Press Release | April 30, 2021
Rider lineup builds ahead of 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship start.
Taddy Blazusiak performs at stage Ribeira Porto, second day of the first stop of the World Enduro Super Series in Lagares, Portugal on May 11, 2019. Photo by João da Franca / Red Bull Content Pool
This is a press release from WESS Promotion…
Wels, Austria (April 15, 2021) — With registration for the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship open and in full swing, a growing list of manufacturers, teams and world-class riders are already committed to the inaugural season of racing.
In what’s set to become a bumper series with eight rounds being held at world-class Hard Enduro venues, competitors, both amateur and professional, are making sure they’re signed up for the action.
As interest continues to grow, competitors from 13 different nations have already signed up to compete in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, while manufacturer participation comes from Sherco, KTM, Husqvarna, Beta, GasGas and Yamaha, among others.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing look to the top step of the podium with 2019 WESS Champion Manuel Lettenbichler at the helm. A star of the 2019 series and Red Bull Romaniacs race winner in 2020, Lettenbichler unquestionably starts 2021 as the rider to beat.
Sherco Factory Racing field a duo of title contenders in Mario Roman and Wade Young. The French manufacturer will be hoping Roman can repeat his Extreme XL Lagares winning form of 2019 when the season begins in less than four weeks.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s trio of Billy Bolt, Graham Jarvis and Alfredo Gomez are also looking tough to beat. Bolt is the 2018 WESS champion with Gomez runner-up in 2019, while Jarvis is simply a Hard Enduro legend.
Competitors take the start at the fourth stop of the World Enduro Super Series in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain on June 22, 2019. Photo by Future7Media / Red Bull Content Pool
Walker’s Beta Debut
Of course, anticipation builds as Jonny Walker is set to make is debut with Beta Motorcycles. Following his 10-year career with KTM, it will be exciting to see him compete in new colors.
GasGas Factory Racing also look strong with a mix of experience and youth within their team. Taddy Blazusiak is always hungry for success, while Michael Walkner is a young Austrian rider to watch out for. Yamaha weigh into the Hard Enduro mix for the first time with the supremely talented Pol Tarres.
Changing colors for 2021, TTR Squadra Corse field a three-rider team of Travis Teasdale, Kevin Gallas and Azzalini Alessandro on GasGas machinery and will be a privateer force to be reckoned with among the factory outfits.
Jarvis Husqvarna Racing, managed by Graham Jarvis, are also a new team to watch for in 2021. The team’s five riders include Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev and Britain’s Will Hoare, Jonathan Richardson, Sam Winterburn and Grant Churchward. Featuring a real mix of raw, young talent under the guidance of Graham, expect fireworks!
Add in a wealth of youngsters like Israel’s Suff Sella, Russia’s David Leonov, Germany’s Tim Apolle and Leon Hentschel plus South Africa’s Matt Green who have all signed up, and the countdown is firmly on to round one in Portugal.
The inaugural round of the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will be the Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal.
The following is a press release from April 30, 2021
In what’s set to mark a historic moment in the sport, the infamous rocky riverbeds of Lagares will play host to the first FIM sanctioned Hard Enduro World Championship race.
Overcoming the restrictions of the ongoing Covid pandemic, the world’s best Hard Enduro athletes, together with a wealth of amateur and hobby riders, will compete for pride and glory across three demanding days of competition.
In a change to previous editions of Extreme XL Lagares due to public restrictions, the FIM World Championship category will compete in three events over two days with an Endurocross race and mountain time-trial Prologue on Saturday, followed by Sunday’s Main Race. Non-championship riders will take to the Endurocross track on Friday, followed by the Saturday Prologue and join the World Championship competitors on the start line for Sunday’s action.
As the 2019 WESS Champion and 2020 Red Bull Romaniacs winner, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manual Lettenbichler naturally starts as one of the favourites for the top step of the podium. But despite previous podium results in Portugal, Lettenbichler has yet to truly master the rigorous rocks the region is famed for, so will 2021 be his year to triumph?
