LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In the process of making history, there was muffled conversation about what Ryan Sipes was about to do.
“Toward day four, day five, people are kind of talking like, it's never been done," Sipes said. "He could win it and it's never been done by an American.”
No pressure.
“It was a little of nerve-wracking.”
It was 2015 and Sipes, a Flaherty, Kentucky, native, was in the running to win the International Six Day Enduro Individual Championship. ISDE, as it’s called, is the world’s oldest off-road motorcycle race considered 'the Olympics’ of the sport.
“It's a different kind of format than anything we do in America," Sipes said. "The USA has always kind of struggled at that race.”
It’s not your average race with a start and finish line. Riders are scored based on their performance in timed intervals during a six-day period. During the course of the race, riders will also face a variety of terrains.
“We might start out the day on just dirt, like we have here, and then we might go up on a mountain and ride over the rocks and everything," Sipes said. "And then we might be in the tree roots. Then we might get on the road for a while. Then we might find some sand, might be some mud.”
To add to the pressure, riders also have to be their own mechanics.
“Over there, nobody can touch the bike except for the riders," Sipes said. "After you ride for eight hours each day, you come back, you change both tires, air filter, change the oil, whatever you want to do. And you only have about 15 minutes to do it. You have to be well-versed in mechanical and how to work on your bike. You can't make mistakes.”
Sipes performed cleanly enough to become the first American rider to win the individual championship. An honor, but not his ultimate goal.
“It was great for me," Sipes said. "It was cool to be the first American and everything, but the team didn't win it.”
A team consists of four riders that collectively race. When the U.S. won its first team title in 2016, Sipes was out with an injury and did not race.
“I wanted to win it as a team," Sipes said. "I wanted to be a part of the team that won because if you're part of the team that won, you're good. It takes all four to do it.”
This past November Sipes finally accomplished that goal as the U.S. won the 2019 team championship in Portugal. Not one to rest, Sipes has given himself a new challenge.
“There's no championship for best all-around rider in the world," Sipes said. "But I'm kind of doing a schedule that will decide that. So, I'm racing all different kinds of races, motocross, supercross, flat track, which is kind of like oval track, beach racing in Europe. ISD again, hill climb, a whole bunch of different stuff. I'm kind of the only one doing it. The only one who's ever done it.“
Quite the task for someone who’s already accomplished more than most riders will their entire lives.
“I'm 35 now," Sipes said. "That's old for dirt bike racing, but I still feel pretty good. I still go fast. So, I'm going to do it as long as I can.”
Here’s to proving no one can do more on a bigger stage than Sipes.
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