Coming into round six of the MX2 World Championship, Jed Beaton was in great form following podium appearances and solid results in recent weeks. In Belgium, the Australian’s strong speed continued with an eighth-place finish in race one despite a small crash around the halfway stage of the moto.
Jed Beaton – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
In race two, Beaton started eighth and moved into fifth as the moto reached half distance. The 23-year-old then engaged in a battle for position with Conrad Mewse, ultimately coming out on top to claim fifth in the moto and secure his third consecutive top-five overall finish.
Jed Beaton
“Today was a little bit of a bad day, but if I can take fifth overall on a bad day then it’s not so bad. I was fortunate in race one to miss a big crash just after the start but then while sixth I crashed on my own and fell way down the field. I got back to eighth which was ok though. My start in race two wasn’t so good and by the time I got into fifth the leaders were gone. It was unfortunate but fifth was good and solid points overall so all things considered, I’m happy with today.”
Bike It MTX Kawasaki’s Wilson Todd had a tough introduction to the deep Lommel sand. A respectable thirteenth in Qualifying, the Australian charged from twenty-third to fifteenth during the first half of race one before being forced out.
Wilson Todd – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
A lightning start in race two saw him round turn one in the top six but the joy did not last long as a fall at turn three put him at the back of the field; he bravely persisted to the end to finish twenty-third despite two further falls. He is now thirteenth in the series points standings.
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, though it was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux who led the way.
Tom Vialle – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Mattia Guadagnini had an unlucky start to the race as he crashed in the first corner and had to re-join the race way behind the rest of the pack. Eventually the Italian was able to fight back to 14th place.
Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee rider Conrad Mewse got off to a great start in the race as he was running behind Renaux, Vialle and Geerts, though by the second lap he crashed and was unable to carry on due to a bike issue.
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay De Wolf started the race down in around 10th place, while his teammate Jed Beaton was fighting sixth place. By the following lap Beaton dropped to 12th, while De Wolf was able to make a couple of nice passes to get into eighth.
Vialle also crashed in the beginning stages of the race as Renaux continued to lead Geerts who was keeping close.
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
De Wolf continued his charge up the field after making passes on F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mikkel Haarup and Mathys Boisrame, while Vialle took third from Honda 114 Motorsports rider Ruben Fernandez.
At one point, De Wolf and Vialle were the two fastest riders on the track, setting very similar lap times. By lap seven De Wolf caught onto Fernandez to take fourth and then just under three laps later he was also ahead of Vialle as he got himself into third position.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Renaux continued to lead the race keeping Geerts at bay until lap 10. The Frenchman crashed which allowed Geerts through. Luckily, the pair was so far ahead that Renaux was still able to finish the race second, as Geerts took the win and De Wolf finished third. Jed Beaton finished eighth.
MX2 Race 2
In race two, it was De Wolf who was flying into the first corner and took the second Fox Holeshot of the races. He led the race immediately with Geerts and Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing, Renaux and Mewse just behind.
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Geerts then got Benistant for second as Renaux struggled for a few laps to do the same. Meanwhile, Vialle started the race in sixth place though crashed lap two and dropped down to 10th.
After making several attempts, Renaux was finally able to get Benistant for third at lap five, by which point De Wolf and Geerts were already quite far ahead as the two leaders kept a steady gap, setting very similar lap times.
T Benistant – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
At one point, Mewse started to close in on Renaux and Benistant as it looked like the Brit was going to push for higher positions, though he started to fade a little towards the end of the race to eventually finish in sixth position. Beaton was one of the riders who passed Mewse in the closing stages, as the Aussie made his way from eighth to fifth in the race.
De Wolf’s gap to Geerts remained at around three seconds for most of the race, though with two laps to go Geerts put on a late charge to get onto the back of the Husqvarna rider.
Jago Geerts – MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
The battle for the win was close and continued right until the chequered flag, but it was De Wolf who came out on top to win his first ever MX2 race, while Geerts finished second and Renaux in a distant third.
With a win and a second, Jago Geerts was the overall winner at his home track, while Kay De Wolf stood on the second step of the podium after some very strong races and Maxime Renaux joined the pair, to stand on the third step of the podium and extend his championship lead to 26 points over Mattia Guadagnini who only managed 12th overall today. Fernandez remains third in the standings, while Geerts is fourth just two points from second.
MX2 Podium – de Wolf, Geerts, Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Jed Beaton finished fifth, to claim fifth overall for the weekend, while Wilson Todd was 23rd.
Jago Geerts
“I’m really happy to win here in Lommel. Last year I think everyone expected that I would win at least one of the three GP’s but it didn’t happen. In the second race Kay was riding really good and at the end I tried to go for the pass, but I couldn’t make it happen. It’s nice to head in the right direction but the season is still long and I’m not really thinking about the championship that much, I just want to go out every weekend, do my best and collect as many points as possible.”
Jago Geerts – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Kay De Wolf – P2
“The fight in race two already started with two laps to go. I enjoyed racing. It’s an amazing feeling to win a race. It’s going really well this season so far, so we’ll keep on fighting and keep up with the hard work.”
Kay de Wolf – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Maxime Renaux – P3
“The first race, I took a good start, well actually the start was better in race two but I went wide in the first corner because Kay was really close, so I went wide. The first race I made a good start and was feeling great on the track and took a little gap to Jago. I was just feeling really good and made a silly mistake passing a lapped rider, I got cross rutted and went down. That was a shame but finishing second was really good for the points for the championship. The second race I had a good start, I didn’t push too hard as the guys were pretty quick and were so far in front that it was almost impossible to get them, so I finished the race third. Third overall is good, good for the championship so I’m happy. I’ve only won one race since the beginning of the year and I’m not happy with that, I want to win more races. When you win races and put 25 points you can get a bigger gap to your opponent, so yeah, I try to be as consistent as I can and will try to win races, take good starts, which I think is very important this year and hopefully it will pay off.”
Maxime Renaux – 2021 MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Round 6
Thibault Benistant – P6
“My day was quite good overall because I finished fourth with 34-points. This is only 1-point less than my best ever finish this year, with my best weekend being 35-points. When you look at it like this, it is quite good. I had a bit of bad luck in the first race. Another rider hit my lever and I had no front brake for the whole race, but in the end of the race I was feeling really good and was one of the fastest guys on track at the end of the moto. In the second race, the feeling was not there, so I did not want to go over the limit and make a mistake for nothing; fourth overall in Lommel is not a bad result.”
Tom Vialle – P7
“Seventh is not what we want but after the injury I have not ridden in the sand for a long time. I tried twice this week but it wasn’t going too well with my hand. In another way I’m quite happy because my hand came through the motos well. We can build from here. I was already tired at the start of the second moto and the track was really tough today. If you are not ‘bike fit’ then it is extra difficult here. I think I would have enjoyed today a lot more if I had that fitness. I know from here we will be a bit better every day. We will train hard this week and I know I will be 100% by the time we go to Turkey.”
Simon Langenfelder – P9
“I felt really good on my bike today. I was flowing in the turns and after qualifying I was really confident for some strong results. Unfortunately, in both races I had to come from the back because of avoiding a crash in race one and then in moto two, I had a really good start, but I was pushed wide and off the track. In that one I came from 25th to ninth so my speed is there, I just needed a little bit of luck to get some better results.”
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
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:38:45
Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:42:18
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 4:43:44
Wade Young (Sherco) 4:45:02
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 4:50:02
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 4:50:39
Jonny Walker (Beta) 4:50:44
Trystan Hart (KTM) 4:51:41
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 4:52:19
Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 5:02:39
2021 Red Bull Romaniacs: Overall
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 19:40:46
Wade Young (Sherco) 20:08:14
Mario Roman (Sherco) 20:13:46
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 20:19:00
Jonny Walker (Beta) 20:30:55
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 20:46:04
Trystan Hart (KTM) 20:58:03
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 21:12:08
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 21:14:46
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
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 37pts
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 33pts
Wade Young (Sherco) 25pts
Mario Roman (Sherco) 24pts
Jonny Walker (Beta) 24pts
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 20pts
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 15pts
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 14pts
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 13pts
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 11pts
*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection
The penultimate day of racing at round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs saw Wade Young (Sherco) take the day win, while Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) moved one step closer to clinching the overall victory.
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
After a night under the stars, the second half of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye commenced with Offroad Day 3. With competitors feeling the effects of a punishing two days, a slightly shorter and less demanding day was welcomed by all.
Fourth to start this morning, Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young was on a mission to reel in those ahead of him. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt was first on his list of riders to tick off and once he reached Bolt’s rear wheel, the duo pushed on together before turning into a trio when Young’s team-mate Mario Roman was caught.
Wade Young caught Billy Bolt
Riding back and forth throughout most of the day, both Young and Bolt managed to break away from Roman in the closing stages but didn’t have the legs to bridge the gap to Lettenbichler, who started out first. However, Young’s efforts were duly rewarded, with the South African claiming the penultimate stage win of the rallye, and Bolt 34 seconds adrift as runner-up.
Another standout ride of the day came once again from young Bulgarian hotshot Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna). Regrouping after a tough outing yesterday, third on Offroad Day 3 ensured a career-best result for him.
Eleven seconds back, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Lettenbichler took fourth, to confirm a race lead of 21 minutes and 11 seconds over Young heading into tomorrow’s final day of racing. Losing time today for seventh, Roman slips just over eight minutes behind Young, but with Bolt only four minutes adrift in fourth, he’s not out of the woods just yet.
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
In truth, the battle for the final step of the podium is very much alive heading into the final day between Roman, Bolt, and Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker in fifth. With less than nine minutes separating the trio, it’s set to go down to the wire.
Beta’s Jonny Walker
Offroad Day 4 concludes this year’s Red Bull Romaniacs, with the traditional Gusterita hillclimb marking the final challenge of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye. All eyes will be on Lettenbichler to see if he can make it three wins in a row.
Wade Young (Sherco)
“Starting out fourth I pushed hard in the beginning to try and make some ground on those ahead of me. I managed to catch up to Billy and then Mario and we were back and forth all day then. I got a little bit of a gap at the end and was able to ride it out for the win. To be honest, today was a welcomed day, the trail was good with no major bottlenecks and had a nice flow to it. I liked the marathon stage. It was well organised and a nice twist to the race for sure.”
Wade Young (Sherco)
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)
“It’s been a good day, I actually enjoyed it a lot. There was a good mix of fast sections and Gold loops. Conditions were also dry out there today, which helped a lot. Wade caught me on the first few hills, I think I was still asleep! But then we got going together and pushed on. Second today, I’ll take that and give one last big effort for tomorrow because a podium is possible.”
Mario Roman (Sherco)
“Last night was a good experience, eating together and sleeping in the tent. I enjoyed it and it is a good addition to the event for sure. I started out second today, but Wade and Billy caught me early. When we grouped together, we rode out the rest of the day like that. The overall is still tight, and there’s a fight for the podium. I’m hoping for a tough day tomorrow to finish things off.”
Mario Roman (Sherco)
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Off Road Day Three Gold Class
Wade Young (Sherco) 4:20:52
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 4:21:26
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 4:23:01
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:23:14
Jonny Walker (Beta) 4:25:27
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 4:26:01
Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:26:17
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 4:30:16
Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 4:31:19
Trystan Hart (KTM) 4:32:11
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Standings
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 15:02:01
Wade Young (Sherco) 15:23:12
Mario Roman (Sherco) 15:31:28
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 15:35:16
Jonny Walker (Beta) 15:40:11
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 15:56:02
Trystan Hart (KTM) 16:06:22
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 16:19:49
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 16:24:07
Sonny Goggia (GASGAS) 17:10:18
*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection
Offroad Day 2 was an eventful one for round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at Red Bull Romaniacs with Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) winning to take over the race lead. Graham Jarvis’ (Husqvarna) hopes of a seventh race win ended when he failed to finish due to a knee injury.
Letty trying to dry his gear, with a few others…
The world’s toughest hard enduro rallye marched on for Offroad Day 2, putting its competitors through the rigours once again. Punishing uphills and hot weather were all capped off in true rallye style with riders now facing a night in a tent, with no outside assistance or support allowed.
Tent city tonight
Race leader at the close of Offroad Day 1, Graham Jarvis led the Gold class riders away before dawn at 06:45. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider was followed by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler. Immediately hot on Graham’s heels, Mani quickly ate into the Brit’s lead, catching him just after the first major climb of the day.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler
In a game of cat and mouse, neither could shake off the other, and so rode together for most of the day. However, the event turned on its head for Graham as he exited the final service point. A high-speed ditch crossing saw him twist his knee, and with the pain too much, he was forced to call it a day, allowing Manuel to ride clear for the win.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler
That victory proved decisive, with the German jumping out to a 23-minute-plus race lead over Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young. While Young takes second in the overall standings, it was his teammate Mario Roman who ended Offroad Day 2 in second. A consistent and solid ride from the Spaniard paid off, as he moves into third in the overall standings.
Mario Roman finished the day second
Finding his Red Bull Romaniacs rhythm, Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) also had a memorable day. Taking the ‘less is more’ approach, the Abestone Hard Enduro winner limited his mistakes compared to the previous days, riding his way up to third. He now moves up to fourth in overall classification with two days to go.
Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young is second in the standings
Dropping back to fifth, Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker had a mixed day combining some top-three checkpoint times with mistakes. Sitting fifth overall, he lies just 54 seconds behind Bolt.
Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker
One of the performances of the day came from Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM). The rookie is rapidly finding his feet in the steep trails of the Carpathian Mountains, ending his day sixth, to hold seventh overall in classification.
Canada’s Trystan Hart (KTM)
With an overnight bivouac awaiting riders at the end of Offroad Day 2, competitors won’t see their assistance teams until the service point, midway during Offroad Day 3.
