PICKERINGTON, Ohio-The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce the rosters for the world championship-defending U.S. Women's Trophy Team, the U.S. Junior Trophy Team, the U.S. Senior Team and the members of the U.S. club teams that will help carry the banner for American off-road racing honor at the 2008 International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Serres, Greece, September 1-6.
 
"As always, we are very proud to call these world-class riders part of Team USA for the ISDE effort," said AMA Off-Road Racing Director Chuck Weir. "It not only takes a great deal of riding talent, but enormous dedication, to race the ISDE. These riders answered the call and stepped up. We look forward to supporting them in Greece this fall."
 
The U.S. Women's Trophy Team claimed the Women's World Cup in Chile last year, and brings back two riders from that championship-winning effort for '08. Nicole Bradford and Amanda Mastin will be joined by ISDE rookie Maria Forsberg.
 
"I'm really excited about it," Bradford said. "I've ridden with Amanda in three other Six Days, and having an opportunity to ride behind Maria at the last qualifier, I have no question that she will be a strong rider. We will have a great team."
 
Bradford, who will be riding a KTM 250XCF at the ISDE, says the mantle of defending champions does create some additional pressure.
 
"This year, we will have to step it up to win," she said. "Because it's in Europe, more European countries will be able to field strong womens teams, and since we won the inaugural Women's World Trophy, it inspires other countries to try to take that away. But we have three very strong riders. We used to go to the Six Days to finish. Now, we don't go there just to finish. Now, we go there to be the best in the world."
 
The U.S. Junior Trophy Team, which won the Junior Trophy Championship in 2006, fields four riders younger than 23-years old. Led by four-time ISDE veteran Team Captain David Kamo, the Junior Trophy Team also will include Joe Giordano, Joshua Morros and Ryan Lee Powell.
 
"I'm honored to be on the Junior Trophy Team. It means a lot to me to go against the best in the world," said Kamo, who plans to ride a KTM 300XCW at the ISDE. "The best advice I can give our other riders would be that Six Days is a six-day race. You have to save your body. You have to save your bike. You can't win it on day one."
 
The most experienced U.S. ISDE rider of all-time, Jeff Fredette, returns for what he's "pretty sure" will be his 10th trip with the U.S. Senior Team-and his 28th altogether. Fredette will be joined by Dennis Decker and Eric Jordan on the Senior Team.
 
"Every year seems about the same anymore, but I'm looking forward to riding in a new country, Greece, and from the sounds of it, it looks like they're going to put on a pretty cool show," said Fredette, who will ride a KLX450 at the ISDE this year. Fredette says he will tell the less-experienced riders to "be ready for anything and everything. The best tip is to listen to what everyone has to say, but take everything with a grain of salt because it may happen that way and it may not."
 
These teams join the U.S. World Trophy Team, which will contest the ISDE World Trophy Team Championship. Announced in March earlier this year, the Trophy Team's riders are Destry Abbott, Kurt Caselli, Ricky Dietrich, Jimmy Jarrett, Nathan Kanney and Nathan Woods.
 
While the Trophy Team, the Women's Trophy Team, the Junior Trophy Team and the Senior Team are a critical piece of the U.S. effort, they are a small part of the entire U.S. contingent that makes the trek to the annual event. Dozens of club team riders will also represent the U.S. at the 2008 ISDE.
 
The following riders were selected as club team members: Annell Elaine Allen, William C. Burns, Dan Capparelli, Jim Conner, Mason Harrison, Fred Hoess, Kevin Hutchinson, Nolan Irwin, Kyle Kubitschek, Justin Lipana, Luke McNeil, Ben Smith, Rory Sullivan, Sean Sullivan, Dennis Sweeten, Lars Valin, Sean White, Chilly White.
 
Of course, the ISDE program couldn't happen without a solid group of dedicated sponsors. Companies that are making Team USA a possibility in 2008 include Arai Helmets, Spectro Lubricants, Kenda Tires, Bob Lamphere's Beaverton Honda Yamaha, MSR/Tucker Rocky, Mountain Glass and Fly Racing.
 
America's motorcylists can help support Team USA, and looking good while doing it, by buying an official Team USA ISDE T-Shirt. All proceeds support the massive effort to transport the riders, bikes and crew to and from Greece. To buy a shirt, just visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com, click on Gear, then select Apparel.
 
For more information on the ISDE and Team USA, please see www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/amrace/2008/isde/index.asp.