RYDER DIFRANCESCO

The time had finally come...for a new championship to begin, and a myriad of athletes to blaze a trail on a multitude of outdoor courses around the country. Few, were more prepared than that of Ryder DiFrancesco — who had recently ridden the “Stopwatch National” at Glen Helen, performing well there, and now excelling from the moment the green flag waved in practice. The dirt had been manicured with immense moisture for days now, and the California terrain became rather rutted quickly, as dozens of bikes carved through the Western terrain. Bouncing through the rollers that were near the finish line, his chassis set-up and suspension configuration appeared to be on-point prior to rolling to the starting grid for the opening moto of the series. Once locked-in, he immediately shifted into third, and fourth gear while sprinting across the start straightaway...DiFrancesco was then diving into the opening corner while feeling pieces of soil splinter through the screen in the snout of his helmet and he continued to press forward while gathering a standing of eighth in the early going. The bike was thrashing the ground beneath it, almost pummeling the array of braking bumps that were scattered on the various elevation changes the course offered. Through the ten, and fifteen-minute marks, he was aware that Tennessee’s Nate Thrasher wasn’t far off of his pace...in particular, when closing in on the mechanics area. Simultaneously, however, it seemed as if Ryder engaged in a further output of velocity when nearing the confined section(s) of the layout, with the twenty-five minute mark on the horizon. The grooves of the Pala course were now firmly established, and chassis were prone cross-rutting when accelerating through the longest sweepers with fatigue beginning to amount...however, he stayed resilient for the opening endeavor of the championship — garnering ninth before entering into moto two. In the following race, the track had dried considerably. Berms that weren’t previously “on the radar” per se, had now become more appealing and promoted faster speeds in certain sections, in comparison to the hard-packed, blue-grooved trenches that were dug throughout the inner and middle portions of the circuit. On numerous occasions, his wheel-set would gravitate toward the outer boundaries of the track while cutting-in when necessary — constantly thwarting the charge of rookie Mark Fineis who was relentless, only bike lengths behind...despite Ryder simultaneously losing a few positions in the process to athletes like Jo Shimoda, Julien Beaumer, and Chance Hymas, respectively. Amid the pot-holes and square edges that had now been cut all across the surface, he seemed to excel at the height of fourth gear. His engine was constantly hovering at the highest RPM, radiating with a ripple of heat that accompanied his bold riding style in the final minutes of action. With only a few laps to spare, he seemed as if he had solidified the position of twelfth. Though he had lost the position to Fineis in the final moments, DiFrancesco would have to acknowledge that his stance against Joey Savatgy (who he defended through the checkered flag) was admirable — and a trait that enabled a twelfth place standing to be secured for this moto, equating to tenth overall for round of the outdoor championship.