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Hard Enduro exponents hit America for Red Bull TKO

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2021 Red Bull TKO

Breaking new ground, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship travels to North America this weekend for the prestigious Red Bull TKO. After a hectic round four at Red Bull Romaniacs just two weeks ago, the world’s best riders will once again go head-to-head as the championship’s leading competitors face off against the best of American talent.

Set for its 11th edition, the Red Bull TKO operates a multi-race knockout style format. From Saturday’s 400 amateur rider qualifier, the best riders then progress through to Sunday’s main event, lining up against a stacked pro rider entry. Adding extra spice to Saturday evening will be the Pro-Prologue Red Bull Straight Rhythm. An 18-rider line-up will see top riders go head-to-head across an exciting straight-line endurocross course.

For Sunday’s main event, a series of knockout races sees riders battling to qualify through to the next round every time they take to the track. A final, 15-rider multi-lap race, on a shortened-but-intensified course, will see the winner take all.

Sherco’s Cody Webb has dominated Red Bull TKO over the last decade with six wins to his credit

Situated at the Trials Training Centre in Sequatchie, Tennessee, home to world championship Trial events in the past, the terrain is a Hard Enduro gold mine thanks to its rocky riverbeds, waterfall boulders and steep forestry climbs. Adding in unpredictable weather and high levels of humidity ensures a tough and physical race for all.

After his round four victory, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler now sits at the top of the championship’s point standings. A rider on form, Manuel arrives in the USA having previous experience at Red Bull TKO. Winner of the event in 2019, he’s the only rider from outside of North America to do so, and will no doubt be looking for more success this weekend.

Manuel Lettenbichler now sits at the top of the championship’s point standings

The Sherco Factory Racing pairing of Mario Roman and Wade Young are also past podium finishers in Tennessee. While neither rider has yet to reach the top step, they’ve consistently placed inside the top three. Arriving in the USA fresh off their Red Bull Romaniacs podium finishes, both Young and Roman very much start among the favourites.

Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker is another rider aiming for a top result. Having fought all week in Romania for a podium result, he just missed out, finishing fifth. Walker has raced and finished a close second at Red Bull TKO previously and knows how demanding this race will be. That experience might just help him put Beta Motorcycles up on the world championship podium for the first time.

However, as the 2020 winner of Red Bull TKO, Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM) is the rider everyone will be keeping an eye on. The 24-year-old has already made his mark in 2021 by placing as top Red Bull Romaniacs rookie with seventh. Victory this weekend on familiar terrain is the target for Hart.

Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM) was a stand out at Romaniacs

Sherco’s Cody Webb is a rider eager to stop that. The American has dominated Red Bull TKO over the last decade with six wins to his credit. A knee injury sustained at round four has dampened his confidence slightly. But with a wealth of experience, you can be sure he will give it his all to fly the Stars and Stripes flag from the top step of the podium.

As round three winner, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt cannot be ignored. Despite this being a first time visit to Red Bull TKO, Bolt has a habit of winning races at his first attempt – Abestone Hard Enduro and Extreme XL Lagares (2018) are notable examples. Bolt also excels in a multi-round format race and lives for the gigantic boulders the Trials Training Centre has on offer. Knowing victory will put him back into title contention, expect Billy to hit the ground running.

Sixth at Red Bull Romaniacs, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak will be in the hunt alongside his teammate Michael Walkner. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) and Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) can’t be ruled out of contention either.

With a golden opportunity to shine on the world stage, American’s Cooper Abbott (KTM), Nick Fahringer (Sherco), Jordan Ashburn (Husqvarna), Ryan Sipes (GASGAS), Keith Curtis (Sherco), Max Gerston (GASGAS), Pat Smage (Sherco) and Ryder LeBlond (Husqvarna) could also land some knockout results.

Red Bull TKO – round five of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – takes place at the Trials Training Centre, Sequatchie, Tennessee on August 13-15.

