Tag: FIM HARD ENDURO

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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

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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

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Billy Bolt Crowned FIM Hard Enduro World Champion!

Griessbach, Germany – 30 October, 2021 — Britain’s Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) has won the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship at the season-ending 24MX GetzenRodeo in Germany. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider cements his place in history as the sport’s first FIM Hard Enduro World Champion.

Despite giving his all and winning the eighth and final round of the championship, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler ended his season as vice-world champion, while Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young joined them on the championship podium for third overall.

After an incredible inaugural season of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, it all came down to 24MX GetzenRodeo to decide the sport’s first world champion. The maths were simple. If Manuel Lettenbichler won his home race, Billy had to finish in second place to clinch the title on a tiebreaker.

The two-hour morning GetzenRace offered a taste of what was to come for the afternoon feature GetzenChamp battle. With 60 riders starting to the deafening sound of a cannon, the fight was on to earn one of the top-15 qualifying positions. Bolt and Lettenbichler meant business and after a race-long battle, Lettenbichler just beat Bolt across the line to win.

Heading into the GetzenChamp race, with the Red Bull TV cameras rolling, the history books were waiting to be written following the next 80 minutes and one lap of racing. Lettenbichler was the first rider flagged away, with Bolt hot on his heels, four seconds later. Next came Young, Mario Roman (Sherco), Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna), and Jonny Walker (Beta).

Midway through lap one, Bolt caught and passed Lettenbichler and built a gap of 10 seconds. But then things appeared to unravel for the Brit. A mistake on a technical climb sparked a catalogue of errors and as Bolt dropped down as far as sixth, Lettenbichler took the lead and suddenly looked champion elect. Bolt had to regroup.

Needing a moment to reset, Bolt then got to work and picked the riders off. Up to second by mid-distance, he was back in charge of the championship outcome. However, Roman was in close contention in third and not allowing for any more mistakes from Bolt.

Gradually as the race progressed, the top three broke away from the rest of the field. On the final lap, Bolt had the gap to Lettenbichler down to one minute and was now comfortably ahead of Roman in third. The championship was his to lose and Lettenbichler knew it too.

For Mani, it was a near flawless performance as he crossed the finish line to win the 24MX GetzenRodeo for the third time in succession. However, this time around it wasn’t enough to win the title. Dropping out of the final Red Bull X-Loop, Bolt reached the chequered flag in second and with it became Hard Enduro’s first FIM World Champion.

With the top two championship placings settled, Young held off a late charge from Vision Track Beta’s Jonny Walker to maintain fourth in the race and third overall in the championship. Roman, with a strong ride for third on the day, was unable to leapfrog his teammate in the standings and took fourth overall. Consistent as ever, Walker completed the championship top-five with fifth in Germany.

With the inaugural FIM Hard Enduro World Championship delivered, the wait is now on for the 2022 season, beginning with the Minus 400 in Israel on April 5-7.

Billy Bolt (Husqvarna): “Right now I’m struggling to process what’s just gone on. I’m a whirlwind of emotions. I can’t believe I’m the FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. It’s an incredible feeling. It all boiled down to those last 80 minutes. I struggled like mad at the beginning. I had hurt my finger in the morning race and needed to figure out how to adapt. I made a bunch of mistakes and that was like a tornado or errors. I think I dropped to sixth, but I regrouped and knew I could recover. I settled in and enjoyed the second half of the race, finding new lines and finding a flow. Once I got up to second, I knew the title was back on, so I held my ground and did it!”

Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM): “Ah man, that was close, but I couldn’t get the championship done. I knew coming into it that it would be hard to win the title with how the points were, but I gave it my best shot. The fight was good early on, but when Billy made some mistakes, it gave me a gap. I feel like I rode a good race after that. I did what I had to do by winning, but the luck was missing. Hats off to Billy, I’m proud of him too, we had a great season together.”

Wade Young (Sherco): “That was a tough race, there was a lot going on. We were constantly battling all of the time. I knew to get third I had a good chance, but I still had to deliver. Mario was riding hard, and I couldn’t bridge it to him. But once I got to fourth, I knew as long as I held it, then I would be on the podium. Overall it’s been good. A win at HERO Challenge was brilliant too.”

Results: GetzenRodeo – GetzenChamp

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 11 laps, 1:29:20.433
2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 11 laps, 1:30:16.852
3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 11 laps, 1:32:05.524
4. Wade Young (Sherco) 10 laps, 1:31:29.066
5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 10 laps, 1:31:52.822
6. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 1:32:37.808
7. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 8 laps, 1:30:46.348
8. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 8 laps, 1:31:42.006
9. Sonny Goggia (GASGAS) 8 laps, 1:33:45.546
10. Travis Teasdale (GASGAS) 8 laps, 1:35:23.269
11. Dieter Rudolf (KTM) 7 laps, 1:34:58.325
12. Kevin Gallas (GASGAS) 6 laps, 1:39:36.585
13. Michele Bosi (KTM) 6 laps, 1:43:36.081
14. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 5 laps, 1:16:34.115
15. Dominik Olszowy (KTM) DNF

