Marc Zomer op beide dagen van het EK Enduro in Hongarije in de top tien

Marc Zomer van het WPM KTM team is in de tweede wedstrijd van het Europees Kampioenschap Enduro in Hongarije op beide dagen in de top tien geëindigd. Op de eerste dag verloor hij in de slotfase de achtste plaats en werd negende. Op de tweede dag was de achtste plaats wel zijn deel en kon hij het weekend tevreden afsluiten.

Marc begon op dinsdag met het verkennen van de proeven. De organisatie had drie mooie proeven uitgezet (extreme test, enduro test en een crosstest). Er werd slecht weer voorspeld en door de regenval die in de week voorafgaande al was gevallen, werden de proeven voordat de wedstrijd begon al aangepast en werden er stukken uit de proeven gehaald. Op vrijdagmiddag verkende Marc de laatste wijzigingen en was er klaar voor om aan het weekend te beginnen.

Het beloofde een lange dag te worden op zaterdag van zo’n acht uur op de motor. De dag begon gelijk met de extreme test waardoor de rijders koud erin moesten. Hierdoor was het belangrijk om zo min mogelijk fouten te maken en dit lukte Marc. De enduro test was in de eerste ronde nog behoorlijk glad en hierin liet hij nog wat tijd liggen. In de crosstest ging het lekker maar Marc wist dat het hier nog beter kon. In de ronden die daar op volgden ging het rijden lekker en wist hij zijn eigen tijden telkens te verbeteren. Bij het ingaan van de laatste ronde had hij de achtste plaats in handen. Door een aantal foutjes in de endurotest verloor hij hier net teveel tijd om achtste te worden en sloot daardoor de dag als negende af en werd 52ste in de scratch.

De tweede dag werd met een ronde ingekort maar ook de rijtijden werden korter waardoor er op de route meer doorgereden moest worden. In de nacht van zaterdag op zondag sneeuwde het tot ongeveer 11 uur in de ochtend waardoor de eerste ronde in de sneeuw afgewerkt moest worden. Marc had het moeilijk op de gladde ondergrond en op de kapot gereden route om in zijn ritme te komen. Dit had tot gevolg dat hij in de endurotest even ten val kwam. In de tweede ronde werd de route weer iets beter en kwam er ook meer grip. Het rijden begon beter en makkelijker te gaan waardoor zijn tijden in de proeven scherper werden. In de laatste ronde werd de endurotest gecanceld waardoor deze ronde over slechts twee proeven ging. Deze liepen beide lekker voor Marc en dit zorgde ervoor dat hij de dag op een achtste plaats in zijn klasse af wist te sluiten en hij 41ste werd in de scratch.

In het weekend van 23 en 24 juli gaat het Europees Kampioenschap Enduro verder in Finland.

Fotocredits – enduro.nl

Eleveit Round 2 beats the Belgian flag

For the third time in a row Erik Willems wins the overall standings, Dan Mundell still second while Damiaens Dietger is in third place

Saturday 2 of April in the Hungarian town of Tamasi, the first of the two days that make up the ELEVEIT Round 2 of the Borilli Enduro European Championship 2022 kicked off. A cold and a bitter wind allowed the soil to dry slightly from the huge amounts of water that fell during the days of Thursday and Friday. The water poured onto the track has made numerous paths and some sectors of special stages impassable; this has made it necessary to make some changes and cuts to create a safe track. The work of the Track Inspector, Gionni Fossati, was today more essential than ever; the changes made gave the 99 drivers enrolled in the Hungarian round a difficult and fun race at the same time, which ended without particular problems.

Three special stages distributed along a 47 km long route to be repeated 4 times. The first special test faced by the drivers was the 24MX Extreme Test; a high technical test with numerous obstacles placed along its kilometre in length. Piles of logs, tires and containers characterised the track and required the participants to use all the technical skills in their possession. Mud has also increased exponentially the difficulty of the sectors, making the obstacles present extremely slippery. The Eleveit Enduro Test saw a succession of sectors within a motocross track and others located within a dense forest, narrow and muddy with artificial obstacles such as tires that helped make the track more insidious. The rains before the event also required some changes within this special test that saw its travelling time decrease. The Airoh Cross Test developed on the side of a hill and inside a motocross track allowed the riders to give full display of their speed. A quick special test with terrain that gradually dried up over the course of the day; the terrain that used to be extremely slippery increased its grip during the course of the day, which became increasingly fun.

Erik Willems is the fastest driver for the third time! ELEVEIT Round 2 is still signed by the Belgian who seems unbeatable. He concluded today with a beautiful performance, no mistakes and extremely fast times especially in the Airoh Cross Test gave him the overall victory in his hands. Dan Mundell tried everything to impose himself on the Belgian, but a technical problem with the bike took away his chance of winning. Damiaens Dietger for the first time won a podium in the absolute; after battling all day with the Englishman he narrowly won third position. A beautiful three-way clash that took place in full respect of the opponent who gave a beautiful show to the spectators again.

