On The Pegs November 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 11 | Page 107

On The Pegs
Vol. 4 Issue 11 - November 2019
107
Just because I hadn’t heard if I was on the team yet or not. I definitely kept that
week open and kept the possibility open of doing it because it’s one of my favorite
events. I told Red Bull when we were making the thing, I want to do ISDE if they
have me on the team. Thankfully that worked out and I’m looking forward to go-
ing back. I had kind of a rough year last year, so I need some redemption.
You mentioned earlier that you jumped into ISDE as one of your first events
off-road. Doesn’t that strike you as kind of a pretty high-level, intense
event? What was your thought going into it the first time?
Yeah, but I was on the club team. It was just a way to go. If I had went there and
I was terrible at off-road, then it wouldn’t have been a big deal because I was on
the club team. But I turned out to be okay at it, and had probably, without some
crashes - I was just trying to go too fast and not being used to taking it back just
a notch so you stay up. Without that, I think I would have won the club division,
which would have been cool for me for the first time, but I think also that’s what
helped me to get a chance with KTM the next year in GNCC.
Back to ISDE, the next year, in 2015 in Slovakia you won the overall, and
then the next year you were out with an injury when the team finally won
the entire event. Do you have a special sense that you really want to be on
that trophy team when it wins again?
Well, yeah. That’s my thing. It would be great to win it individually again, but I’ve
al-ready done that. I want to be a part of the team that wins it. Like this year I’ll ride
a 250F, which isn’t what I normally ride, but that’s what the team needs so I’m go-
ing to do it because I want to be able to be on the team that wins the trophy.
Do you enjoy the bike maintenance aspect of ISDE? Have you had any
problems or near disasters during the bike prep time?
It’s pretty simple. As long as you stay calm. If you get in a hurry, that’s like the
worst thing you can do. Even though it seems like you should, you have to stay
calm and just get the job done. I’ve never really had anything crazy happen be-
sides being a little bit stressed out to get it done in time, but nothing real crazy.
You have a really cool video series called General Sipes. You’re doing all
these amazing things, and the narrator, who is funny, is kind of making fun
of you. Do you enjoy that, or does it annoy you that this guy is ripping on
you when you’re doing amazing stuff?