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (Final Standings)

1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 104pts
2. Manuel Lettenbichler 104pts
3. Wade Young (Sherco) 83pts
4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 76pts
5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 66pts
6. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 63pts
7. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 46pts
8. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 36pts
9. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 29pts
10. Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 24pts

2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, Provisional Schedule

Round 1: Minus 400 – Israel, April 5/6/7
Round 2: Xross – Serbia, May 19/20/21
Round 3: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, June 16/17/18/19
Round 4: Abestone Hard Enduro – Italy, July 8/9/10
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 26/27/28/29/30
Round 6: Red Bull TKO – USA, August (date TBC)
Round 7: Red Bull Outliers – Canada, August (TBC, two weeks after TKO)
Round 8: HERO Challenge – Poland, September 10/11 (location TBC)
Round 9: Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 7/8/9

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BILLY BOLT WINS 2021 FIM HARD ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING STAR BECOMES HARD ENDURO’S FIRST FIM WORLD CHAMPION WITH STUNNING RIDE AT GETZENRODEO FINAL IN GERMANY
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt has made history by becoming the first ever FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. Attacking all the way during the final round of the season at Germany’s GetzenRodeo, Bolt placed second to put the finishing touches to what has been an incredible year of hard enduro racing for the Brit. Competing alongside Billy, Hixpania winner Alfredo Gomez ended his season in a close sixth in the series following a sixth place result.

With the outcome of this year’s FIM Hard Enduro World Championship boiling down to the final race of the season between Bolt and his closest rival Manuel Lettenbichler, TE 300i mounted Bolt knew what he had to do. Holding a three-point lead in the championship standings, he needed to either win, or finish second or better to clinch the title if Lettenbichler won.

A fast pace in the morning GetzenRace qualifier saw Billy lead the majority of the two-hour race, only to slip to second within sight of the finish line. With the focus on the all-important GetzenChamp race, 80-minutes plus one lap of racing stood between Bolt and the title. Starting second, the Brit quickly caught Lettenbichler on lap one. Overtaking him, he opened up a 10-second lead. But with the slippery rocks catching him out, a series of mistakes dropped him down to sixth.

Knowing the title had swung in Lettenbichler’s favour, Bolt regrouped and put his head down to make a charge back up the field. Picking off riders, he worked his way up to second at the midway point in the race. Now clearly enjoying the course, Bolt began chipping away at the race lead, bringing the gap down to less than one minute. But with time running out, he knew settling for second was exactly enough to become the FIM Hard Enduro World Champion.

For teammate Gomez, the focus was on the race win following his victory last time out at Hixpania. A steady ride in the morning qualifier saw him start fifth in the GetzenChamp race. Riding strong in the opening laps, Gomez reached as high as second early on. But with arm pump hampering the Spaniard, he was unable to maintain his fast pace, eventually slipping back to sixth.

With the 2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship concluded, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing now turn their attention to the opening round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, which takes place in Poland on December 4.

Billy Bolt: “WORLD CHAMPIONS! What an amazing feeling it is. It’s going to take a while to process this one. I can’t believe I’m the FIM Hard Enduro World Champion. It was a heck of a race today. We all knew what we had to do, and we made it happen. I rode great this morning in the qualifier, but I hurt my finger. I was struggling a little with that in the beginning of the race and made a lot of mistakes early on. But I settled myself, regrouped and recovered. When I got back up to second, I closed the gap to Mani to one minute, but didn’t want to risk anything. Riding into the finish line as the world champion was such an amazing moment. It’s been a great year and I can’t thank all of the team enough for their support. We did it!”

Alfredo Gomez: “Today didn’t quite go to plan. I was riding well, but right from the beginning I had arm pump and wasn’t able to push like I wanted to. I struggled to find a good rhythm and was making too many mistakes everywhere. The whole year has been difficult for me, I wasn’t able to train properly at the start because I had an infection in my knee and was off the bike for about four months. Slowly as the season went on, I was able to find my speed and obviously the highlight was my win at home at Hixpania Hard Enduro. I’m happy for Billy and the team for winning the championship and we’ll look ahead to next year now, get some good training done over the winter and keep fighting.”

Results: GetzenRodeo

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 11 laps, 1:29:20.433
2. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 11 laps, 1:30:16.852
3. Mario Roman (Sherco) 11 laps, 1:32:05.524
4. Wade Young (Sherco) 10 laps, 1:31:29.066
5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 10 laps, 1:31:52.822
6. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 1:32:37.808

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship (Final Standings)

1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 104pts
2. Manuel Lettenbichler 104pts
3. Wade Young (Sherco) 83pts
4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 76pts
5. Jonny Walker (Beta) 66pts
6. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 63pts
7. Michael Walkner (GASGAS) 46pts
8. Teodor Kabakchiev (Husqvarna) 36pts
9. Taddy Blazusiak (GASGAS) 29pts
10. Dominik Olszowy (KTM) 24pts

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