of the test went way up some big dunes. Most of the ribbon and posts were completely buried under the sand. We watched the pre-riders ride the test. At the finish there was a guy with a donkey and cart selling water, "cerveja", and coconuts. 

We were scheduled to do a parade ride starting in the town of Fortaleza tomorrow, but because of the problems with containers and gas not being here, the parade ride has been canceled.

Thursday, 30

After a good breakfast we got to work on the bikes.  Everything went smoothly again and we got the bikes to our liking.  Brian is riding a 450 four stroke, which looks like it is going to work really well down here in the sand.  I am riding a 250 2 stroke. Jetting is the big  issue here, so we waited till other people had it figured out to work on our own bikes. Bryce Olsen and Kurt Caselli told us to richen the jetting up quite a big.  Brian had a problem with his carburetor, the needle jet holder wouldn't thread back in so he had to get KTM to dial it in.  We were asked to impound early if ready.  The US team was the first ones that had to impound.  I went and took my bike out for a little spin before impound and headed to the practice track.  The track is a small eight turn, one minute track.  It is gnarly, though.  It has some huge whoops and braking bumps in the sand.  The sand is much different then most have seen.  It is like riding at Pismo Beach but is even finer.  Almost everyone tucked the front end and had a crash getting used to the sand. It was hard to keep the bike going straight and not tuck the front end through the bumps.  Even one small mistake costs a couple of seconds and means more work for the motor to get back up to speed.  My bike felt good, so after my moto I headed back to impound before dark.  Everyone made it though impound except for three riders- Derek Steahly, Brian, and me. Since Brian and I can't get our Maxxis Tires in Brazil, we were just running the stock front tires that the bikes came with. Apparently, though, the stock tires aren't rated as enduro tires.  They told us to come back tomorrow and give it another try.  We were sort of happy not to be make it through since it will give us another day to mess with the bikes and ride them more.         

Wednesday, 29  

After 36 hours of traveling, we arrived in Fortaleza at 1am. We got a few hours of sleep and woke up at the beautiful Beach Park Resort.  Our hotel is right on the beach. It's lined with palm trees, has a huge pool with a swim up bar, tennis courts, and soccer field.  The first thing we wanted to do was find our bikes, so we walked the whole 100 feet across the street to Parc Ferme. The US team is living the good life this year.  For the first time in history, the US container and bikes were among the first to arrive. Italy, Finland, and France, among others, still didn't have their container.  We got right to work on the bikes since we had registration later in the day and were to impound the bikes tomorrow.  All the US riders seemed to be having few problems and everything is running smoothly.  Wally Palmer put a hole in his piston, but got it together and running again.  The only thing that isn't good is the gas.  Everyone has really tweaked their jetting  up on the main jet, in some instances from a 170 to a 190, in order to prevent pinging in the deep sand with the poor gas.  We are supposed to be getting a delivery of gas sometime soon... We made good progress on the bikes today, but it gets dark around 5pm so we loaded everything up and headed over to check out the pool.  Luckily, it is a really big pool because a lot of people had the same idea.  The atmosphere is different than most Six Days- everyone seems more relaxed and is just having a good time.  The meals here are also excellent. The whole team sits down to a big buffet with fresh fruit, loads of pasta, meat and fish, and a big dessert section each night.  The motel is trying to make sure we are welcomed. Tuesday night they put on a Brazilian dance show and tonight hey hired a band to sing cover songs tonight at the bar.  Team GBros cleaned up on the pool table in three hour long games. The table is big and the balls and pockets are small which made for a lot of  missed shots. At the end of the night the High Octane piece we did a couple of years ago came on TV down here, which was a cool coincidence.  

Pre

We are set to go to Brazil.  As you can see in the picture below the race is going to be held right along the coast.  There will be plenty of time to see the sights as we ride for about 800 miles over the six days.  Some of the special test are going to be in the dunes around Fortaleza and the rest are up in the mountains.  

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