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
“It’s been a hard day. I caught up to Graham just after the first uphill and we rode for most of the day together. It was awesome riding with him, so it sucks to see him go out today. I feel like I played safe and got the win. Now it’s time to check over the bike, make sure everything is all ok and then put up the tent for the night!”
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna)
“Today was pretty good, not perfect, but a lot better than previously. I just wanted to reduce the crashes and errors I had been making and I think it paid off. Just rolling it back a touch and keeping momentum got me third. I feel like I’m going in right direction now and will try to keep that way for the rest of the week.”
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS)
“My riding, speed and navigation this week has been good, but I’m a little frustrated with the little mistakes I’ve been making. They’re nothing major, but are adding up, so I need to try and reduce those for the second half of the week.
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Off Road Day One Gold Class
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5:05:42
Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:18:41
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 5:19:53
Wade Young (Sherco) 5:24:21
Jonny Walker (Beta) 5:28:39
Trystan Hart (KTM) 5:37:02
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5:37:33
Cody Webb (Sherco) 5:54:24
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 5:59:05
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 6:10:09
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Standings
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 10:38:47
Wade Young (Sherco) 11:02:20
Mario Roman (Sherco) 11:05:11
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 11:13:50
Jonny Walker (Beta) 11:14:44
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 11:30:01
Trystan Hart (KTM) 11:34:11
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 11:53:51
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 11:56:48
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 12:21:58
*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Graham Jarvis has put in a winning ride on Offroad Day 1 at Red Bull Romaniacs, round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. The Brit finished fastest to take over the overall race lead from Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler with South Africa’s Wade Young third.
2021 Red Bull Romaniacs
Overnight rain and early morning mist made it a tricky start for competitors as the Gold class riders set off into the 116-kilometre-long day. While the drop in temperature was welcomed, the rain would make some of the descents increasingly slippery for those opening the course.
Third in yesterday’s Time Trial, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Alfredo Gomez was first to start Offroad Day 1, by virtue of the reversed start order from yesterday’s top three. He was followed by young Bulgarian hotshot Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) who was eager to build on his result of second, 24 hours earlier. Time Trial winner Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young was third off the line.
Wade Young
With the top three feeling their way through the conditions, they were soon caught by KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler. But on corrected time it was Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker who was fastest through checkpoint 1. Together with Mario Roman (Sherco) the later start time was playing right into Walker’s hands.
For the first half of the morning the pace was high. A GPS navigational issue just before service dropped Roman back outside the top three. Jarvis began to take the reins out front, setting some of the fastest checkpoint times.
Having shaken off a few mistakes in the morning, the six-time Red Bull Romaniacs winner was now on a charge. Topping three of the day’s final five checkpoints, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider claimed a healthy three-minute-and-29-second margin of victory over Lettenbichler to bump him to the top of the overall standings.
Enjoying a solid ride throughout, Lettenbichler steered his KTM home for second, keeping relatively close to Jarvis. Despite a strong ride exiting the service point, the day didn’t quite go Young’s way and he ended it third, losing nine minutes to Jarvis.
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) was ninth
Working their way through traffic from 11th and 12th respectively, Roman and Walker gained the most places on Offroad Day 1. Walker edged out Roman, jumping from 12th to fourth, with Roman taking fifth, just 25 seconds behind the Beta rider in the overall standings.
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) was 10th
Offroad Day 2 marks the beginning of the all-important marathon stage. Competitors will end the day in the forest where no outside assistance is allowed. Remaining fast, but preserving both rider and machine, will prove crucial in order to enjoy a relaxing night under the stars!
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
“It was actually an eventful day. I dropped into a hole early on, got lost in the mist, but then found my rhythm and started to pick off some riders. It’s been a little bit of a surprise to win today, but I’m happy with that result because I feel like my riding is good. Yeah, tomorrow night in a tent should be interesting for an old guy like me, but I’m battling on!”
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna)
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
“I’m happy with that result today, I felt like I put in a solid ride. The pace of everyone up to the first service point was so high and we were all on the limit for sure. Graham rode insanely good and when he’s at his best like that, he’s tough! I feel like I’m off to a good start in Red Bull Romaniacs, tomorrow will be interesting and I’m excited for the marathon stage. We’re heading into new riding areas and with tomorrow night’s bivouac there should be good vibes at the finish. I’m excited to sleep in a tent!”
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM)
Jonny Walker (Beta)
“I had a good start this morning and just made a couple of little errors in the second half of the day. But they were fairly normal for a race like this. Overall, I’m happy to get a big day like this in on my Beta and I feel like I’m riding well, with more to come. There’s a long way to go, but a podium result is possible if I can keep things together – that’s the goal.”
Mario Roman (Sherco)
“I’m pleased with things today. I struggled a little with setup in yesterday’s Time Trial so we changed a few things around and it seemed to work much better. Conditions this morning were slippery with the rain and fog, which came as a surprise overnight. You needed to be careful on the downhills. After a strong start, I had a GPS issue before service, so I had to retrace my tracks. But I got it fixed and was able to put another strong ride in during the second half of the day. Overall, it’s been a good start to the week and I will push again tomorrow.”
Jonny Walker and Mario Roman
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Off Road Day One Gold Class
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:51:07
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4:54:36
Wade Young (Sherco) 5:17:00
Jonny Walker (Beta) 5:05:01
Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:05:31
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 5:08:38
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 5:10:39
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 5:13:34
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5:13:47
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 5:15:07
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Standings
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 5:29:49
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5:33:05
Wade Young (Sherco) 5:37:59
Jonny Walker (Beta) 5:46:05
Mario Roman (Sherco) 5:46:30
Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 5:46:39
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 5:49:06
Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5:22:28
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 5:53:57
Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 5:54:46
*Results are provisional and subject to change following GPS inspection
Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young topped the time sheets on the opening day of racing at round four of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Red Bull Romaniacs.
The 2018 Red Bull Romaniacs winner was quick to make his mark on the 18th edition of the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, setting the quickest time in Tuesday’s Time Trial Qualification. He led home a stacked field, with Jarvis Husqvarna Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev second and Rockstar Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Alfredo Gomez third.
With anticipation high, the opening day of competition was an early one as competitors tackled an 18-kilometre-long Time Trial Qualification. With the results determining the starting order for tomorrow’s Offroad Day 1 – the first of four offroad days – a strong result would pay dividends.
Race winner in 2020, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler led the Gold class away, but an early fall put him on the back foot as Young put the power down from the off. Fastest through the first checkpoint, he kept that momentum rolling to the finish line and claimed a healthy 19-second win after 37 minutes of racing.
Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev produced one of the day’s surprise results with the second fastest time. Kabakchiev finished eighth in 2020 but is already showing he wants more in 2021. Starting third on the road, Gomez was a little sluggish to settle in coming through checkpoint 1 in 12th, but he soon turned that around by jumping to third overall at the finish.
Taddy Blazusiak
“I’m happy with my qualifying here at Romaniacs. My start position was a little late, so I had a few slower riders in front, but I was still able to get through and finish in a good time. I did have one crash that cost me a few seconds, but I was able to pick myself up and get back on it pretty fast. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the event now. I enjoyed myself today, the bike feels good and the weather here in Romania is nice and dry this year. Conditions in the forests are dry, so you can really push and make good headway, even in the more technical sections. We’ll see what the rest of the event is like though, I think it’s going to be a tough one!”
GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusia
Hampered by that early fall, Lettenbichler regrouped from eighth at checkpoint 1 to claim fourth, while GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak put in a consistently solid ride for fifth, edging out Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) by one second.
Canadian Trystan Hart is making an impressive debut
Canada’s Trystan Hart was the top performing rookie of the day, with the KTM rider claiming seventh.
Mario Roman
Abestone Hard Enduro winner Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) didn’t have the best outing in 10th, with Mario Roman (Sherco) and Jonny Walker (Beta) in 11th and 12th respectively. However, with ground to make up, the trio will be ones to watch for on Offroad Day 1.
Wade Young (Sherco)
“It’s been good to get Red Bull Romaniacs underway. Conditions were fast and dusty out there, but I felt happy straight away and my bike was working great. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.”
Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Red Bull Romaniacs: Time Trial Qualification Gold Class
Bouncing back from a disappointing performance one week ago at the GP of Estonia, 22-year-old Australian Wil Ruprecht (TM) proved himself to be the rider to beat on day one of the Airmousse GP of Sweden, Round Four of the 2021 Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship in Skövde.
Wil Ruprecht (TM) took the outright ahead of Josep Garcia (KTM) and Brad Freeman (Beta)
With Wil topping the overall EnduroGP results by a healthy 20 seconds, as well as winning the Enduro2 class, the Australian was joined as a class winner by Davide Guarneri (Fantic) in Enduro1, Brad Freeman (Beta) in Enduro3, Laia Sanz (GASGAS) in Enduro Women, and Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) in Enduro Junior. Albin Norrbin (Fantic) claimed a home win in Enduro Youth.
The outright top seven were all on different brands of motorcycle with Ruprecht putting TM on top.
EnduroGP – Ruprecht bounces back
Taking the win on the Friday night Akrapovic Super Test, Wil Ruprecht made his intentions clear right from the start of the Airmousse GP of Sweden. Although only winning by a slender margin, come the end of the first day’s opening lap, Wil was still pushing hard and battling against both Josep Garcia (KTM) and Brad Freeman.
With Freeman losing time on each of the three AcerbisCross Tests, the battle for the EnduroGP class lead was all about Ruprecht and Garcia.
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
With little to separate the two riders as the day neared its close, the final Champion Enduro Test would prove decisive. For Ruprecht it went well, very well, as the TM mounted rider topped the time sheets to maintain his class advantage and ultimately secure the day’s win. For Garcia, who needed to deliver his best while hoping for a mistake from Ruprecht, things didn’t work out. The Spaniard fell, but still earned a hard-fought runner-up EnduroGP result.
Brad Freeman – Beta
With Freeman rounding out the podium, fourth, fifth, and sixth positions all went to 250F mounted riders – Davide Guarneri, Samuele Bernardini (Honda), and Andrea Verona (GASGAS).
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
“Yeah, today was good,” said Wil. “The tests were nice to ride, but also a little scary in places – you certainly didn’t want to be making any big mistakes. I just rode a strong but steady pace, hit my marks, and tried not to over ride the bike. I think there’s a little more that I can give, but it was a good day.”
Wil Ruprecht (TM)
EnduroGP Stage One Results
Wil Ruprecht – E2 – TM
Josep Garcia – E2 – KTM +20.25s
Brad Freeman – E3 – Beta +37.04s
Davide Guarnoni – E1 – Fantic +1min01.51s
Samuele Bernardini – E1 – Honda +1min14.99s
Andrea Verona – E1 – Gas Gas +1min17.74s
Hamish McDonald – E2 – Sherco +1min18.74s
Jaume Betriu – E3 – KTM +1min31.98s
Jamie McCanney – E3 – Husqvarna +1min51.32s
Antoine Magain – E1 – Sherco +1min52.81s
Josep Garcia
Enduro1 – Guarneri claims day win number two
Although delivering a not-so-great time on the opening Akrapovic Super Test, Davide Guarneri hit the ground running at the start of day one, topping the opening Champion Enduro Test before winning a further three tests before the mid-way point of the day.
Davide Guarneri
“I had a really strong opening lap, which meant that I was able to open up a small advantage,” commented Italian Guarneri from the podium. “I made some mistakes, it wasn’t a perfect day from me, but I think everyone was making some mistakes. For myself and Fantic, it’s great to get this second victory of the championship. I was also a little lucky – I had a big crash in the final enduro test, but I was able to get back on my bike quickly.”
Davide Guarneri
It was a great day for Samuele Bernardini who secured his best result of the season with second. Andrea Verona dropped outside the top two for the first time, taking third. Antoine Magain (Sherco) and Mikael Persson (KTM) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Samuele Bernardini
Enduro2 – Ruprecht and Garcia lead the way
The Enduro2 class boiled down to a battle between Ruprecht and Garcia for the win. With the duo pushing the pace in the overall EnduroGP standings they pulled clear of their classmates. With Ruprecht holding firm, Garcia would be denied his third race win in a row.
Wil Ruprecht
Behind the top two it was another consistent performance from New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco) in third. The reigning Enduro Junior champion is growing stronger with each round and will soon look to bridge the gap to the top two.
New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco)
Delivering a strong performance on home soil, Sweden’s Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) was fourth with Finland’s Eero Remes (TM) fifth.
New Zealand’s Hamish MacDonald (Sherco)
Enduro3 – Seven in a row for Freeman
While admitting to not having the measure of Ruprecht and Garcia in EnduroGP, Freeman continued his win streak in Enduro3 to claim his seventh victory of the season.
Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna)
As ever the battle behind him was a much tighter affair with Jaume Betriu (KTM), Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) and Daniel McCanney (Sherco) fighting for the remainder of the podium. Betriu placed as runner-up, with Jamie getting the better of his brother Daniel for third. Antoine Basset (Beta) rounded out the top five.
Jaume Betriu
Enduro Women – Laia by a mile
Starting as she meant to continue, Laia Sanz comfortably topped the event opening Akrapovic Super Test before firing out of the blocks early on day one with what would be the first of three wins. Unbeaten on any special test during lap one, and having extended a healthy lead in the process, Laia topped just one of the final lap’s three special tests – the Acerbis Cross Test – yet still ended the day on the top step of the podium and close to 50-seconds ahead of her closest challenger.
Second on day one went to Britain’s Jane Daniels (Fantic) who put together a largely mistake free day, beating Laia on one of the day’s special tests. The only other rider to take a test win off Sanz was Mirea Badia (GASGAS). Like Daniels, Badia wasn’t really able to challenge Laia, placing third overall and 13 seconds down on Daniels. With Britain’s Rosie Rowett (KTM) fourth and Norway’s Marie Vilde Holt (GASGAS) fifth, the best placed home rider was Linnea Akesson (Husqvarna) in sixth.