A battle for the victory of Youth fought until the last special. The class reserved for the youngest saw a continuous alternation of protagonists for the first position. Manuel Verzeroli started strong but Luca Colorio gave him a hard time and snatched his first place but this was not enough for him to win, in fact today he finished second with a paltry gap from today’s winner Clement Clauzier. The Frenchman was slightly delayed in the first part of the day but thanks to an incredible comeback he took home the class victory. Manuel Verzeroli for today is to settle only with the lowest step of the podium.

Inside Junior 1 Carlo Minot took a well-deserved class victory by imposing himself in front of Simone Cristini. Minot took home great times throughout the day, fully demonstrating his incredible talent. Simone Cristini had to give in to his compatriot. Riccardo Fabris finished in third position.

Enrico Rinaldi’s absence in Junior 2 was felt. Lorenzo Bernini immediately took advantage of it to put himself in command of his class, a leadership that did not remain in his hands until the end of the fourth lap. Yuri Quarti, in fact, took home the first class victory and the first podium of the season. Lorenzo Bernini sat in second place while the third place on day 1 was the prerogative of Gabriel Chetnicki.

Maurizio Micheluz is unbeatable, also on this third day of the championship the victory of E1 is his property. An incredible performance by the Italian who took the first position from the first special and you never left it. Federico Aresi had to give in to the speed of his compatriot, so today he concluded second. Nico Rambow fought with all his strength to get the silver medal but with a time of about 20 seconds higher than that of the Italian he was rewarded with third position.

Erik Willems thanks to the overall victory he took home the victory of E2. An incredible victory obtained with absolute domain. The victory of all the special tests within his class crowned him winner of the Eleveit Round 2 day 1. Nicola Recchia tried in every way to blow the victory to the Belgian driver but his times did not allow him, so he concluded day 1 in second class position with the consolation that no one else managed to beat the Belgian. Giuliano Mancuso, after occupying the second step of the podium for some special tests, won the bronze medal.

E3 winning was not easy for Dan Mundell to achieve, who fought all day with his rivals. A day that began uphill for the English rider who finally finished on top of the podium for the third time. Damiaens Dietger after battling all day gave in to the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon, and ended in second place. David Abgrall, after giving a hard time to his rivals, settled in third place.

The Senior class remains loyal to the championship leader Alessandro Rizza who won for the third time its class, fighting bitterly against Martin Gottovald and the German Arne Domeyer.

No change of leadership even within the Women class, which for the third time in a row sees Nieve Holmes as its best driver. In second place we find today Vilde Marie Holt who relegated the French representative Marine Lemoine to third place.

In the Trade Team the winner was Diligenti Racing thanks to the beautiful performances of Daniel Mundell, Maurizio Micheluz, Giuliano Mancuso and Nicolò Paolucci. Lago d’Iseo finished second, Erik Willems, Simone Cristini, Lorenzo Bernini and Daniele Delbono tried everything but they could do nothing against Diligenti Racing. Gaerne ( Carlo Minot, Luca Colorio, Riccardo Fabris and Elio Rigo) finished third, and its members did a good race!

A beautiful day that satisfied the tastes of most pilots. The premises were not the best, the enormous amount of water that fell seriously put in risk the event, however, the intervention of the track inspector allowed the correct conduct of the event and its conclusion without problems. In the hope that the weather will be lenient even on day 2, continue to follow us.

Photo: Vision Media and Maxim Pubblicità

Minus 400 – Riders To Watch!

Wels, Austria – April 1, 2022 — With the opening round of the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship locked in our sights, there’s a wealth of talent hungry for success at Minus 400.

A new season always brings heightened excitement, lots of anticipation, and plenty of pre-championship energy, and this year is no exception. Eight rounds lie ahead in this year’s fight to become the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion, but it’s at the Dead Sea in Israel where everyone with title ambitions is hoping to leave their mark.

Here’s a look at who’s gunning for glory in 2022…

Billy Bolt – Husqvarna Factory Racing

As the defending FIM Hard Enduro World Champion, Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt will naturally start off as title favourite. The Brit is on peak form right now having just defended his FIM SuperEnduro World Championship crown. Indoors nobody came close to matching Billy’s pace, and you can be sure he will want to keep things that way outdoors too. Although Minus 400 will be new to all, Billy has proven himself in the past to be a fast learner, winning the first ever running of the Abestone Hard Enduro in 2021. It will be tough to rule the champ out of a winning ride next week.

Wade Young – Sherco Factory Racing

South African Wade Young has had a relatively quiet winter grinding out the training at home in preparation for Israel. The Sherco rider is a fan of long and physically demanding style courses and with Thursday’s Minus 400 Main Event featuring a 75-kilometre-long course that increases with difficulty, that’s when we expect Young to make his mark on the race. A race winner in 2021 at Hero Challenge, along with finishing on the final championship podium alongside Bolt and Manuel Lettenbichler, Wade will be eager to get 2022 off to a strong start.

Mario Roman – Sherco Factory Racing

Spain’s Mario Roman has enjoyed a busy off-season, focusing solely on his Hard Enduro riding. With success in his national series, along with a win at the notoriously tough Ales Trem event in France, Roman is bustling for success in Israel. The dry, dusty, and slippery Dead Sea terrain should play into the hands of the Sherco rider.

