Motoring
WESS is roaring back into life with an eight-round championship for 2019 that’s set to test the best riders in the world.
The World Enduro Super Series is gearing up for its second season. After what proved to be an incredibly unpredictable opening series, we saw multiple race winners, numerous championship lead changes and thousands of competitors take to the track to pit themselves against the most challenging events in the world.
At the end of 2018, it was Husqvarna’s Billy Bolt who emerged as the inaugural and much-deserved series winner and ultimate enduro world champion. Having claimed victory at round one, Bolt bounced back following a midseason slump to come out on top.
Coming off the injury bench for round one isn’t ideal
However, a serious injury in the week following his title celebrations, as he prepared for the SuperEnduro World Championship, sidelined Bolt during winter. Now tentatively back on a bike and knowing too well that you’ve got to be 'in it to win it’, he’s ready (almost) to begin his title defence in Portugal at the Extreme XL Lagares.
“Coming off the injury bench for round one isn’t ideal but that’s what it’s got to be,” says Billy. “To be honest I’m lucky to go racing, as it’s been quite a complex injury to deal with. A broken leg left a lot of nerve damage and while the bone has healed, those nerves have taken more time to come good. I’m not going to be 100 percent for Extreme Lagares, but WESS is a long year and when I have the possibility to ride I need to take it.”
Run through the riders to watch in 2019:
Which riders will be challenging for the title?
With the defending champion limping into the new season, closest rivals Manuel Lettenbichler and Nathan Watson – second and third in 2018 – are chomping at the bit to get going.
Lettenbichler was the revelation of 2018. Son of Hard Enduro legend Andreas Lettenbichler, Mani – as a privateer – gave the factory riders a good grilling, even taking the title fight to the wire with Bolt. Already showing winning form, he’s just carded a pre-season win in the Caribbean against his major rivals – shots fired!
More a Classic Enduro and Beach Racing specialist, Nathan Watson jumped into the deep end of Hard Enduro, picking up point-scoring rides at the majority of races. That combined, with his runner-up result and fantastic victory at Red Bull Knock Out, elevated the KTM rider to third overall on the home straight. With more experience in Hard Enduro and an extra Classic Enduro on the agenda, Watson will be strong competitor.
So too will his team-mates Josep García and Taddy Błażusiak – fourth and fifth in 2018 – plus Jonny Walker, who returns to competitive action having crashed out of the championship lead at Red Bull 111 Megawatt last September.
Losing my chance at winning WESS in the manner I did was tough
“Watching it slip away like that wasn’t easy," admits Jonny. "But it’s made me more determined to succeed in 2019. What happened to me is proof that anything can happen and nothing’s certain. I’m looking forward to getting back on track.”
So too is Alfredo Gómez. Injured in 2018 preseason, it’s taken a long time for Gómez to ride his way back to fitness following a serious knee injury. Already a past-winner in three of this year’s races – Extreme XL Lagares, Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble and Hixpania Hard Enduro – the Spaniard will be a formidable threat to team-mate Bolt’s crown.
Are there any wildcard title contenders?
Long-time crowd favourite Graham Jarvis is in for a selected 2019 schedule and, at 43 years of age, he’s earned that right to be selective. Picking his favoured events to peak, like Erzbergrodeo, Red Bull Romaniacs and GetzenRodeo, he’s going to be a welcome spoiler in the mix.
Red Bull Romaniacs winner Wade Young and his Sherco team-mate Mario Roman will be keen players too. Young looks to add to his 2018 tally, while Roman is already a winner at Hixpania Hard Enduro and should no doubt be a favourite there.
Who are the new riders to watch out for?
Along with the factory-supported heavyweights, new teams of Eurotek KTM and TTR Officine Rigamonti will be fresh faces in the paddock.
British outfit Eurotek KTM sport 20-year-old South African talent Travis Teasdale and newly crowned SuperEnduro Junior World Champion Will Hoare under their awning. Italian-owned TTR Officine Rigamonti feature a three-rider squad led by Spain’s Pol Tarrés. As a former Trials Junior World Champion, Tarrés’s technical ability isn't in question and he's already targeting top-five results.
I’ve been training hard and I really want to show what I can do this year
“I feel like I can get some top five results,” says Pol. “I ride and train regularly with both Taddy Błażusiak and Alfredo Gómez, so they are my target to aim for.
“Their pace and experience is just something I don’t have yet, but all of the time I feel like I’m closing little by little. I want to get some top-five results this year, but importantly I want to bridge that gap to them – that’s the ultimate goal.”
Which events are on the 2019 WESS calendar?
Spread over eight rounds for 2019, WESS mixes together five Hard Enduro and two Classic Enduro races, plus one cross-country to find the most complete enduro rider. This year, we see a return of some iconic venues to the racing calendar with the introduction of some new races that are sure to create that perfect blend of racing Enduro fans crave.