Mirea Badia (GASGAS)
“I felt like the special tests didn’t really suit me too well, but I’m really happy to have got the win,” explained Sanz at the end of the day. “The day was quite relaxed, no stress, so that was good. I’m sure tomorrow will be tougher, but I hope that I can match this result and not struggle on the second day as I have at some events recently.”
Enduro Junior – Macoritto takes it
As has been the case so far this year, the battle for top honours in Enduro Junior was played out between Lorenzo Macoritto and teammate Matteo Pavoni (TM). Spurred on by his day two win last week in Estonia, Macoritto held off Pavoni by 12 seconds to get the job done. With home support on his side, Sweden’s Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) wasn’t too far away, just 19 seconds behind Pavoni, for third. He’ll look to go better on day two. A strong ride by Fantic’s Jed Etchells saw him beat Ruy Barbosa (Honda) by five seconds for fourth.
Matteo Pavoni (TM)
Enduro Youth – Home win for Norrbin
Following his win in Italy and double in Estonia, Albin Norrbin is now the rider to beat in Enduro Youth having won today in Sweden. The Swede was a class act taking eight test wins from 10. Kevin Cristino and Harry Edmondson made it a Fantic 1-2-3 in Skövde. Samuli Puhakainen (TM) and Albert Fontova (KTM) completed the top five.
Albin Norrbin
After a physically demanding opening day in Skövde, the Airmousse GP of Sweden concludes on Saturday July 24.
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2021 EnduroGP of Estonia – Day 2 Report
Brad Freeman (Beta) has fought back to win day two of the Airmousse GP of Sweden, round four of the Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship, in Skövde. After finishing third on day one, a determined effort from the Brit saw him fend off Italy’s Andrea Verona (GASGAS) by four seconds, with Davide Guarneri (Fantic) placing third overall in EnduroGP.
Brad Freeman (Beta) extended his EnduroGP outright and E3 category points lead
It was double delight for Spain’s Laia Sanz as she secured a day two win in the Enduro Women’s category, while Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) and Albin Norrbin (Fantic) also ended their time in Sweden with double wins in the Enduro Junior and Enduro Youth classes respectively.
EnduroGP class – Four-way battle upfront
The fight for top honours in EnduroGP was a hard-fought one on day two of the Airmousse GP of Sweden with the top four riders separated by just 14 seconds after more than one-hour of timed special test racing. Frustrated by his mistakes on day one, Freeman began day two on a mission, sweeping the first three tests to grab an early lead. But the pace was frantic at the top as Verona, Guarneri and Josep Garcia (KTM) all came to the boil early on lap two. Garcia won the second Champion Enduro Test, while Verona topped the Acerbis Cross Test.
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Opening up a slender advantage on lap three, Freeman held some breathing room entering the final test of the weekend, the Acerbis Cross Test. Behind him Guarneri provisionally held second with Garcia one tenth of a second adrift in third. But a blisteringly fast time from Verona leapfrogged him past both riders and into second, finishing just four seconds behind Freeman.
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM
With second slipping from his grasp on the final test, Guarneri held of Garcia by less than one-second for third. Although starting the day strongly, Will Ruprecht (TM) – day one winner – couldn’t maintain that pace and slipped down the order to fifth.
“It’s amazing to get the win, but for me the biggest thing was to turn things around from yesterday,” said Freeman. “I started strong and was able to lead all day. Hats off to Andrea on that final test though, I’m glad I had some breathing room going into it!”
Brad Freeman (Beta)
Freeman now leads the EnduroGP standings entering the summer break with the final two rounds of the championship remaining in October.
EnduroGP Stage Two Results
Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta,
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, +4.33s
Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, +13.64s
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, +14.52s
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, +45.70s
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco +1m29.62s
Albin Elowson (SWE), Husqvarna +1min47.08s
Jaime Betriu (ESP), KTM, +1min48.37s
Joe Wootton (GBR), Husqvarna +1min54.41s
Anton Lundgren (SWE), Husqvarna +1min58.27s
Sweden EnduroGP Stage Two Results 1. Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 2. Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, +4.33s 3. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, +13.64s
EnduroGP Championship Standings
Brad Freeman (GBR), Beta, 146 points
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM, 124 pts
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM, 120 pts
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS, 102 pts
Davide Guarneri (ITA), Fantic, 92 pts
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco, 74 pts
Steve Holcombe (GBR), Beta, 72 pts
Jaime Betriu (ESP), KTM, 67 pts
Samuele Bernardini (ITA), Honda, 37 pts
Daniel McCanney (GBR), Sherco, 37 pts
Enduro1 – Verona steals the show
Fresh from his Enduro1 clean sweep last weekend in Estonia, Andrea Verona arrived in Sweden focused on delivering more winning rides. Perhaps a little too eager to continue from where he left off, the Italian frustratingly hit the deck multiple times early on during day one. Relying upon his impressive pace to bring him back up to the sharp end of the results by the end of the day, Andrea would ultimately claim third in E1.
Davide Guarneri (Fantic)
Hitting the reset button ahead the second day of racing, Verona was back to his best. On pace with his rivals from the start, more importantly he kept things rubber side down with the 22-year-old engaged in a day-long battle with countryman Davide Guarneri for overall victory. With the outcome of day two coming down to the results of the final test of the weekend, Verona dug deep to take the win and top the Enduro1 class by just over nine seconds. In doing so he also claimed a runner-up EnduroGP result.
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Andrea Verona
“I’m super happy with how my weekend ended. On day one I had too many crashes but despite that, I still wasn’t too far from the win. To turn it around on the second day and take the win, this was really huge for me to bounce back like that. With it going down to the last test, I had nothing to lose and I gave it full gas. I gave it everything and to take the day win after a close battle all day feels amazing. My speed put me on the podium in EnduroGP as well, so for me this second day was really special after a difficult opening day.”
Andrea Verona (ITA), GASGAS
Behind the top two, Honda’s Samuele Bernardini took third, albeit over two minutes behind the leaders. Sweden’s Mikael Persson (KTM) finished fourth, with Canada’s Kade Tinkler (KTM) fifth.
Samuele Bernardini (Honda)
Enduro1 Stage Two Results
Andrea Verona (GASGAS)
Davide Guarneri (Fantic) +9.31s
Samuele Bernardini (Honda) +2min13.24s
Mikael Persson (KTM) +2min23.51s
Kade Tinkler (KTM) +2min43.57s
Sweden Enduro1 Stage Two Results 1. Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 2. Davide Guarneri (Fantic) +9.31s 3. Samuele Bernardini (Honda) +2min13.24s
Enduro1 Championship Standings
Andrea Verona (GASGAS) 152
Davide Guarneri (Fantic) 142
Samuele Bernardini (Honda) 109
Antoine Magan (Sherco) 99
Davide Soreca (Husqvarna) 85
Enduro2 – Garcia ahead of Ruprecht
The second of two back-to-back rounds held in the north of Europe, the EnduroGP of Sweden gave riders very little in terms of rest between events due to its Thursday-to-Saturday schedule. Delivering a mixture of terrain, including forest tracks, open grass tests, and dusty hardpack, one thing that remained constant was the weather – hot, dry conditions punished the riders even further, with fitness and endurance proving key to a strong result, especially on the second day.
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM
Following an intense two-rider fight for the win that raged throughout day one, Garcia went into the ninth and final test of the day trailing leader Wil Ruprecht by just over 11 seconds. Giving his all, Josep looked like he might be able to claw back the time needed, but a small mistake mid-test cost the Spaniard the seconds he required, and he was forced to settle for second overall on day one behind the Aussie.
Wil Ruprecht (AUS), TM
On day two the fight was contested by a number of riders, with the top five separated by just over 20-seconds after eight of the nine special tests. Josep secured the Enduro2 class win, but missed out on the EnduroGP podium by just 0.88 seconds. His results over the two days were enough for him to successfully maintain his second place in the outright EnduroGP standings and close in on Ruprecth for the points lead in Enduro2, where the KTM 350 EXC-F rider now trails TM’s Ruprecht by just five points.
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco
Another third place for Kiwi Hamish MacDonald (Sherco) on day two, while Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) and Joe Wootton (Husqvarna) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Hamish MacDonald (NZL), Sherco
Josep Garcia
“It’s been an excellent event here in Sweden, but of course another tough one. Day one went well, I was fighting with Wil (Ruprecht) the whole day and in the end, it came down to the final test. I gave it my all, but a small mistake just lost me too much time, but it was good to finish second in EnduroGP. Day two went well for me, I had a crash on the second Cross Test and that cost some seconds, but I was still in the fight for the win. In the last lap we were all together, really close on time. I pushed as always but I just missed out on the EnduroGP podium by a tiny amount. I’m happy with the E2 class result, but in the overall I know it could be better, but this is racing, and I know I did my best.”
Josep Garcia (ESP), KTM
Wil Ruprecht
“That’s a wrap from Sweden! Solid riding both days with some fast company. Happy with the outright speed going into the summer break but it’s clear I’m coming up a little bit short late Sunday. As with all challenges I’ve faced this year I will dedicated all of my energy towards cleaning up this area and hopefully have something to show for it come the back half of the season. A big thanks to the team for a big 2 weeks of support.“
Enduro3 – Freeman extends championship lead with win
While Freeman ran away with proceedings in Enduro3, there was plenty of battles behind him for the podium. Jaume Betriu got the better of the McCanney brothers for second, while Jamie McCanney (Husqvarna) edged out his brother Daniel McCanney (Sherco) for third. Antoine Basset (Beta) took fifth.
It was a weekend of fast and frantic action at round four of the 2021 FIM EnduroGP World Championship, with Laia Sanz topping the Women’s class on both days of racing. In dominant form throughout the entire weekend, the Spanish ace enjoyed a maximum points haul, heading home to Spain with the Women’s class lead.
Jane Daniels (Fantic)
Arriving at the EnduroGP of Sweden tied on points at the top of the Women’s championship standings, Laia Sanz had only one thing on her mind – leave Skovde with a firm hold of the Women’s title chase. After topping the timesheets on Thursday night’s Super Test (the race ran from Thursday to Saturday!), Laia was in full control throughout the opening day of racing, claiming a convincing victory.
For day two, the Spanish ace frustratingly lacked the energy needed to push forward, opting for a consistent pace in order to secure another strong result. Nevertheless, Laia won three of the six tests to claim a second day win in Sweden and now sits on top of the series standings with a comfortable eight-point lead.
Laia Sanz
“It’s been another good weekend for me and overall I’m really happy with my results. I would have liked for some of the tests to be a little slower and more technical, especially the extreme tests, but it was the same for everyone. Like the first round, my fitness isn’t quite where it needed to be in order to be able to push on the second day, so I had to maintain a strong but steady pace. In terms of my championship, it’s been a great weekend and now I have a nice gap at the top of the standings with one round to go in France.”
Laia Sanz (GASGAS)
Fastest on the Acerbis Cross Test, Mireia Badia (GASGAS) claimed the runner-up result with Jane Daniels (Fantic) third. Rosie Rowett (KTM) and Marie Holt (GASGAS) rounded out the top five.
EnduroGP Women Two Results
Laia Sanz (GASGAS)
Mireia Badia (GASGAS) +29.69s
Jane Daniels (Fantic) +42.89s
Rosie Rowett (KTM) +2min47.84s
Marie Vilde Holt (GasGas) +3min36.95s
EnduroGP Women Championship Standings
Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 75
Mireia Badia (GASGAS) 67
Jane Daniels (Fantic) 66
Rosie Rowett (KTM) 45
Joana Goncalves (Husqvarna) 39
Enduro Junior – Last gasp effort for Macoritto pays off
Delivering more great battles, both Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) and Matteo Pavoni (TM) again fought it out for the Enduro Junior victory. Entering the final test it was Pavoni who held the upper hand by nearly two seconds, but a flyer from Macoritto saw him collect his second win of the weekend.
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM)
Never too far away from the TM mounted pairing, Leo le Quere (Sherco) ended his day in third. Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) was fourth with Luc Fargier (GASGAS) fifth.
Matteo Pavoni (TM)
Enduro Junior Stage Two Results
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM)
Matteo Pavoni (TM) +1.71s
Leo Le Quere (Sherco) +37.00s
Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) +48.23s
Luc Fargier (GasGas) +1min28.15s
Enduro Junior Championship Standings
Matteo Pavoni (TM) 148
Lorenzo Macoritto (TM) 142
Leo Le Quere (Sherco) 99
Max Ahlin (Husqvarna) 84
Sergio Huertas Navarro (GasGas) 69
After a busy fortnight of racing, the Borilli FIM EnduroGP World Championship takes a well-earned summer break before returning for the final two rounds of the championship in early October.
Before that many riders in the field will contest the 2021 International Six Days Enduro, held in Italy from August 30 – September 4.
Jett Lawrence awarded 2020 Marty Smith Rookie of the Year
The first honoree of the newly named “Marty Smith Rookie of the Year” was GEICO Honda’s Jett Lawrence. On a bittersweet afternoon for the influential race team at the Fox Raceway National, the Australian capped off a stellar first full season of Pro Motocross competition by breaking through with the first win of what looks to be a promising career, which also helped him earn fourth in the final standings.
Jett Lawrence – Image by Align Media
The 17-year-old is the first Australian to earn the award and his victory, combined with the first career win for Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton in the 450 Class that same day, helped vault American Honda Motor Company to “Manufacturer of the Year”. The “Red Riders” amassed more points across both the 450 Class and 250 Class than any other OEM, wrapping up a banner afternoon and memorable season for the iconic Japanese brand.