Jonny Walker – Vision Track Beta

Always a crowd favourite wherever he lines up, Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker will be a rider to watch for. Consistently strong during his 2021 campaign as a privateer with Beta Motorcycles, Walker looks to have built on that pace during the winter by finishing as runner-up to Bolt in SuperEnduro. With a silky-smooth riding style and now well-suited on his Italian two-stroke, Walker will be pushing every step of the way to end round one on the podium.

Alfredo Gomez – AG Racing Team 89

Alfredo Gomez makes an eagerly anticipated debut with his new privateer team AG Racing Team 89 in Israel. The Spaniard has switched his programme up during the off-season and similar to Walker is running his own setup. Riding GASGAS machinery, it will be exciting to see how he’s settled into this new role.

Graham Jarvis – Jarvis Racing Team

Injured during 2021 at Red Bull Romaniacs, Graham Jarvis makes a welcomed return to racing at Minus 400. Arguably the greatest Hard Enduro rider of all time, Graham – despite his age – is a serious contender to deliver a special result next week. Once again going up against much younger competition, Graham, as always, will use his experience and race savvy to do all that he can to start the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship on the box.

Michael Walkner – GASGAS Factory Racing

Austria’s Michael Walkner was a rider that went from strength-to-strength during 2021. Delivering numerous impressive rides, the relative newcomer to the elite of Hard Enduro found his feet and his confidence while racing against the best riders in the world. Highly talented, Walkner will be targeting a top-five result.

Teodor Kabakchiev – Econt Bulgaria

Young Bulgarian Teodor Kabakchiev is a racer on the rise in Hard Enduro. 2021 saw many breakout performances from the Husqvarna rider. With another year’s experience under his belt, Kabakchiev will be aiming to work his way more consistently into the top-five during 2022.

Suff Sella – Home Hero

Suff Sella will be one rider fired up for success in Israel. A home round for the 18-year-old, Suff will be eager to show what he can do on familiar terrain. A rider with good technical ability and willing to dig deep when the going gets tough, you can be sure he’ll be doing all he can to figure at the sharp end of the results.

Absent Riders

Unfortunately, round one will see two well-known faces absent due to injury. Runner-up in 2021, KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler will sit this round out as he continues to recover from knee surgery, while GASGAS Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak broke his wrist at the SuperEnduro finale last month.

The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes place at Minus 400 in Israel from Tuesday April 5 to Thursday April 7. Don’t forget to watch all the action on our social media, plus Red Bull Motorsport.

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship

Round 1: Minus 400 – Israel, April 5/6/7
Round 2: Xross – Serbia, May 18/19/20/21
Round 3: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, June 16/17/18/19
Round 4: Red Bull Abestone – Italy, July 9/10
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 26/27/28/29/30
Round 6: Red Bull TKO – USA, August 13/14
Round 7: Red Bull Outliers – Canada, August 27/28
Round 8: Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 7/8/9

Photo credit: Future7Media, Sebas Romero – Red Bull Content Pool

The last Timecheck

The last time check will summarise the previous ones in live streaming on the facebook page and the youtube channel of the Enduro European Championship; Timecheck will be a monthly appointment live that will brighten up your Wednesday evenings.

The first episode is taking place today, Wednesday 23rd March at 8.45 pm on the facebook page and the youtube channel of the Enduro European Championship. There will be numerous guests who will talk about the Borilli Enduro European Championship Round 1. We are having as a guest the winner of the overall ranking of both days and of the E2 class, Erik Willems and the winner of the E3 class, author of the second absolute position in both days and winner of the Eleveit Enduro Test Trophy on the second day, Dan Mundell. Enrico Rinaldi, author of the 1st position in Junior 2 and of the 3rd overall position in both days and winner on day 1 of the Eleveit Enduro Test Trophy. Nicola Recchia, winner of the Airoh Cross Test on day 1. Finally, Luca Piersigilli, winner of the first edition of the 24MX 50 cc Trophy. They will be the voices that will bring us back in the paths of MOTOCROSS MARKETING 1#.

Martina Riboni will host the Timecheck and with her we will retrace the most important events of this exciting inaugural round.

The protagonists will change but the format will always be the same; during each episode the protagonists of the Borilli Enduro European Championship 2022 will comment live on their performances. It will not only be the drivers who tell each other, but also Team Managers and mechanics. Enduro, like most sports, is not only made up of athletes but by multiple people who work behind the scenes with dedication and commitment.

A broadcast that will show you the championship in all its facets thanks to the story of the direct protagonists. All the emotions and sensations will be brought directly to your home thanks to the voices of those who have experienced them firsthand.

Timecheck will be your magnifying glass on the event and on emotions of the race weekends. Stay tuned because we are talking about the next Rounds; everything you need to know will be told on this occasion.

The live broadcasts will be saved to allow anyone to enjoy the emotions and information discussed during the evening.

Please don’t punch the clock late!

Link to follow the broadcast:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enduroeuropean

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ykwHFoPnxqDkDPQY1JSEQ/featured

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