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

Dead Sea Calling For 2022 FIM Hard Enduro Season Opener

Wels, Austria – March 29, 2022 — It’s go time for the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. One week out from the season opener, all eyes are now focused on the Dead Sea and the Minus 400 event. A new year always brings fresh excitement and anticipation, and with a full, eight-round championship lying in wait, 2022 is set to become the most international season yet for the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

Breaking new ground in Israel, the Minus 400 is shaping up to be an epic opening round to the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Held in the infamous Dead Sea region – the lowest point on earth – it offers a Hard Enduro playground like no other we’ll see this year.

Located in the heart of the desert, the Minus 400 gets its name due to the fact that the Dead Sea area sits at an altitude of minus 400 metres below sea level. But don’t let the negative numbers fool you, as the terrain is anything but timid. A dry, baron region, it’s littered with incredible steep climbs, challenging descents, and numerous pitfalls to keep the world’s best Hard Enduro riders on their toes.

Held midweek across three days, the racing gets underway on Tuesday April 5 with the Leonardo Urban Race. Set to be spectacular, day one – like the name suggests – is an urban affair. A morning 14-kilometre loop sees riders fight it out on a mixture of dirt and street to qualify for a place in the afternoon’s SuperEnduro.

Wednesday’s Yochananof Desert Prologue mixes Cross Country racing with extreme riding. A longer 18-kilometre course filled with tough, natural Hard Enduro obstacles will be raced head-to-head, with the results determining the starting order for the third and final day.

The Minus 400 Main Event promises a demanding end to round one. Organisers have carefully crafted out a 90-kilometre-long course that increases in difficulty the deeper into the terrain riders get. From seemingly endless rocky riverbeds to narrow ridge lines and sharp climbs and descents, there is no room for error.

At the head of the field, it’s Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt who starts as one of the favourites. Crowned the inaugural FIM Hard Enduro World Champion in 2021, Billy will naturally be looking to successfully defend his crown with a winning start to the season. And as form would indicate, the Brit is a fast learner when it comes to new events having topped the Abestone Hard Enduro in 2021.

Behind Billy though there are a lot of riders all eager to not let that happen. Unfortunately, his closest rival and 2021 series runner-up Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler will be absent due to injury, but Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young is hungry to taste victory. The nature of the terrain should play into the South African’s hands, so expect him to come out swinging. So too will his teammate Mario Roman. The Spaniard has plenty of experience riding in Israel and would love to cause an upset win.

On a roll having ended his SuperEnduro campaign as runner-up to Bolt, Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker is a huge threat for the top step of the podium. Super smooth, his riding style may just be what’s required to get the best out of that desert terrain.

Spain’s Alfredo Gomez will make his eagerly awaited 2022 debut in Israel, competing for his own race team. A race winner in 2021, Alfredo – on GASGAS machinery – will be an exciting podium contender. Ready for his home race, rising talent Suff Sella will be another rider to watch out for. With local knowledge at his disposal, he will be hoping for a surprise result.

The opening round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship takes place at Minus 400 in Israel from April 5-7. Don’t forget to watch all the action on our social media channels as well as on 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

Photos: Omri Gutman/Red Bull Content Pool

FIM ISDE 2022 Pre-registration period extended until mid-May

Due to the delayed opening date for this process, the FIM, the FFM and the Organiser Committee have jointly agreed to extend the pre-registration period until 15th May for the 2022 FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE). This year’s ISDE will be held at Le Puy en Velay, France from Monday 29 August to Saturday 3 September.

Interested parties – riders and teams – should make immediate contact with their respective national federations who are solely responsible for pre-registration in all cases. The deadline for payment of the balance of entry fees has been extended to 30th June.

More than six hundred and fifty riders from over thirty countries are expected to descend on France later this year for the ninety-sixth edition of the ISDE, with the home nation are anticipating to be joined by the favourite ones likes of Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the USA, to name but a few.

More information regarding riders and teams will be revealed at the end of May once the pre-registration process has been completed.

The FIM, the FFM and Organiser Committee all look forward to welcoming you to the ISDE and until then wish everyone a great season of Enduro racing.

CLICK HERE to access all the relevant and important information including contact details for the national federations.

Parc Fermé ISDE 2021 © Dario Agrati

FIM ISDE Pre-registration is now open

We are delighted to announce that pre-registration is now open for the 2022 FIM International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE), which will be held at Le Puy en Velay, France from Monday 29 August to Saturday 3 September.

Interested parties – riders and teams – should make immediate contact with their respective national federations, taking note that the pre-registration will close on 31 March 2022.

The event route has now been confirmed with an average altitude of one thousand metres, rising to one thousand four hundred metres at its highest points, illustrating just one of the challenging elements of this year’s ISDE. The course will incorporate thirteen different special tests – with five tests from this selection being used per day, along with five-time checks / service areas. Some of the service areas will be repeated, with a maximum of three different ones being used on any one day to help reduce logistical costs for the teams.

More than six hundred and fifty riders from over thirty countries are expected to descend on France later this year for the ninety-sixth edition of the ISDE, with the home nation are anticipating to be joined by the dominant forces of Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and the USA, to name but a few. The French edition will appeal to all motorcycle fans and to a wider audience as well, through the presence of the top enduro riders in the World. More information regarding riders and teams will be revealed in mid-April once the pre-registration process has been completed. So save the date!

As per previous editions, to assist riders with their logistics, a full range of racing services from the major manufactures and other parties will be confirmed in due course. This will include motorcycle rental, logistical support, spare parts and professional staff with a huge ISDE experience to make sure competitors can concentrate on their riding and can enjoy the best possible sporting adventure.

Demand for this year’s ISDE is high, with accommodation in Le Puy en Velay already full booked and neighbouring towns also reporting reduced availability at this early stage. With this in mind, riders and teams are advised to book their accommodation as soon as possible.

For everything you need to know about the 2022 FIM ISDE: fim-isde.com

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