Edmondson - Gunning for ISDE gold

Among the three hundred and fifty-nine riders taking to the start of the eighty-sixth running of the FIM International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Kotka, Finland just one is looking to claim a record-breaking seventeenth gold medal result – Paul Edmondson. “This’ll be my nineteenth ISDE and my plan is to go for another gold, which would make it seventeen gold medal finishes,” enthused British Trophy team rider Edmondson at the opening ceremony. “It’s impossible to say that this will definitely be my final six days, but I genuinely feel this will be my last. I want to do all I can to go out with the best result possible. All of the riders in the British Trophy Team are riding really well, so I hope to be able to help the team by using my years of experience. A top ten result in the Enduro 1 class would be amazing, a top eight finish would be a dream come true.” “I rode the six days the last time it was held in Finland, in Hämeenlinna in ’96,” adds Edmondson. “I finished second overall to Italian Giovanni Sala. I know that a result like that’s no longer possible, but I have some great memories of racing in Finland and I can't wait to see what this year’s ISDE has to offer. I won the 250cc two-stroke final motocross test in Hämeenlinna in ’96, which was amazing.” Starting his ISDE career in San Pellegrino in ’86 at the tender age of just seventeen, Edmondson has sampled every emotion possible during his illustrious six-day career. Pleased simply to finish his first event, the rider known as Fast Eddy notes the ’07 ISDE in Chile as his most enjoyable. When it comes to disappointments Paul’s also had a few. Crashing heavily in Mende, France in ’88 Paul saw an almost certain 125cc two-stroke class go out of the window. “I guess knowing that getting to the finish isn’t certain is part of what makes the ISDE special,” concludes Edmondson.