2020 GNCC Yamaha Racing Ironman – Indiana
Round 12 of the 2020 Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series concluded at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana on Sunday and coming through to take his second overall win of the season was Josh Strang.
Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill
Strang steadily made his way through the pack after starting in the third place position. After moving into second Strang would set his sights on the lead position, and he would battle throughout the fourth lap to take over the number one spot. Strang would continue to lead the last four laps of racing, but not without pressure from AmPro Yamaha’s Steward Baylor Jr.
Strang and Baylor Jr. continued to battle on the last lap, but after an incident on Ironman hill Baylor Jr. would find himself falling behind Strang as they came through the motocross track to take the checkered flag. Baylor Jr. held the lead for the first three laps of racing before Strang made the stick, but even after a crash on the hill he would remain 1.5 seconds ahead of third overall.
Ben Kelley worked his way up after running seventh on the opening laps
Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill
of racing. Kelley make the necessary passes to move up through the pack, and he would close the gap between him and Baylor Jr. as the white flag flew. Kelley moves into seventh overall in the points standings after missing the first half of the season.
Coming through to take fourth overall on the day was Kailub Russell. Russell found himself towards the front of the XC1 Open Pro riders at the beginning of the race but would make a mistake halfway through losing some valuable time with the leaders. Russell would continue to push on, ultimately coming through 7 seconds behind his teammate Kelley.
Steward Baylor Jr. – Image by Ken Hill
Another rider that found himself towards the front early on in the race was Layne Michael. On lap four, Michael came through timing and scoring holding onto third overall but as the race worse on he would find himself falling back two positions to take fifth overall on the day.
Grant Baylor was making moves throughout the duration of the race after coming through timing and scoring in eighth on the opening lap. Baylor would continue to push, as he made his way up to sixth overall after a hard-fought battle at this year’s Ironman event. Baylor continues to hold onto sixth in the XC1 Open Pro class standings.
Earning seventh on the day was Jordan Ashburn. After coming through fifth on lap one, Ashburn would have his work cut out for him as a hungry pack of riders were right behind him. Ashburn found himself as far back as eighth at one point in the race and would then move into seventh on the day continuing to stay in that position until the checkered flag flew.
Phoenix Honda Racing’s Andrew Delong made a last lap pass to move into eighth after running ninth for majority of the race. While Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thad Duvall suffered a crash on the fifth lap and found himself back to eighth after running up in fifth for the first half of the race. KLM Kawasaki’s Evan Earl rounded out the top 10 in the XC1 class after steadily holding onto that position throughout the race.
Andrew Delong – Image by Ken Hill
In the XC2 250 Pro class, it was Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig Delong jumping out to grab the $100 Hot Cams XC2 Holeshot Award. Delong would then fall back to fifth in the class but would soon find himself picking off riders to make the pass for the lead on lap five. Delong would hold onto lead taking his fourth win of the season and regaining the class points lead as the series heads into its last round of racing.
Lyndon Snodgrass held the early lead but would soon face a battle with Jonathan Girroir. As the duo battle, Girroir would make the pass for the lead and hold onto it for one lap. Unfortunately, Girroir would crash towards the end of race and end up eleventh in his class. Snodgrass would regroup and continue to battle for a podium finish. Snodgrass would again make a last lap pass to regain second, landing himself his first podium finish in the XC2 class.
Rounding out the XC2 class podium in third was Mike Witkowski. Witkowski would battle throughout the three-hour race at the front of the pack, but he would be unable to hold the lead. Witkowski moved into second on the last lap, but with Snodgrass hot on his heels he would be unable to hold him off. Witkowski came through to take third in his class, and now sits second in the points standings.
Taking the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class win was Jason Raines. Coming through to earn second was the newly-crowned XC3 National Champion, Zack Hayes. Rounding out the podium in third was Jason Lipscomb.
Earning the top amateur honors was Joseph Cunningham after finishing 18th overall and first in the 250 A class. Dakoda Devore and Nathan Rector rounded out the top amateur podium with their 20th and 21st overall finishes.
Joseph Cunningham – Image by Ken Hill
In the 10 a.m. race it was Rachael Archer coming through to earn her fifth overall win of the season. Archer would take the win, even after an incident with a lapper left her with a possible broken ankle. Rachel Gutish came through to take second in the WXC class followed by Becca Sheets, who rounded out the WXC podium.
A new winner emerged in the youth ranks with Cole Forbes taking the youth overall win and the YXC1 Super Mini Sr. class win. Davis came through to earn second overall and in the YXC1 class, with Lane Whitmer crossing the line third overall in the 8 a.m. youth morning race.
$5,000 was awarded to the Montgomery County Community Foundation with donations coming from Yamaha Racing, KTM North America, HBD Moto Grafix, and the GNCC Racing Nation as they contributed in purchasing Pink Ironman stickers and partaking in the Mullets for Mammies by Bottleneck Live contest.
XC1 Pro Event Results
Josh Strang (KAW)
Steward Baylor Jr. (YAM)
Benjamin Kelley (KTM)
Kailub Russell (KTM)
Layne Michael (YAM)
Grant Baylor (SHR)
Jordan Ashburn (KAW)
Andrew Delong (HON)
Thad Duvall (HQV)
Evan Earl (KAW)
Overall National Championship Standings
Kailub Russell (295)
Josh Strang (246)
Jordan Ashburn (185)
Craig Delong (171)
Michael Witkowski (161)
Steward Baylor Jr. (158)
Benjamin Kelley (153)
Grant Baylor (152)
Jonathan Girroir (146)
Cody Barnes (122)
XC2 250 Pro Event Results
Craig Delong (HQV)
Lyndon Snodgrass (KAW)
Michael Witkowski (YAM)
Liam Draper (KTM)
Cody Barnes (BET)
Ryder Lafferty (HQV)
Jonathan Johnson (HON)
Jesse Ansley (KTM)
Ben Parsons (HQV)
Samuel Evans (KTM)
XC2 250 Pro Series Standings
Craig Delong (296)
Michael Witkowski (285)
Jonathan Girroir (280)
Cody Barnes (211)
Liam Draper (194)
Thorn Devlin (145)
Jonathan Johnson (141)
Ryder Lafferty (134)
Benjamin Nelko (111)
Jesse Ansley (103)
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MXGP of Lommel – Round 15
The weekend saw the running of the 2020 MXGP of Lommel, as the final round of the Belgian triple-header, with a new track layout introduced to up the ante in sectors three and four, upping the tempo of the races, while adding an additional challenge for riders.
In MXGP it was Tim Gajser claiming top honours, winning both races, with Romain Febvre runner up in both races for second overall. Jeremy Seewer completed the overall podium, going 4-3.
Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser extended his standings lead as a result, now leading Tony Cairoli by 74-points, 583 to 509. Jeremy Seewer sits third on 499-points, while Jorge Prado was unable to compete in MX2 after testing positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation. The rest of his Red Bull KTM team had returned negative test results, however he dropped to fourth. Mitch Evans, still out with injury, sits 13th in the standings as the top Aussie.
MXGP Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
25
25
50
2
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
22
22
44
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
18
20
38
4
Paulin, Gautier
FRA
YAM
16
18
34
5
Cairoli, Antonio
ITA
KTM
20
11
31
6
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
13
16
29
7
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
15
14
29
8
Desalle, Clement
BEL
KAW
11
15
26
9
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
14
12
26
10
Van Horebeek, Jeremy
BEL
HON
12
6
18
11
Vlaanderen, Calvin
NED
YAM
8
8
16
12
Van doninck, Brent
BEL
HUS
0
13
13
13
Bobryshev, Evgeny
RUS
HUS
3
10
13
14
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
4
9
13
15
Monticelli, Ivo
ITA
GAS
7
4
11
16
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
5
5
10
17
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
9
1
10
18
Watson, Nathan
GBR
HON
10
0
10
19
van der Vlist, Freek
NED
KTM
0
7
7
20
Potisek, Milko
FRA
YAM
6
0
6
21
Guillod, Valentin
SUI
HON
0
3
3
22
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
0
2
2
23
Ebben, Kay
NED
KTM
2
0
2
24
Rannikko, Rene
FIN
HUS
1
0
1
MXGP Standings – Top 30
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Gajser, Tim
SLO
HON
583
2
Cairoli, A.
ITA
KTM
509
3
Seewer, Jeremy
SUI
YAM
499
4
Prado, Jorge
ESP
KTM
476
5
Febvre, Romain
FRA
KAW
465
6
Paulin, G.
FRA
YAM
403
7
Coldenhoff, G.
NED
GAS
375
8
Desalle, C.
BEL
KAW
362
9
Van Horebeek, J.
BEL
HON
289
10
Herlings, J.
NED
KTM
263
11
Jasikonis, A.
LTU
HUS
248
12
Bogers, Brian
NED
KTM
233
13
Evans, M.
AUS
HON
228
14
Tixier, Jordi
FRA
KTM
212
15
Vlaanderen, C.
NED
YAM
206
16
Monticelli, I.
ITA
GAS
161
17
Jacobi, Henry
GER
YAM
134
18
Tonus, Arnaud
SUI
YAM
122
19
Cervellin, M.
ITA
YAM
84
20
Lupino, A.
ITA
YAM
82
21
Bobryshev, E.
RUS
HUS
75
22
Leok, Tanel
EST
HUS
72
23
Walsh, Dylan
GBR
HON
67
24
Petrov, Petar
BUL
KTM
66
25
Van doninck, B.
BEL
HUS
53
26
Guillod, V.
SUI
HON
52
27
Paturel, B.
FRA
HON
45
28
Sterry, Adam
GBR
KTM
44
29
Simpson, Shaun
GBR
KTM
31
30
Jonass, Pauls
LAT
HUS
26
MX2
The MX2 class was hard fought with Ben Watson and Roan Van De Moosdijk sharing the wins, with just eight-points separating the top six. Watson came out on top adding a fourth place result to his win for the overall on 43-points. Van De Moosdijk had to settle for second on 40-points, with Maxime Renaux third, ahead of Thomas Kjer Olsen, GasGas’s Isak Gifting and Tom Vialle.
Roan Van De Moosdijk
Jed Beaton was inside the top-10 in eighth, claiming 27 championship points. He had a consistent day, not getting the best jump from the start in race one, and moving up through the ranks throughout the race, before making the pass for seventh on lap 13, Jed then chased Roan Van De Moosdijk to the chequered flag to end his race in seventh.
Moto two saw a much better start for the FC 250 rider. Moving into ninth early in the race, Jed progressed into seventh at the halfway stage of the race as he found his rhythm around the demanding Lommel track. Losing just one position as the moto neared the end, he finished eighth.
Jed Beaton
“A disappointing day today. Not my greatest day of racing but I’m healthy, which is important with three rounds to go. I found my flow in both races but not until towards the end, which was frustrating. By then there was a big gap ahead of me in each race. Overall, I felt like my riding was good, it just took me a little while to get going. Looking forward to some hardpack next weekend in Italy.”
Jed Beaton
Bailey Malkiewicz took 13th overall for 12-points, racing to 16th in Race 1, and improving that result to 14th in Race 2.
In terms of the championship, Geerts has lost some ground on Vialle who now heads into the final three rounds with a 74-point advantage, with Renaux down in third with 476 points. Beaton now sits fourth on 456-points, with fellow Australian Bailey Malkiewicz 16th on 119.
The world series now heads to Pietramurata in the north Italian province of Trentino next weekend for the last of five triple-header GPs which will complete the eighteen-round series.
MX2 Overall Results
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
25
18
43
2
Van De Moosdijk, Roan
NED
KAW
15
25
40
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
22
16
38
4
Olsen, Thomas Kjer
DEN
HUS
16
20
36
5
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
13
22
35
6
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
20
15
35
7
Benistant, Thibault
FRA
YAM
18
10
28
8
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
14
13
27
9
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
8
14
22
10
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
9
12
21
11
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
12
8
20
12
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
10
9
19
13
Malkiewicz, Bailey
AUS
HON
5
7
12
14
Renkens, Nathan
BEL
KTM
6
6
12
15
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
7
5
12
16
Rubini, Stephen
FRA
HON
0
11
11
17
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
11
0
11
18
Lesiardo, Morgan
ITA
HON
4
4
8
19
Polak, Petr
CZE
YAM
2
3
5
20
Nermann, Johannes
EST
HUS
3
2
5
21
Meier, Glen
DEN
YAM
1
1
2
MX2 Standings – Top 30
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Vialle, Tom
FRA
KTM
651
2
Geerts, Jago
BEL
YAM
577
3
Renaux, Maxime
FRA
YAM
476
4
Beaton, Jed
AUS
HUS
456
5
Olsen, T.
DEN
HUS
446
6
Watson, Ben
GBR
YAM
440
7
Van De Moosdijk, R.
NED
KAW
417
8
Mewse, Conrad
GBR
KTM
307
9
Fernandez, R.
ESP
YAM
279
10
Boisrame, M.
FRA
KAW
234
11
Rubini, S.
FRA
HON
228
12
Östlund, Alvin
SWE
HON
215
13
Gifting, Isak
SWE
GAS
179
14
Forato, A.
ITA
HUS
156
15
Vaessen, Bas
NED
KTM
136
16
Malkiewicz, B.
AUS
HON
119
17
Haarup, Mikkel
DEN
KAW
118
18
Horgmo, Kevin
NOR
KTM
104
19
Renkens, N.
BEL
KTM
97
20
Crawford, N.
AUS
HON
91
21
Lesiardo, M.
ITA
HON
90
22
Pancar, Jan
SLO
KTM
88
23
Gilbert, Josh
GBR
HUS
87
24
Genot, Cyril
BEL
YAM
85
25
Hofer, Rene
AUT
KTM
73
26
Sikyna, R.