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Points

  1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 37pts
  2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 33pts
  3. Wade Young (Sherco) 25pts
  4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 24pts
  5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 24pts
  6. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 20pts
  7. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 15pts
  8. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 14pts
  9. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 13pts
  10. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 11pts

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares – Portugal, May 7/8/9
  • Round 2: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, June 3/4/5/6
  • Round 3: Abestone Hard Enduro – Italy, July 10/11
  • Round 4: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 27/28/29/30/31
  • Round 5: Red Bull TKO – USA, August 13/14/15
  • Round 6: HERO Challenge – Poland, September 11/12
  • Round 7: Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 1/2/3
  • Round 8: GetzenRodeo – Germany, October 29/30

Source: MCNews.com.au

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Letty wins Romaniacs; leads FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

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2021 Red Bull Romaniacs Final Day

Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler has won the fourth round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs. The victory moves the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider to the top of the championship standings. An outstanding performance by Sherco Factory Racing saw them fill the remainder of the podium with Wade Young and Mario Roman in second and third respectively.

Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)

Offroad Day 4 saw the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye come to a close following a week of epic racing. At the head of the Gold class, Lettenbichler had a virtual grasp on the overall victory thanks to a healthy 20-minute plus lead, but behind him the remainder of the podium was anything but settled.

Wade Young (Sherco)

Young had a strong grip on securing the runner-up result but still needed a solid final day to seal the deal. Roman, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt, and Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker were all capable of taking that third step.

Wade Young (Sherco) Top

Starting his morning fourth on the road, Lettenbichler set about locking down his third Red Bull Romaniacs victory in a row. In full tune with the terrain, the German was at his best. Reeling in those ahead of him to shadow Young across the finish line in Gusterita, Manuel both won the day and the race. The win moves him to the top of the championship standings.

Beta’s Jonny Walker

Knowing he had a slight cushion over this rivals, Young played it safe once Lettenbichler and Bolt caught up to him. Clearing the final sections, he ended this year’s rallye as the runner-up.

Wade Young (Sherco)

Starting out his day seventh, Roman was a man on a mission to defend that third step of the podium. Knowing Bolt was on the attack, Roman produced one of his strongest rides of the week. Topping two checkpoints, he pushed on to end his day in second and with it ensure a Sherco 2-3 result.

Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)

For Bolt, hopes of mirroring his Abestone Hard Enduro victory never materialised in Romania. Despite a brilliant end to his week, it was ultimately the opening days that did the damage. Finishing a close third today, the Husqvarna rider had to settle for fourth overall.

For Walker, his first outing on Beta machinery in the Carpathian Mountains was a very promising one. Consistently in the mix throughout the week, he rounded out the top five with fifth. Ending Offroad Day 4 in fifth, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak took sixth overall.

Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS)

Finishing top rookie in his debut Red Bull Romaniacs, Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM) took seventh and will no doubt be a rider to watch for at round five’s Red Bull TKO in the USA. Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) certainly came of age this week in Romania to take home eighth, with a similar performance from rising Austrian talent Michael Walkner (GASGAS) in ninth. Poland’s Dominik Olszowy (KTM) will be another rider happy with his efforts, claiming 10th.

The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship continues with round five at the Red Bull TKO in USA on August 13-15.

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship
Red Bull Romaniacs: Final Day
Gold Class

  1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:38:45
  2. Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:42:18
  3. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 4:43:44
  4. Wade Young (Sherco) 4:45:02
  5. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 4:50:02
  6. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 4:50:39
  7. Jonny Walker (Beta) 4:50:44
  8. Trystan Hart (KTM) 4:51:41
  9. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 4:52:19
  10. Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 5:02:39

2021 Red Bull Romaniacs: Overall

  1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 19:40:46
  2. Wade Young (Sherco) 20:08:14
  3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 20:13:46
  4. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 20:19:00
  5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 20:30:55
  6. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 20:46:04
  7. Trystan Hart (KTM) 20:58:03
  8. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 21:12:08
  9. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 21:14:46
  10. Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 22:14:24
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) P1

“I am absolutely stoked with the win! And to get three-in-a-row at Red Bull Romaniacs is like a dream come true. It’s been a tough five days here this year, but the pace has been insane. I have to give credit to Graham (Jarvis) for pushing me so hard early on – I think if he’d stayed in it would have been a lot closer at the top. The race has been amazing, the organizers did a great job and I’ve really enjoyed it. It feels good to be leading the championship now too, but there is still a long way to go. I’ll try and get some rest now before the next one.”

Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
Wade Young (Sherco) P2

“With second up for grabs, I gave it everything today to make sure it was mine. I’m so happy for this result, but also for Sherco going 2-3, with Mario in third. We’ve have a good week, some great rides. A highlight was winning Offroad Day 3 for sure.”