Sherco on the attack
Sherco Factory Racing will be a formidable force this season, their sights very much set on success. In 2019 Mario Roman stole the show with a phenomenal ride to victory. Demonstrating a perfect mix of speed and technical ability, the Spaniard turned up the heat in the closing stages to win and will be aiming high again this year. Teammate Wade Young is a past winner of the race, in 2017, and finished as runner-up in 2019. A fan of the terrain, he’ll also be pushing for nothing less than victory too.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing boast a trio of Hard Enduro talent. Billy Bolt, Alfredo Gomez and Hard Enduro legend Graham Jarvis have all won in Portugal before, with Jarvis holding the all-time win record over Gomez. The potential for a podium-sweep can’t be ruled out with these guys.
New colors
Jonny Walker will make one of the most anticipated team debuts in Portugal with Vision Track Beta. After a decade on KTM machinery, Walker made a jump to Beta Motorcycles during the winter and Extreme XL Lagares will be his first serious outing in new colours. Vastly experienced and hungry to impress, Walker is an obvious threat for podium honors.
GasGas Factory Racing debut their two-rider outfit of Taddy Blazusiak and Michael Walkner. A true mix of experience and youth, Blazusiak will come out swinging while Walkner is keen to demonstrate that he is a young talent to watch out for.
Trece Racing Society will be a new crew to keep an eye on as Pol Tarres rolls out on Yamaha machinery for the first time in Hard Enduro. The Spaniard’s ability on a bike knows no bounds and he’s excited to show what his Yamaha is capable of when the going gets tough.
Changing colors for 2021, TTR Squadra Corse field a three-rider team of Travis Teasdale, Kevin Gallas and Azzalini Alessandro on GASGAS machinery and will be a privateer force to be reckoned with among the factory outfits.
Jarvis Husqvarna Racing – managed by Graham Jarvis – is also a new team to watch for in 2021. The team’s five riders include Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev and Britain’s Will Hoare, Jonathan Richardson, Sam Winterburn and Grant Churchward. Featuring a real mix of raw, young talent under the guidance of Graham, expect fireworks!
Add in a wealth of youngsters like Israel’s Suff Sella, Russia’s David Leonov, Germany’s Tim Apolle and Leon Hentschel plus South Africa’s Matt Green who have all signed up, and the countdown is firmly on to round one in Portugal.
In keeping with strict government Covid guidelines, coronavirus testing facilities will be available on site. Competitors will also be able to take a test before returning home. Spectator attendance is not permitted.
The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes place at Extreme XL Lagares, Portugal on May 7-9.
Get Registered
For those wishing to be counted in the official championship standings, competitors – both professional and amateur, registration for the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is open.
Quick and easy, registration takes just three minutes to do. An FIM International Enduro license is required to register. Riders can obtain these from their national federations. A list of 2021 FIM affiliated federations can be found here.
Championship registration does not automatically enter riders for each round of the series. Please contact event organizers directly for entry.
The eight-round FIM Hard Enduro World Championship begins with Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal on May 7-9.
2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar
| 5/7-9 |
(Rnd 1) Extreme XL Lagares, Portugal |
6/3-6 |
(Rnd 2) Erzbergrodeo, Austria* |
| 7/10-11 |
(Rnd 3) Abestone Hard Enduro, Italy |
| 7/27-31 |
(Rnd 4) Romaniacs, Romania |
| 8/13-15 |
(Rnd 5) Tennessee Knockout, USA |
| 9/11-12 |
(Rnd 6) Hero Challenge, Poland |
| 10/1-3 |
(Rnd 7) Hixpania Hard Enduro, Spain |
| 10/29-30 |
(Rnd 8) GetzenRodeo, Germany |
*It was announced in a press release issued on May 10, 2021, that the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is canceled for 2021.
For more information, visit iridehardenduro.com