SVK
KTM
67
27
Guadagnini, M.
ITA
HUS
62
28
Laengenfelder, S.
GER
GAS
59
29
Sydow, Jeremy
GER
GAS
35
30
Roosiorg, H.
EST
KTM
33
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
EMX125
Fantic Racing’s Andrea Bonacorsi secured the crown in the EMX125 class at the final round of the series in Lommel, as he became this year’s European Champion! The Italian entered today’s races with a 38-point advantage over David Braceras of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team and only needed to finish the races with a solid result in order to seal the deal. Bonacorsi finished the opening race of the day third, which was enough for him to claim the title in race one.
Andrea Bonacorsi
“It’s just amazing. I worked really hard for it [the title], with the team, with my family, with my trainer, the gold plate and European champion, so it’s amazing. For sure in Faenza, after the first win, then I had 6 race wins and I realised I could be champion.”
Andrea Bonacorsi claimed the EMX125 Championship
The Fantic Racing rider then had a much tougher second race after getting caught out in a first turn crash, which meant he had to start from way back and 11th was the best he could do. Unfortunately, he missed out on the podium, though the main focus was that he took home that all-important championship gold plate.
Despite a tough day, Braceras held enough of a gap to finish second in the championship with 282 points, ahead of Meico Vettik of TBS Conversions Racing Team who claimed the bronze medal after a solid day, which saw him also second overall on the podium.
EMX125 Race 1
The first race of the day saw WZ Racing’s Max Palsson lead the way as he was closely followed by Vettik and Scott Smulders of No Fear/Jumbo BT Racing Team on the opening lap. Meanwhile, the then championship leader, Bonacorsi, was down in 9th.
EMX125 Start
Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team then crashed out of 6th and was down outside the top 20, as Smulders dropped out of 3rd as well and re-joined the race in 12th.
Bonacorsi though was wasting no time as by the first full lap he was already in 4th, looking to charge for the leaders as he was keen to wrap up the title in the first heat.
Palsson then extended his race lead over Vettik to 2.002 in the early stages of the race, and the gap remained pretty tight until the end of the race, as the two battled closely together.
Bonacorsi came under fire from the Creymert Racing pilot Haakon Osterhagen for 4th, though he was able to defend his position, before going after Pietro Razzini for third a few laps later.
It was a tough race for Braceras who had to start the race from outside the top 30 and fight his way through. Eventually the Spaniard finished the race in 16th, not a result he would have wanted after his previous success here in Lommel over the last couple of rounds.
Osterhagen then lost a bit of ground as he was getting caught by Romeo Karu and Ivano Van Erp of Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC team, though he was able to maintain his position until the end of the race, while Karu made a mistake and finished in 15th.
On lap 9, Bonacorsi moved himself in 3rd, as Vettik gave it another go at passing Palsson though was not successful. He then gave it one last push on the final 3 laps as the gap was just 0.666 seconds, but Palsson was able to keep control and claim his first race win of the season.
EMX125 Race 2
The second race started with a little bit of drama in the first turn, which caught out a couple of riders including Karu and the new EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing champion, Bonacorsi. Though it was Van Erp who led the way, with Palsson in second and Valerio Lata of Marchetti Racing Team KTM in third.
Andrea Bonacorsi
Vettik started the second heat outside the top 5, though he was on a charge and quickly caught out to the group as he passed Braceras for 5th on lap two.
By lap 5 there was a change in the lead, as Van Erp crashed out, which allowed Palsson to make the most of this opportunity to go after another race win.
Farres was then on a charge as he had a nice battle with Quentin Prugnieres of BUD Racing Kawasaki. Eventually, the GasGas rider was able to find a way through into fourth on lap 7.
With 5 minutes and 2 laps to go, Palsson led the way by an impressive 11.960 seconds, as Osterhagen passed Nikita Kucherov for 7th and then went after Braceras. Not long after, the Norwegian burst down the inside of Braceras for 6th, as Kucherov was able to do the same, with the Spaniard getting pushed down to 8th and then 9th where he would eventually finish.
With 2 of laps to go, Florian Miot of KTM Diga Junior Racing was pushing hard to pass Farres for third, though got caught out in a crash and did not finish the race.
In the end it was Palsson who was the race winner, with Vettik second once again and Farres having a much stronger ride that time around to cross the line third.
With two race wins, Palsson claimed his first overall victory of the season as he took to the top step of the podium, while Vettik occupied second with two solid second place finishes in the races and Guillem Farres of RFME GasGas MX Junior Team made his 5th podium of the 2020 season as he took to third.
David Braceras
“Today I had a crash in the first race and then I was last, and then managed to get to seventeenth. In the second race, I started well but then wanted to stay safe because in the first race I lost a lot of points. I had a little problem with the goggles and wanted to stay safe and finish second in the championship. I’m happy with my position as I worked really hard with my team and my family and trainer, so I’m really happy and would like to thank everyone for all the support and now it’s time to prepare for the 250s”
Meico Vettik
“I’m really happy about the third place in the championship. I had some bad races and some good races, but I’m still happy about my season. Today I had good speed, in the second race I had a small problem with my goggles but still second, so I am happy. Thanks to all my supporters and friends.”
Max Palsson
“I’m super happy for the team and for myself as well. We work really hard. My starts were on point today and it made it a lot easier. The season as a whole though could have been a bit better, at the start of the year I wasn’t fully prepared, but I came back strong.”
Guillem Farres
“Overall it was a good day. In the first race I was around fourth in the first lap then I had a little crash and had to come from the back and finished sixth. In the second race, I had to start from ninth, made my way to third and in the last lap I was battling with Meico [Vettik] for second place but finally I could finish third.”
EMX125 Overall
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
R1
R2
Total
1
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
25
25
50
2
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
22
22
44
3
Farres, Guillem
ESP
GAS
15
20
35
4
Osterhagen, Haakon
NOR
KTM
16
16
32
5
Bonacorsi, Andrea
ITA
FAN
20
10
30
6
Van Erp, Ivano
NED
YAM
14
15
29
7
Prugnieres, Quentin Marc
FRA
KTM
7
18
25
8
Razzini, Pietro
ITA
HUS
18
6
24
9
Kucherov, Nikita
RUS
KTM
8
14
22
10
Reisulis, Karlis Alberts
LAT
KTM
4
13
17
11
Braceras, David
ESP
GAS
5
12
17
12
Karu, Romeo
EST
HUS
9
7
16
13
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
6
9
15
14
Rainio, Sampo
FIN
HUS
10
5
15
15
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
13
0
13
16
Smulders, Scott
NED
HUS
11
1
12
17
Soulimani, Saad
FRA
KTM
12
0
12
18
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
0
11
11
19
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
2
8
10
20
Karssemakers, Kay
NED
YAM
0
4
4
21
Vetrovsky, Radek
CZE
KTM
0
3
3
22
Voxen Kleemann, William
DEN
HUS
3
0
3
23
Pedersen, Rasmus
DEN
KTM
0
2
2
24
Alonso Rodilla, Victor
ESP
YAM
1
0
1
EMX125 Standings
Pos
Rider
Nat.
Bike
Total
1
Bonacorsi, A.
ITA
FAN
333
2
Braceras, D.
ESP
GAS
282
3
Vettik, Meico
EST
KTM
268
4
Palsson, Max
SWE
KTM
263
5
Razzini, P.
ITA
HUS
240
6
Farres, G.
ESP
GAS
211
7
Roncoli, A.
ITA
HUS
194
8
Prugnieres, Q.
FRA
KTM
186
9
Lata, Valerio
ITA
KTM
171
10
Osterhagen, H.
NOR
KTM
167
11
Soulimani, S.
FRA
KTM
152
12
Miot, Florian
FRA
KTM
124
13
Brumann, Kevin
SUI
YAM
117
14
Smulders, S.
NED
HUS
92
15
Kucherov, N.
RUS
KTM
86
16
Reisulis, K.
LAT
KTM
81
17
Congost, G.
ESP
GAS
73
18
Everts, Liam
BEL
KTM
66
19
Valk, Cas
NED
KTM
66
20
Piller, C.
GER
KTM
64
21
Venhoda, M.
CZE
KTM
64
22
Van Erp, Ivano
NED
YAM
57
23
Pedersen, R.
DEN
KTM
56
24
Cazal, Xavier
FRA
KTM
53
25
Rossi, Andrea
ITA
KTM
51
26
Karssemakers, K.
NED
YAM
41
27
Rainio, Sampo
FIN
HUS
36
28
Russi, M.
ITA
KTM
34
29
Karu, Romeo
EST
HUS
33
30
Sanchez, Raul
ESP
YAM
30
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
2020 MX Fest – Digger McEwen Motocross Park.
It was a jam-packed schedule of three days racing in Taupo, as the country’s riders had their first competitive hit-out for the season at Digger McEwen Motocross Park for MX Fest 2020.
In the MX1 class Cody Cooper took the overall win, despite tying on points with Hamish Harwood, both on 91-points. Kayne Lamont was third on 78-points, with Rhys Carter fourth, and Campbell King fifth.
Kayne Lamont – P3
“The weekend’s racing was a great time for me. I rode very calm and in control, which I was happy with. I have two months of prep now before SummerCross, so I will try do as much as possible with bike time and continue testing parts to finalise my set-up for the summer.”
Kayne Lamont – Image by CLMINTIEPIX
MX2 saw Josiah Natzke (93-points) take the overall win from Maximus Purvis (78), while Brodie Connolly was third (71). Seton Head and Jack Treloar completed the top five.
20-year-old defending MX2 national champion Maximus Purvis believed he “just lacked the fitness” to ride for the victories but vowed, “I’ll definitely be ready for SummerCross at the end of December.”
Maximus Purvis – Image by CLMINTIEPIX
Darren Capill took the MX3 overall from Keleb Livesey and Ryan Denby, while Jayden McAloon and Caleb Franklin completed the top five.
2020 Taupo MX Fest Results MX1 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Cody Cooper
91
2
Hamish Harwood
91
3
Kayne Lamont
78
4
Rhys Carter
73
5
Campbell King
52
6
Hayden Smith
45
7
Brad Groombridge
45
8
Hadleigh Knight
44
9
Tommy Watts
39
10
Richard Horne
37
MX2 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Josiah Natzke
93
2
Maximus Purvis
78
3
Brodie Connolly
71
4
Seton Head
54
5
Jack Treloar
46
6
James Scott
42
7
Donovan Ward
39
8
Oliver Ayre
38
9
Logan Kerrisk
34
10
James Rountree
33
MX3 Overall Top 10
Pos
Rider
Points
1
Darren Capill
72
2
Kaleb Livesey
65
3
Ryan Denby
55
4
Jayden McAloon
54
5
Caleb Franklin
49
6
Marty Axtens
45
7
Ben Lawson
39
8
Tristan Hall
38
9
Shane Robinson
37
10
Ben Wright
29
Bereman wins inaugural Red Bull Imagination
American Tyler Bereman added another big win to his freeride motocross résumé when he edged out compatriot Colby Raha to claim the inaugural Red Bull Imagination competition around the rolling hills of Kansas.
Tyler Bereman
“Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us. Everyone keeps saying it was the most fun stuff that they’ve ever ridden, so this is a good place to start. Hopefully we can build on it and bring it back, inviting more people and showcasing what we do and why we do it. I’m just stoked to see where this thing takes us.”
Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
The new event, from the mind of Bereman himself and brought to life by course designer Jason Baker of Dream Traxx, marked a major step forward for the sport. A host of the sport’s top riders – including Cole Seely, Tom Parsons, Vicki Golden, Ryan Sipes and Darryn Durham – braved the massive jumps to showcase their own personal riding style on the innovative course.
Colby Raha – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Carved into the Midwestern landscape just outside Fort Scott, the 18-acre course took a crew of five moving 50,000 cubic yards of dirt just 19 days to build, including 5 features such as berms, a shipping container and a quarterpipe with some jumps launching the riders 140 feet across and 55 feet up into the air.
Three days of session riding led to a competition, where each rider had two five-minute windows to showcase their talent in crafting the perfect line.
Ryan Sipes, Colby Raha, Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Legends of the sport Ronnie Renner, Jeremy ‘Twitch’ Stenberg, Robbie Maddison and Steve Haughelstine judged the contest from a tower overlooking the entire course and scored riders on creativity, technical ability and adapting features to showcase personal style.
Red Bull Imagination 2020 result
Tyler Bereman USA 97.0
Colby Raha USA 96.0
Cole Seely USA 90.5
Ryan Sipes USA 85.0
Tyler Bereman – Image by Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content PoolMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
WORCS Round 7 – Blythe, CA
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Taylor Robert extended his points lead in the 2020 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) with a pair of solid 1-2 finishes at this weekend’s double-header serving as rounds six and seven of the nine-race series.
Austin Walton took the overall win for Round 7, with Taylor Robert runner up and Dante Oliveira claiming the final Pro MC podium position. Tyler Lynn led the Pro 2 Lights, in fifth overall, while Tallon Lafountaine was top Pro 2 rider in sixth.
Taylor Robert leads the Pro MC standings on 169-points, with closest competitor Oliveira on 142, while Austin Walton is third overall on 131.
WORCS Round 6 Pro MC Results
Place
Name
Overall Fin.
