The Wellard Yamaha New Zealand Team is just 50 kilometres and a couple of motos away from clinching a podium place in the World Club Team division at the 2010 Mexican International Six Days Enduro event.

Karl Power, Adrian Smith and Chris Power have ridden their Yamaha machines to the limit over the last five gruelling days in some of the toughest terrain Morelia has to offer. They have encountered mud bogs that swallowed entire bikes, choking dust, cactus, more rocks than you care to imagine and fast special tests.

Their bodies are showing battle scars and mental fatigue sets in to complete the torture. But tomorrow on day six after a short trail section and a motocross race that will seem like a blink of the eye these fighting Kiwis could be part of history, standing on the podium at the world’s biggest enduro event.

Day five was tough for the boys as their support crew has watched them slowly be ground down by the Mexican terrain. Their iron ponies are also showing signs of the harsh conditions encountered in the last 1200 kilometres. All riders and machines have taken a lot and come through with flying colours.

They have battled the top riders in the world and got tongues wagging about these unknown New Zealanders and their professional privateer team.

Karl Power again was the winner of the C1 class on day five and now sits just 30 seconds away from outright victory. With only the motocross test left it will be a tall order but you never know until the final flag drops what can happen.

Adrian Smith and Chris Power still sit in third and fourth respectively in the C2 class, the same position they have been there since day one and will just need to finish off well in the final test to close out a great result for their ISDE campaign.

The biggest reward for their hard work this week will be if they can stand on the podium holding aloft the silverware they look like collecting for second place in the Club Teams World Cup. Currently sitting behind the Spanish team and with a healthy lead over the third-placed Sweden, the Kiwi trio just need to have good motos in day six to make that a reality.

© Photo by Jake Miller