Wade Young (Sherco)
Mario Roman (Sherco) P3

“I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s been a tough, hard week and I’m happy to have shown myself in this. Today the pressure was on, I knew Billy was close and he’d be pushing. But I also felt that if I could arrive to the service point, without losing time then it would ease the pressure in the closing stages. I managed that and was able to keep it all together to the finish.”

Mario Roman (Sherco)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) P4

“I didn’t quite get the result I came here looking for. As ever Romaniacs never pulls its punches and on the first couple of days I took a beating. I think I was just overriding the terrain and that’s where the mistakes came from. I managed to tidy things up at the midway point, be more patient and the results started to come good. It’s a bit frustrating to just miss out on the podium, but I’ll learn from these mistakes and come back stronger.”

Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) – P6

“I’m really happy to have reached the finish line here at Romaniacs. It’s been a wild event with crashes and navigational mistakes, but this is hard enduro and I really love the challenge of it. The adrenalin took over today as I had a big crash yesterday and hurt my shoulder, but I was able to ride through the pain and finish. Overall, it’s good points again and my bike worked great all week, so it’s been a very positive race for me besides my crashes and a few navigational mistakes on day two. It’s been an awesome experience as always at Romaniacs and I’m looking forward to the next one in two weeks’ time.”

Even the likes of Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) ended up in the mud at times
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) – DNF

“I’m gutted with how the race turned out. I felt I was doing everything right and had the pace to push for the win this year. Unfortunately, just one little mistake did the damage, and my race was done. My plan now is to head home and get the injury fully assessed.”

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Points

  1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 37pts
  2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 33pts
  3. Wade Young (Sherco) 25pts
  4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 24pts
  5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 24pts
  6. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 20pts
  7. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 15pts
  8. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 14pts
  9. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 13pts
  10. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 11pts

*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection

Source: MCNews.com.au

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FIM Hard Enduro readying for Italian re-start after coitus interruptus

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2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

Following the challenging circumstances that unfortunately plagued the opening round of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Extreme XL Lagares and then led to the subsequent cancellation of this year’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, the series is ready to bounce back strongly after this unprecedented double-disappointment.

With this chapter now closed, the FIM and WESS GmbH are now looking forward to the re-start of this year’s series, and to having the opportunity to deliver a diverse and exciting mix of events over the remainder of the season.

The next six events will ensure that the inaugural series is remembered for all the right reasons, whilst also being worthy of crowning the first ever FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. Next up, and re-starting the series, is the new Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy, which will welcome competitors to one of the most picturesque parts of the world.

Winfried Kerschhaggl
FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Series Manager

“Overcoming challenges is what enduro sport is all about. As much as everyone was looking forward to Extreme XL Lagares, an event that in any normal year would have given us an incredible start to the series, the situation is what it is. Disappointing and frustrating for all those involved, we have to move on and focus on the many positives that lie ahead for the series. Of course, the cancellation of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is also a huge loss, but this too cannot be changed, and again we must look forward. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship has six outstanding events remaining, and while we might have to wait a little while before we go racing again, in mixing well-established favourites with exciting new races, the series will unquestionably meet the expectations of the riders, media and Hard Enduro fans. We want to thank the riders for their understanding and are offering all organisers our full support.”

The Italian event will be followed by the established line up of: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, Red Bull TKO – USA, Hero Challenge – Poland (successor to Megawatt), Hixpania – Spain and finally GetzenRodeo – Germany.

John Collins
FIM Enduro Commission Director

“There was so much excitement and anticipation regarding this brand new FIM World Championship, so it was deeply disappointing due to circumstances beyond control of all involved that the start of the series has not gone to plan and has not allowed championship points to be awarded from the opening event. That said, collectively we are all ready to work hard and to move on and to ensure that the next six events that will now define the first edition of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will be a great success and will put this series firmly on the map. On behalf of the FIM I would like to thank our promoter and all the key stakeholders, including the riders, manufacturers, teams and sponsors for their kind understanding and continued support.”

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar

  • Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares – Portugal, May 7/8/9 No Points Awarded
  • Round 2: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, June 3/4/5/6 Cancelled
  • Round 3: Abestone Hard Enduro – Italy, July 10/11
  • Round 4: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 27/28/29/30/31
  • Round 5: Red Bull TKO – USA, August 13/14/15
  • Round 6: HERO Challenge – Poland, September 11/12
  • Round 7: Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 1/2/3
  • Round 8: GetzenRodeo – Germany, October 29/30

Source: MCNews.com.au