Elap. Time
1
TAYLOR ROBERT – KTM
1
01:22:45.647
2
DANTE OLIVEIRA – KTM
2
01:24:19.435
3
TREVOR STEWART – HON
3
01:26:07.313
4
JUSTIN SEEDS – YAM
4
1:26:56.248
5
ZACH BELL – KAW
5
01:27:42.882
6
TRAVIS DAMON – HON
9
01:30:13.596
7
COLE MARTINEZ – HON
10
01:31:36.940
8
GIACOMO REDONDI – HQV
12
01:22:55.532
9
AUSTIN WALTON – HQV
17
01:25:06.297
10
RYAN SURRATT – HQV
20
01:26:32.702
WORCS Round 7 MC Results
Pos
Name
Class
Cls Pos
Brand
Last Scan
1
AUSTIN WALTON
Pro (MC)
1st
HQV
21:16.5
2
TAYLOR ROBERT
Pro (MC)
2nd
KTM
21:58.2
3
DANTE OLIVEIRA
Pro (MC)
3rd
KTM
24:36.6
4
COLE MARTINEZ
Pro (MC)
4th
HON
24:42.4
5
TYLER LYNN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
1st
YAM
28:31.0
6
TALLON LAFOUNTAINE
Pro 2 (MC)
1st
HON
28:08.2
7
TREVOR STEWART
Pro (MC)
5th
HON
27:41.9
8
TODD SIBELL
Pro 2 (MC)
2nd
KAW
29:10.3
9
TRAVIS DAMON
Pro (MC)
6th
HON
28:47.6
10
KAI AIELLO
Pro 2 (MC)
3rd
HQV
29:24.6
11
MASON A OTTERSBERG
Pro 2 (MC)
4th
YAM
29:33.8
12
ANGUS RIORDAN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
2nd
KTM
21:18.7
13
JUSTIN SEEDS
Pro (MC)
7th
YAM
21:26.1
14
JAKE ALVAREZ
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
3rd
KAW
22:55.8
15
RYAN SURRATT
Pro (MC)
8th
HQV
22:06.3
16
MASON OLSON
Pro 2 (MC)
5th
KTM
24:33.9
17
PALMER KING
Pro 2 (MC)
6th
KTM
25:35.4
18
MATEO OLIVEIRA
Pro 2 (MC)
7th
KTM
26:11.9
19
JT BAKER
Pro 2 (MC)
8th
SHR
26:15.5
20
BRANDY RICHARDS
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
4th
KTM
27:55.3
21
CLAYTON HENGEVELD
Pro 2 (MC)
9th
KAW
29:49.9
22
MATT MAPLE
Pro 2 (MC)
10th
HON
21:33.2
23
HAYDEN FLOREZ
Pro 2 (MC)
11th
YAM
22:42.4
24
ZACHARY CRAMER
Pro 2 (MC)
12th
KTM
31:30.7
25
GIACOMO REDONDI
Pro (MC)
9th
HQV
21:39.4
26
KAITLYN JACOBS
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
5th
KTM
25:28.9
27
ZACH BELL
Pro (MC)
10th
KAW
39:17.7
28
THOMAS DUNN
Pro 2 Lights (MC)
6th
YAM
16:10.7
29
COLTON AECK
Pro 2 (MC)
13th
HQV
08:18.9
WORCS PRO MC Standings
Pos
Rider
Rnd6 Fin.
Rnd7 Fin.
Total
1
TAYLOR ROBERT
1
2
169
2
DANTE OLIVEIRA
2
3
142
3
AUSTIN WALTON
9
1
131
4
COLE MARTINEZ
7
4
117
5
TREVOR STEWART
3
5
109
6
JUSTIN SEEDS
4
7
102
7
RYAN SURRATT
10
8
94
8
TRAVIS DAMON
6
6
92
9
ZACH BELL
5
10
61
10
GIACOMO REDONDI
8
9
45
11
DALTON SHIREY
–
–
29
12
MITCH ANDERSON
–
–
23
13
BLAYNE THOMPSON
–
–
19
14
GARY SUTHERLIN
–
–
18
15
BROC SHOEMAKER
–
–
13
16
MIKE ALESSI
–
–
13
17
BRYCE SHONDECK
–
–
8
18
JACOB SMITH
–
–
7
19
CHRIS CONWAY
–
–
6
Riders prepared for 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler is ready to race the 2020 edition of Red Bull Romaniacs. The grueling five-day event consists of a time trial qualification, followed by four long days of racing in the Romanian Hills. Based once again around the town of Sibiu, the hard enduro takes place from October 27 to 31.
Manuel Lettenbichler
“I’m feeling pretty good right now. I’ve been trying to get as much riding in as possible over the last couple of weeks as I wasn’t able to do too much after injuring my thumb, back in August. I’m really excited to just go back racing again, this year has been so mixed up, just the fact that we can do an event like Romaniacs is great. I won it last year and I want to do well this year, it’s just so difficult to know what to expect. Having not raced so much, it’s not easy to gauge where you are in terms of form compared to the other riders. The move to October hopefully won’t change things too much – it looks like it will stay dry and it will be cold early in the mornings, but it’s the same for everyone. I think we’re going to have a good race and I can’t wait to get into battle with the boys once again.”
Manuel Lettenbichler
Two-time winner of the event Jonny Walker will be unable to compete at the 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs due to an injury sustained to his elbow at a recent round of the British Extreme Enduro Championship. Although Jonny received surgery for the break, doctors have advised the 29-year-old not to return to competition as yet in order for the injury to heal. Also absent from this year’s Romaniacs, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia will instead contest the final two rounds of the Italian Enduro Championship.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team members Billy Bolt, Alfredo Gomez and Graham Jarvis have also safely arrived in Romania and are ready to contest the 2020 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, and the man undoubtedly looking to claim his first Romaniacs victory is Billy Bolt.
The reigning Superenduro World Champion has shown impressive form over the season, despite the pandemic-induced lack of events. Bolt won the first three races of the recent Sea to Sky extreme enduro in Turkey, only to lose out on the final day when a navigation error saw him lose valuable minutes to his rivals. The young Brit finished sixth at the 2019 running of Romaniacs, despite being less than 100 per cent fit.
Billy Bolt
Runner-up at the 2019 Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye, Alfredo Gomez will be looking to go one better in 2020 and claim his first ever win at the event. Showing incredible pace and stamina last year, Gomez became stronger as the enduro evolved to take his fight for the win right down to the final section – the infamous Gusterita Hillclimb. Frustratingly, losing out by just minutes, the experienced Spaniard knows what is required this year as he chases success at the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye.
Graham Jarvis comes into the 17th running of Romaniacs as a six-time winner of the race, hoping to make it seven victories in 2020. With the event moved to the autumn, the climate in the mountains will be tougher than ever – the early morning starts will be cold for all riders and with the possibility of extended rain, the steep tracks could prove to be hugely challenging. Jarvis hopes the demanding conditions will be in his favour as the Brit aims to climb onto the top step of the podium once again next Saturday.
Taddy Blazusiak meanwhile will make his first official outing as a GASGAS Factory Racing rider tomorrow, when the Polish star takes to the start of the Red Bull Romaniacs extreme enduro. Despite the multiple world champion signing for GASGAS Motorcycles back in July, the rescheduled running of the infamous hard enduro rallye marks Taddy’s first outdoor competition of 2020, and his first for GASGAS.
Taddy Blazusiak
“It’s really weird to have the first race of the year in October, it also looks like it might be the only one we’re doing, so we’re lucky in that respect. My plan is to go as hard as I can and get a good result. I’m really motivated to start with GASGAS – it’s my first race in the new colors and I’m definitely looking forward to it. The bike is working well, we’ve done a lot of work over the year and I’m happy with the whole package. Hopefully qualifying will go well tomorrow and I’ll earn a good start position, after that, we head into the hills and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a tough four days of racing.”
Taddy BlazusiakMoto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
MX Sports Pro Racing Recognizes Contributions to 2020 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship
In the midst of a year filled with unpredictable challenges, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, completed a successful campaign, personifying the notion that great things can happen when the motocross industry rallies together, In celebration of the many individuals and organizations that helped make the 2020 season a reality MX Sports Pro Racing recognized several of the most significant contributions with a season-ending awards presentation after the Fox Raceway National.
Arguably the most important awards were handed out to the pair of newly crowned AMA National Champions, both of whom captured their first respective class titles. In the 450 Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne hoisted the Edison Dye Cup on the heels of four wins and six podium finishes. The Virginia native became the 25th different rider to earn a 450 Class title, and the 12th rider to earn championships across both of Pro Motocross’ competitive divisions. In addition to giving Husqvarna its first premier class title in the series, Osborne also cemented his own unique place in the record books as the oldest champion in the history of the sport at 31 years of age.
Zach Osborne – Image by Jeff Kardas
By virtue of Osborne’s exceptional season veteran technician Dave Feeney earned the “450 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench” while newly appointed team manager “Scuba” Steve Westfall commemorated his debut at the helm of the program with “Team Manager of the Year” accolades. The team’s semi driver, industry veteran Paul Delaurier, added to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s award haul as “Transport Driver of the Year.”
In the 250 Class, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Dylan Ferrandis erased decades of heartbreak for French riders by becoming the first racer from the nation to raise the Gary Jones Cup. Ferrandis’ journey to become a champion on U.S. soil had been steadily building since he made the move to compete in American motocross for the 2017 season. His championship-winning run was a result of unparalleled consistency in which he captured three wins and eight podium finishes in nine rounds. Ferrandis is the 32nd different rider to win the 250 Class title and ended his stay in the division by providing Star Racing with its fifth championship in seven seasons.
Dylan Ferrandis 250 Champ – Image by Jeff Kardas
Ferrandis’ title meant his mechanic, Alex Campbell, was the recipient of the “250 Class Champion Mechanic Wrench.” Additionally, after yet another impressive season by the Bobby Regan owned team, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing was also named “Team of the Year.” With Ferrandis leading the way, a trio of Star riders earned a top-five finish in the final 250 Class standings as Shane McElrath secured a pair of podium finishes en route to third in points and Justin Cooper grabbed a win and two podiums to finish fifth. The team also welcomed a pair of promising young talents to the professional ranks with Jarrett Frye and Nate Thrasher.
In addition to celebrating the season’s most notable contributors, MX Sports Pro Racing also paid tribute to members of the motocross family that passed away this year. Marty Smith, the sport’s first true superstar, and his wife, Nancy, tragically lost their lives in April, which sent shockwaves through the racing community. As a tribute to Smith, and a testament to his impact on American motocross, the aforementioned yearly rookie award was renamed in his honor. The community was also hit hard with the passing of longtime flagger and Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club member Mike Mars, who succumbed to COVID-19 just prior to the start of the 2020 season in August.
MX Sports Pro Racing also recognized the collection of race teams, manufacturers, and the hundreds of participants who committed to embark on the 2020 season, no matter what obstacles arose. Additionally, the championship would not have been possible without the unwavering support from the group of series partners and sponsors that made hosting a nine-round series feasible, notably the broadcast partners at NBC Sports Group and championship title sponsor Lucas Oil. Crucial support also came from Red Bull, WPS, FLY Racing, GEICO Motorcycle, MotoSport.com, FMF Racing, Thor, Parts Unlimited, KTM, Deltran Battery Tender, MX vs ATV All Out, 100%, Husqvarna, Dunlop, Guaranteed Rate, KMC Wheels, VP Racing Fuels, Alpinestars, GoPro, Vertex Pistons, Acerbis, and Road 2 Recovery.
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2021 AMA Supercross and Motocross numbers announced
The American Motorcyclist Association has announced the professional competition numbers for pro-licensed riders competing in Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, and the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the 2021 season.
Each rider uses the assigned professional number for competition. In addition, the current champion runs the No. 1 plate, instead of an assigned professional number, when competing in the class or region in which the No. 1 plate was earned.
When competing in a class other than the class in which the championship was earned, the rider must use the professional number assigned.
2021 Top 100 and Career Pro Numbers for AMA Supercross and Motocross * Career Numbers
1 — 450SX Eli Tomac 1 — 450MX Zach Osborne 1 — 250MX Dylan Ferrandis 1W Dylan Ferrandis 1E Chase Sexton 2* Cooper Webb 3* Eli Tomac 4* Blake Baggett 6* Jeremy Martin 7* Aaron Plessinger 9* Adam Cianciarulo 10* Justin Brayton 11* Kyle Chisholm 12* Shane McElrath 14* Dylan Ferrandis 15* Dean Wilson 16* Zach Osborne 17* Joey Savatgy 18 Jett Lawrence 19* Justin Bogle 20* Broc Tickle 21* Jason Anderson 22* Chad Reed 23* Chase Sexton 24* RJ Hampshire 25* Marvin Musquin 26* Alex Martin 27* Malcolm Stewart 28 Brandon Hartranft 29 Christian Craig 30 Jo Shimoda 31 Cameron McAdoo 32* Justin Cooper 33 Derek Drake 34 Max Anstie 35 Mitchell Harrison 36 Martin Davalos 37 Benny Bloss 38 Austin Forkner 39 Carson Mumford 40 Vince Friese 41 Hunter Lawrence 42 Michael Mosiman 43 Fredrik Noren 44 Tyler Bowers 45 Pierce Brown 46* Justin Hill 47 Jalek Swoll 48 Garrett Marchbanks 49 Mitchell Oldenburg 50 Enzo Lopes 51* Justin Barcia 52 Luke Clout 53 Jake Masterpool 54 Nick Gaines 55 John Short 56 Kyle Peters 57 Justin Rodbell 58 Jacob Hayes 59 Jarrett Frye 60 Chris Blose 61 Joey Crown 62 Mason Gonzales 63 Martin Castelo 64 Colt Nichols 65 Carson Brown 66 Jordan Bailey 67 Stilez Robertson 68 Jace Owen 69 Robbie Wageman 70 Henry Miller 71 Killian Auberson 72 Coty Schock 73 Derek Kelley 74 Mitchell Falk 75 Ty Masterpool 76 Grant Harlan 77 Jerry Robin 78 Kyle Cunningham 79 Isaac Teasdale 80 Jordon Smith 81 Justin Starling 82 Lorenzo Locurcio 83 Alex Ray 84 Josh Hill 85 Kevin Moranz 86 Darian Sanayei 87 Curren Thurman 88 Logan Karnow 89 Ryan Breece 90 Dilan Schwartz 91 Nate Thrasher 92 Chase Marquier 93 Hardy Munoz 94* Ken Roczen 95 Joshua Osby 96 Michael Leib 97 Ben LaMay 98 Justin Hoeft 99 Hunter Sayles
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Ben Townley re-imagines motorsport with SX4
“I want fans to love our sport, I want our industry to grow, but most importantly I want our sport to be mainstream. SX4 will give us the platform to achieve this,” says motocross superstar Ben Townley as he launches
SX4 starting blocks
.
Inspired by Ben’s innovative knowledge of the sport, SX4 combines four riders, four laps, four corners and four obstacles into two-minutes of action-packed racing. The best of the best will compete under immense pressure and fans will witness more crashes and more high-octane action than in the traditional formats familiar to motocross fans.
“I am super stoked with how things are starting to come together for our first ever SX4 event. The industry have been super supportive of my ideas and I’m looking forward to seeing spectators share the love as we build towards 9 January,” said Ben Townley as he prepares the track for this weekend’s demonstration event.
Ben Townley
Over the last few years a site at the Taupo Motorcycle Club has been a labour of love for Townley who has played an integral part in the development. The new track will be tested at a demonstration event this coming Labour Weekend as part of MXFest. The first standalone SX4 event is set to be staged at Digger McEwan Motocross Park, Taupo on 9 January 2021.
Nick Rowland, SX4’s Fan Engagement Director has enjoyed jumping into a sport that is followed with such passion sharing, “Putting fans first is our goal as we create a thrilling new spectacle. Whether it be at the event, through the innovative broadcast elements or the sheer intensity of the racing, SX4 is set to change the game globally for motorsport for years to come.”
The inaugural event will see 12 of NZ’s top riders compete of 15 races in a two-hour window on 9 January 2021 at Digger McEwan Motorsport Park, Taupo. Individuals will compete for prize money. A Manufacturers Championship is also in development and will be another NZ first in the sport of motocross.
For more information and to buy tickets head to www.sx4.co.nz.
Moto News Weekly proudly brought to you by Dunlop
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team welcome Ben Watson for 2021
Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Ben Watson will take an exciting step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team for the 2021 MXGP season. The 23-year-old from Nottinghamshire, England joined Yamaha and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team in 2018, where he celebrated his first podium finish and ranked fourth in the FIM MX2 World Championship in his first term on the YZ250F, the British rider has made great progress.
Ben Watson moves up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2021
Proving his potential, Watson bounced back from an injury struck 2019 season to add five more podium successes to his credit, including a first-ever Grand Prix win at this weekend’s MXGP of Lommel. Immediately after celebrating his victory on the podium, the young Brit was delighted to learn that he would be drafted in the Factory MXGP team, where he will campaign a YZ450FM in his rookie MXGP season.
Part of a strong strategy to develop the next generation of MXGP champions, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team will remain a three-rider line-up in 2021. Watson will join Jeremy Seewer as the Swiss rider enters his fourth year with Yamaha and third year as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory rider, while the rider who will fill the third and final slot in the team will be announced in the very near future.
Ben Watson – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP
“Firstly, I want to thank each and every member of staff in Kemea. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team gave me everything and more every day for three years. I am so grateful to join the Factory MXGP team and stay with my Yamaha Family. It means so much to me and I cannot wait for this new challenge. I have been lucky enough to work closely and get to know Louis Vosters, Vitaliy Tonkov and some of the other Wilvo team members and I know I will be welcomed with open arms. I truly believe the YZ450FM will be a great bike for my riding style and I am really motivated to show everyone what I can do in MXGP. I know the category is at such a high level, so I am fortunate to join a team with a lot of experience, success and motivation. I really want to learn and show progression, it’s what I work towards every year and with the experience of my teammates in MXGP, I know I will be able to gain a lot of knowledge and continue my development. I am so excited to get started now and jump on this amazing bike to prepare for the new season.”
Thibault Benistant joins Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team for 2021
Yamaha Motor Europe have announced that Thibault Benistant will join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team for the 2021 season. The recently crowned EMX250 Champion will race a YZ250FM in the FIM MX2 World Championship alongside Jago Geerts and Maxime Renaux.
Thibault Benistant
“I am really proud to move into the Yamaha Factory team. I have to thank Yamaha and Hans (Corvers) for making it happen, they have made it possible for me to enter my first year in MX2 with the best bike in the paddock. This is something I really look forward to and something I am really proud of.”
Thibault Benistant joins the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team in 2021
Working his way up the Yamaha Racing pyramid, Benistant has paved his way to the MX2 World Championship with titles in both EMX125 and EMX250. He won the EMX125 Championship in 2018 aboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was a contender for the EMX250 title the following year at his first attempt. During his rookie season, Benistant celebrated a podium finish at his home round in France and took his YZ250F to fifth overall.
Remaining on a GYTR kitted YZ250F in 2020, the 18-year-old from Avignon was drafted into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team and moved to Holland in order to train close to the team’s base. Realising his obvious potential and proving that hard work pays dividends, Benistant celebrated eight EMX250 race wins, six round wins and seven podium finishes on his way to securing the 2020 EMX250 title.
As the freshly crowned European EMX250 Champion, Benistant will make his MX2 debut with the support of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team in Lommel, Belgium on Sunday 25th October.
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manager
“Yamaha is really happy to have Thibault join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team. Thibault is a pure product of Yamaha’s program and has a lot of potential. He has been with Yamaha for many years, since 2010. He entered the EMX125 class with Yamaha and our Official team, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125, where they nurtured him and helped him develop the foundation of a true champion. We have to thank MJC for that, and then he moved into the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team where they also did an incredible job in improving his strength and race craft on a GYTR kitted YZ250F. Yesterday Thibault took another step up the Yamaha Racing pyramid and was crowned European Champion in the EMX250 class, and now he has been signed to the Factory team. For us, Thibault is a perfect example of how a rider can develop and progress within the Yamaha Family, and we look forward to celebrating even more championships with him.”
Hans Corvers – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team Owner
“I am really happy to sign an 18-year-old talent like Thibault. He is still really young and is an exciting rider. We have had some good experience with French kids in the past, so it’s nice to another one along with Maxime (Renaux). We’ve been following Thibault for many years, even before he was EMX125 Champion and now he is EMX250 Champion, it is our goal to try to make him an MX2 Champion.”
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2021 Under-21 And Junior Speedway Date Changes
Gillman Speedway, South Australia, will kick off two nights of action with the Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship and the FIM Oceania Speedway Championship to be held January 29 and 30, 2021, respectively.
Originally scheduled for January 16, The Australian Speedway Under 21 Championship now moves to January 29, giving speedway fans two sensational nights of back to back racing action at Gillman Speedway.
The Australian Under-21 Speedway Championship has been held since 1986, with Australian speedway stars Leigh Adams, Chris Holder and Max Fricke, jointly holding the record for most wins in the Australian Under-21 Championship with four wins each, and current Champion Jaimon Lidsey a three-time winner.
The FIM Oceania Speedway Championship brings the best of the best in the region to Gillman Speedway on January 30.
Due to COVID-19 the Australian Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship will be moved from the traditional January date and will now be held at Sidewinders, South Australia on September 25 and 26, 2021 to ensure all riders from each State are able to attend.
The Under 16s 125cc Solo and Teams Championship showcases our up and coming talent which usually delivers nail biting race action on track.
Dates for the Australian Under 16s 250cc Championship to be held at Gillman Speedway is yet to be confirmed due to current State border restrictions and further information will be provided as soon as possible.
All events are subject to State Government COVID-19 restrictions.
Kyle Middleton takes fourth Australian X-Trial title
The final round of the 2019 Australian X-Trial Championship headed to Wollongong, New South Wales on July 27, marking the first time that the series has ventured across to the East side of the country.
Tasmanian’s Chris Bayles took the win in a stunning victory with Reigning Champion Kyle Middleton, narrowly tying up the Australian Championship in a night of twists and turns that could not have been scripted.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
In the Qualifying Round, Middleton was in fine form dropping only five-points. Meanwhile Bayles was tied on 12 with Western Australia’s Neil Price for third and NSW’s Kevin Zarczynski was only three-points behind on nine. Zarczynski’s younger brother, Colin, had a few unlucky mistakes that cost him a place in the final along with Craig Austin who had a number of great rides but unfortunately could not finish them off.
The Wollongong audience was roaring when the riders returned to the arena for the Final and they certainly got a show. The first section saw Zarczynski, Price and Bayles all fail to complete the tallest Waco Kwikform Scaffold Step, before state hero, Middleton made it up in a stunning ride. With a five-point lead Middleton had some room to relax into Section 2. Zarczynski and Bayles both had a couple of safe rides on the very slippery concrete, before Price failed to complete the section, and Kyle made an uncharacteristic mistake and slipped off one of the lower pipes and touched the ground.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
This reduced Middleton’s lead to only one point going into the notorious Barrier section. Zarczynski, slipped off for five points, failing to complete and then both Price and Bayles rode beautifully to clean the Barriers consecutively. Middleton then failed to complete the first major turn dropping to 12 points and back to fourth place. This moved Bayles into the lead on only seven-points. Section four all riders failed to complete and with Middleton and Zarczynski both having big crashes, in the Pipes.
After the tyres and races, the final results were Bayles first on 14-points, Price second (16), Middleton third on count back (17) and Kevin Zarczynski (17) fourth.
Chris Bayles
“I was super stoked with the result and my riding. The sections were all or nothing. The crowd’s vibe was unreal, really got the riders motivated.”
The third place for Middleton meant the Championship standings literally had Bayles and Middleton tied on 45 points apiece, and meant they had to be separated by the combined observed scores over the two events, giving Middleton his fourth Australian X-Trial Championship with Bayles in second and Price rounding out the podium in third.
2019 Australian X-Trial Championship – Wollongong
Kyle Middleton
“Round two was a tough one! I am sore, I was challenged but the crowd really helps me get to the end. Not everything went to plan for me but I am absolutely stoked with my fight and managed to just sneak in the championship result.”
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Jacob Thorssell claims Scandinavian FIM SGP wild card
Swedish star Jacob Thorssell raced to his first Swedish Championship in Hallstavik to clinch the Scandinavian FIM Speedway Grand Prix wild card for Malilla on August 17. Thorssell did it the hard way after reaching the semi-final with 10 points, while Andreas Jonsson, Linus Sundstrom (both 13) and Kim Nilsson (12) all progressed automatically through to the final as top scorers in the heats.
Jacob Thorssell claims Scandinavian FIM SGP wild card
The semi shoot-out for the last final spot saw Thorssell beat Ludvig Lindgren – younger brother of SGP star Freddie – Victor Palovaara and Pontus Aspgren. Thorssell then carried his momentum into the medal race, beating Rospiggarna legend Andreas Jonsson on his home track, denying him a record-equalling eighth Swedish title in the process. Nilsson was third with Sundstrom fourth.
The Scandinavian SGP will be Thorssell’s third World Championship appearance after he made his debut as a wild card at the 2016 Stockholm SGP, scoring one point. He then scored four points as a track reserve in the Swedish capital a year later, winning heat 12 ahead of SGP icon Tai Woffinden, Freddie Lindgren and Martin Smolinski.
Charles Wright to wildcard British FIM Speedway GP
New British champion Charles Wright hailed his first national title “an unbelievable achievement” as he booked his place at the British FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff on September 21.
Wright started the British Championship Final in Manchester as one of the meeting’s dark horses to triumph. He ended it wearing the famous No.16 SGP wild-card race jacket he’ll don when he takes on the world’s top riders at the Principality Stadium.
The Stockport-based racer produced a lightening start to see off Danny King, Craig Cook and Chris Harris and win the Grand Final at the National Speedway Stadium – just 10 minutes from his home. The rider admits joining the British Championship roll of honour and earning his ticket to Cardiff will take some time to get his head around.
Charles Wright
“I have come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years and every year I seem to be going better and better. But I just can’t believe what I have done today. I beat some fantastic riders that I looked up to, and I have done it. I was just gating. I felt fast on the track and I knew if I got to that turn first in the last one, I was away. It’s an unbelievable achievement and I am so proud of myself. There’s nothing on it for me – I can just go out and enjoy it and see what I can do. I’ll see if I can beat a few GP boys and get the crowd going. There’s no pressure on me. I am there and that’s the main thing.”
Charles Wright in the #16 SGP jersey
Wright did it the hard way after reaching the semi-final on 11 points, while King and Cook qualified for the Grand Final automatically on 14 and 12 respectively. He won the semi ahead of Harris, Steve Worrall and Lewis Kerr, before pulling off the start and race win of his career in the decider to earn his SGP debut.
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Sherco’s Michael Metge wins 2019 Baja Spain Aragón
The 36th edition of Baja Spain Aragón was fiercely contested again and the outcome was never certain until the finish of the fourth stage. Ultimately, Michael Metge managed to impose his pace and confirm victory for the second successive year, the Frenchman finishing ahead of Junior rider Tosha Schareina and Joan Pedrero.
2019 Baja Spain Aragón Top 3 – Motorcycles
Cautious at the start, because he was taking part in Baja Spain Aragón with his rally motorcycle that was much heavier and less manoeuvrable on the winding tracks around Teruel, Metge took the lead in the opening stage and held on, despite the challenge from his rivals. Benjamin Melot finished eighth and maintains his lead in the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup standings.
Michael Metge
“I did not think I would make such a good result. But riding with our Sherco Rally allowed us to test new settings. I quickly had a good feeling with the bike and I was able to keep up a good rhythm throughout the race. These settings are very interesting because David Castera, who was present on the second day on the Baja, told us that the first week of Dakar 2020 would be on beautiful tracks. Santolino obviously shared the same settings and we were able to fight on the tracks. I know his track record in Enduro and I was happy to beat him. It gives me confidence. Unfortunately, he took 14 minutes of speeding penalties. On the second day, young Tosha (Schareina) was very determined but, in the first special, I lost three to four minutes to the refueling because I had to repair the Stella bracket. On the first day, I fell and the bracket weakened and I arrived at the refueling with the Stella in hand.”
Michael Metge wins the 2019 Baja Spain Aragón
In the Women’s category, Rosa Romero won Baja Aragón and finished in front of Rita Vieira and Sara García. In Juniors, victory fell to Tosha Schareina, ahead of Maciej Giemza and Adam Tomicek.
Rosa Romero won Baja Aragón in the Women’s category
The final round of the FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup is the Hungarian Baja on August 9-11.
Overall Results – Bike
Michael Metge (Sherco) 6h30’21
Tosha Schareina (Husqvarna) +3’39
Joan Pedrero (KTM) +7’18
Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) +14’36
Martin Micek (KTM) +21’10
FIM Cross-Country Bajas World Cup standings
Benjamin MELOT (FRA) 45
Jakub PIĄTEK (POL) 26
Aaron MARE (ZAF) 25
De Gavardo TOMAS (CHL) 19
Sultan AL BALOOSHI (ARE) 18
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2019 Red Bull Romaniacs about to kick off
Excitement builds at round five of the World Enduro Super Series as Red Bull Romaniacs approaches race day in Sibiu, Romania. Long regarded as the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rallye, round five of WESS marks the 16th edition of Red Bull Romaniacs.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
On the eve of race day, riders from the 50 competing nations enjoyed a City Ride parade through the narrow, cobbled streets, supported by hordes of spectators who enthusiastically cheered them on.
Featuring five days of racing, with a Prologue on the streets on Sibiu followed by four days in the surrounding mountains the Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye looks set to be one of the toughest and most demanding events on the WESS calendar. The race will test the riders’ skill, stamina and mental strength.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
Offering a teaser to when the action kicks off, the Gold class riders assembled on the prologue course to sample what’s on offer for 2019. For most it was an opportunity to test both body and machines ahead of the start of the racing, while others used it as a chance to size up their racing lines.
2019 Red Bull Romaniacs – Image by Future7Media
Graham Jarvis
“For me Red Bull Romaniacs is all about the mountains. I enjoy the prologue, but I’m a bit too steady – it must be my age! I’m aiming for a strong Off Road Day 1 and then see where things are at. It’s a long week and the competition is tougher than ever, but I didn’t come here to finish second.”
Graham Jarvis claimed the Hixpania Hard Enduro win in 2019
Josep Garcia
“Last year’s Romaniacs was the hardest race for me, but I got through it and I plan to do the same this year. It looks like the weather might play a part again but I think I am better prepared and have been working a lot on my training. My plan is to get to the finish and earn good WESS points before the next two rounds at Hawkstone and Solsona, where I think I have a good chance of taking the win.”
Josep Garcia – Image by Future7Media
Jonny Walker
“I’m feeling good coming into this year’s Romaniacs, I’m lucky in that so far this year I haven’t had any major problems with my fitness, it’s just the strength in my arm that’s lacking a little. I have been spending a lot of hours on the bike on the run up to the event and I’m confident that my pace and skill is definitely good enough for the podium. I’ve won before and finished second last year so I know what to expect and what to do to succeed. It’s definitely going to be a challenge as always but I’m hoping the extreme sections this year will fit in nicely with the faster flowing tracks and we can get a really good race out of it. Obviously, nobody can control the weather and if conditions are bad it could make for a very tough race.”
Jonny Walker – Image by Future7Media
Taddy Blazusiak
“I’ve been looking forward to Romaniacs, partly due to what happened last year. I’m feeling good and more comfortable on the bike now and I think I have a really good package for the race. Everyone knows the event will be tough and the organisers always try to throw in a few surprises along the way. I know my pace is good, so if everything goes well, I’ll definitely be aiming for a position on the podium.”
Taddy Blazusiak
Wade Young
“It’s nice to be back here in Romania and carry the #1 plate into this race. I’m excited to get going. We’ve worked a lot behind the scenes to be ready. I’ve got a new frame and switched to KYB suspension. Overall, I feel good and I’m happy on the new setup. I feel well prepared despite a slight shoulder injury. The goal is just to stay humble and level headed this week – take each day as it comes and be strong when it counts.”
Wade Young – Image by Future7Media
2019 WESS Championship Standings after Round 4
Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 2690 points
Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 2570
Mario Roman (Sherco – ESP) 2540
Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna – ESP) 2314
Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 2155
Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 2125
Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 2090
Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 1900
Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 1631
Travis Teasdale (KTM – RSA) 1610
2019 World Enduro Super Series Calendar
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 3
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
Round 7: BR2 Enduro Solsona (Spain) October 5-6
Round 8: GetzenRodeo (Germany) November 2
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AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7 – Aug 10-11
The 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) returns in two weeks to Broken Hill for Round 7, following a successful round at Kyogle in NSW. Now the championship heads to the Outback desert stage, with Dirt2Ride Events’ Lyndon Heffernan giving some insight into what’s to come. Entries can be done here (link) with a full race schedule to be found here (link).
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
Lyndon Heffernan – Dirt2Ride Events
“It has long been a dream of mine to create my own ‘bucket list’ event. And after riding the iconic Finke and Hattah Desert Races, I knew it had to be a desert race. After meeting the awesome crew from Silver City MCC, who had similar aspirations, the hunt for a great location was on. The Langwell Station become an option – a 110,00-acre sheep station situated 60km south of the iconic NSW Outback township of Broken Hill. After a quick trip and a day of riding around the place, I knew it offered the access, variety of conditions and the perfect venue to create a two-day event in picturesque, rugged terrain that every dirt bike rider will want to have a crack at. The crew from the AORC’s organising committee then approached me about incorporating the event into the prestigious national series last season, which is what we did.
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
“Logistically, it is way closer than Finke and/or Hattah for most NSW and Queensland riders. It is actually pretty central for those who live in a lot of east coast riding regions. We are trying to keep it affordable by camping at the track, and good value by offering up a good, long, hard ride. As it is a loop-style track like Hattah with varied distances for each class (see supp regs for full details), and not a point-to-point like Finke, the logistics are easy. Crews stay in one spot all weekend and no special equipment is needed. We want it to be a fun and easy-to-be-at, and still dish up an awesome desert riding experience – without the cost and logistical challenges usually associated with desert races.
AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
“The event caters to a range of Junior classes, to a Pony Express teams race on Sunday Morning, and Senior capacity and veteran classes, so we’ve made sure there’s something for everyone. This will include a 4 Hour Cross Country for E1, E2, E3, EJ, Pony Express and Veterans Class. The Womens and Masters will feature a 3 Hour Cross Country and also the Juniors will have a 3 Hour Cross Country, its plenty of action for all.”
Entry for adults to watch all the action are $5, with kids under 16 free, while there’s a gold coin donation for parking, going to a local charity.
The 2019 AORC heads to Broken Hill for Round 7
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Husqvarna have announced that they have signed 125cc Junior Motocross World Champion Mattia Guadagnini for the 2020 EMX250 Championship with team Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii.
Mattia Guadagnini – 2019 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship
The 17-year-old Italian, who leads the FIM European Motocross Championship EMX125 class with two rounds remaining, will step into the EMX250 class having enjoyed a highly impressive 2019 season to date. Holding a 13-point lead in the EMX125 series with only events in Belgium and Sweden remaining, Mattia has so far enjoyed six race wins including two double victories in Italy and moto wins in The Netherlands and Germany.
Winning both motos at the recent FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship held at Arco di Trento, Italy, Mattia secured the coveted title in front of his home fans and joins the likes of Pauls Jonass, Tim Gajser and Jago Geerts in becoming a 125cc Junior World Champion.
Mattia Guadagnini
“I’m really happy to continue with Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii for 2020. We are working really well together, and I think I can keep growing as a racer with them. I will race in EMX250 next year, which is another step for my career – a step that I am looking forward to and I’m confident about.”
Mattia Guadagnini
Marco Maddii – Husqvarna Junior Racing Maddii
“This is our third year together with Mattia and I’m very happy to continue our work in the next level of the EMX250 championship. Mattia has grown a lot this year and I’m proud of him as rider and person. Now he has finished his study and he will be totally focused on motocross. I believe he still has a lot to show with more training, testing and racing.”
2019 Australian Junior Dirt entries open
Motorcycling Australia have announced that entries are now open and Supplementary Regulations (link) are available for the 2019 Honda Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships.
Australian Junior Dirt Track – Image by Sheree Griffin
Hosted by the Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club on the 28th and 29th September, this event will highlight the talent that continues to emerge from Australian riders all across the nation. The 2019 Honda Australian Dirt Track Championships will be held at Allen Park MVRG on Debenham Road North, Somersby in New South Wales.
2019 Honda Australian Dirt Track Championships schedule
Saturday 5th October
Sunday 6th October
Gates Open
7.00am
7.00am
Scrutineering & Sign On
7.30am to 8.45am
7.30am to 9.00am – if required
Riders Briefing
8.45am
9.00am
Practice
9.00am
No Practice
9.30am Parade Lap and National Anthem (Ben Felten)
Racing
Immediately after the conclusion of practice
Immediately after the conclusion of the Parade Lap and National Anthem
80cc 4 Stroke Standard 7 to U11yrs – NO MODIFICATIONS
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Kristie Mckinnon joins Australian 2019 Trial des Nations team
Due to prior commitments Kristie Mckinnon originally had to dismiss her duties from the 2019 Trial des Nations (TdN), which this year takes place in Ibiza, Spain, however with those commitments now pushed aside, the nine-times Australian Trials Champion is back on deck and ready to help her teammates, Jenna Lupo and Lillie Yiatrou at the twentieth running of the Women’s Trial des Nations event.
Kristie McKinnon
Mckinnon brings a lot of experience and a lot of stability to the Australian team. The 34-year-old, who hails from Penrith, New South Wales, has been the Australian Trial Champion for the past nine years and represented Australia on at least ten occasions in the TdN. The 2019 Trials des Nations runs from the 28-29 September.
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The calendar for the 2019 World Enduro Super Series (WESS) has been announced, with an eight round championship announced for the new year, with rounds in Portugal, France, Austria, Italy, Romania, the UK, Spain and Germany.
Two additional Classic Enduro events scheduled for the coming season, combined with established Hard Enduro favourites, plus the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country, the 2019 WESS championship will offer a true test of Enduro skills when the battle to become the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion begins.
The World Enduro Super Series returns in 2019 – Image by Future7Media
Philipp Stossier – WESS Managing Director
“It gives us great pleasure to announce the schedule for the 2019 World Enduro Super Series. After what’s been an incredibly successful debut season of WESS, we’ve worked tirelessly to bring together what we feel is an Enduro championship that both competitors and fans of the sport want. Listening closely to a wide range of opinions and ideas, while working jointly with event organisers, we have been able to improve the schedule for 2019. We can’t wait for the new WESS championship to get started.”
Successfully playing host to the inaugural round of WESS, Extreme XL Lagares will open the new season in Portugal, on May 10-12, for three days of incredible Hard Enduro racing. Mixing Endurocross, Urban and Hard Enduro action together, round one will be exciting and spectacular.
The series moves directly on to France and Classic Enduro at the Trèfle Lozérien AMV, the following weekend. Three days of traditional timecard racing will see competitors cover over 600 kilometres of riding across idyllic French countryside.
World Enduro Super Series – Image by Future7Media
Then, it’s battle stations once more for the iconic Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble in Austria. World-renowned as the toughest single day Enduro, up to 1800 riders will vie for one of the 500 places available on Sunday’s start line.
Provisionally scheduled for late June / early July in Italy, round four will see a new addition to WESS and the second Classic Enduro of the year. Marking the halfway point in the season, the infamous Red Bull Romaniacs will serve up five unforgettable days of Hard Enduro racing for round five on June 30-August 4.
In September the championship charges onwards to the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country in the United Kingdom for round six. Despite a late addition to the 2018 schedule, the event delivered some of the most exciting racing of the series as riders went bar-to-bar around the sandy, high-speed Shropshire circuit.
World Enduro Super Series – Image by Future7Media
The penultimate round features the third Classic Enduro event, called Solsona Enduro in Spain in early October.
Set to sign off the 2019 championship in style is the GetzenRodeo in Germany on November 2-3. A long-established Hard Enduro, the event is incredibly popular with riders and attracts on average over 10,000 spectators for each edition, ensuring a spectacular, memorable and fitting venue to crown the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.
Winfried Kerschhaggl – WESS Series Manager
“Further broadening the mix of events in the championship, while sharpening the focus on true Enduro competitions has been our goal. Traditional Enduro is always close to our hearts, fuelling our passion for racing, and for that reason it has led to the addition of two Classic Enduro events being added to the calendar. Combined with some of our much-loved events from 2018, plus the welcomed addition of the GetzenRodeo, we are very much looking forward to the start of the new series and the battle to find the 2019 Ultimate Enduro Champion.”
World Enduro Super Series – Image by Future7Media
World Enduro Super Series – 2019 Calendar
Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares (Portugal) May 10-12
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV (France) May 17-19
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria) May 30-June 2
Round 4: Classic Enduro (Italy) TBA
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania) July 30-August 4
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross Country (United Kingdom) September 21-22
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