Round 1: Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares
- Where is it: Lagares, Portugal
- When is it: May 10-12
- What discipline: Hard Enduro
- How long is it: Three days
- How many people compete: 350
- Characteristics: A fearsome test of Superenduro, urban street racing and then slippery wet rocky river beds
- Biggest challenge: Battling the world-heritage cobbled streets of Porto
- Rider with the most wins: Three – Alfredo Gómez and Graham Jarvis
- Who’s going to do well: Long-legged riders with good, technical trials skills
- Who’s going to struggle: Those with short legs!
Kicking things off, Portugal’s Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares has the honour of hosting the opening round on May 10-12. Now 15 years old, its three-day format throws riders straight in the deep end with SuperEnduro, urban and hard enduro action. A definite spectacle of the weekend and not to be missed is Saturday’s prologue in the heart of world heritage city Porto. Here, the narrow cobbled streets are transformed into a world-class enduro race track.
Round 2: Trèfle Lozérien AMV
- Where is it: Mende, France
- When is it: May 17-19
- What discipline: Classic Enduro
- How long is it: Three days, covering 600km
- How many people compete: 600
- Characteristics: Traditional time-card enduro featuring grassland timed special tests
- Biggest challenge: Gauging grip levels and conditions during the early-morning dew-covered special tests
- Rider with the most wins: Nine – Stéphane Peterhansel
- Who’s going to do well: The French – they’ve never lost in 32 years
- Who’s going to struggle: Hard Enduro riders
True to its roots, WESS keeps riders challenged by heading from Portugal to France for the Trèfle Lozérien AMV the following weekend. Jumping from Hard Enduro to Classic Enduro mode, the idyllic French countryside of Mende – steeped in motorcycle history – comes alive to the sound of dirt bikes. A Classic Enduro that embodies the traditional spirit of Enduro with its format of timed special test racing, the Trèfle Lozérien has been dominated by French riders during its 32-year history. Despite the best efforts of Spain’s Josep García, Loïc Larrieu and Theo Espinasse kept him at bay in 2018 and will be aiming to do the same again in 2019.
Round 3: Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble
- Where is it: Eisenerz, Austria
- When is it: May 30 – June 2
- What discipline: Hard Enduro
- How long is it: Three days (including two qualifying days)
- How many people compete: 1,800
- Characteristics: Sunday’s main event is regarded as the world’s toughest single-day enduro.
- Biggest challenge: Carl's Dinner – a notorious 4km-long boulder garden
- Rider with the most wins: Five – Taddy Błażusiak
- Who’s going to do well: Those that can dig deepest during the final exhausting signature sections
- Who’s going to struggle: Late qualifiers caught up in traffic jams
Following a weekend’s break, it’s back to Hard Enduro action once more and arguably the most famous race of them all – Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble. A name that sends shivers down the most hardened enduro rider’s spine, Erzbergrodeo’s Iron Giant is one formidable beast. From two days of high-speed qualification 1,800 riders are whittled down to 500 for Sunday’s main event. Broadcast live on Red Bull TV, riders will then do battle on one of the toughest Enduro courses around.
Round 4: Hixpania Hard Enduro
- Where is it: Aguilar de Campoo, Spain
- When is it: June 21-23
- What discipline: Hard Enduro
- How long is it: Three days
- How many people compete: 300
- Characteristics: A mixture of urban, cross-country and Hard Enduro (that starts in a cave) across three days
- Biggest challenge: Scaling the vertical quarry bank to reach the finish line.
- Rider with the most wins: One each for Graham Jarvis, Alfredo Gómez and Mario Roman
- Who’s going to do well: Those with a fast-paced technical skill set
- Who’s going to struggle: Fitness will be key to holding pace and position
New for 2019, Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro joins the fold. Now entering its fourth edition, the event has become the country’s must-do Hard Enduro race. Held over three days, it too embodies the spirit of WESS with its multi-discipline urban, cross-country and Hard Enduro elements. Already a favourite with some of the sport’s top competitors, its inclusion in WESS for 2019 ensures the stakes will be raised this time around. Spain’s Mario Roman won in 2018 and will hope for another win at home in June.
Round 5: Red Bull Romaniacs
- Where is it: Sibiu, Romania
- When is it: July 30 – August 4
- What discipline: Hard Enduro Rallye
- How long is it: Five days
- How many people compete: TBC
- Characteristics: An urban prologue followed by four demanding days in the mountains
- Biggest challenge: Not getting lost!
- Rider with the most wins: Six – Graham Jarvis
- Who’s going to do well: Those who can confidently navigate virgin trails by GPS
- Who’s going to struggle: Everyone! It’s a beast of a race
While Erzbergrodeo throws riders into a cauldron of Hard Enduro insanity, in contrast Red Bull Romaniacs throws competitors out into the wild, isolated wilderness of Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. Held over five days, riders are teased into action with the iconic Sibiu prologue before covering up to 160km of virgin trails by GPS navigation during each of the four offroad days. In 2018, Wade Young took the honour of becoming the event’s youngest winner, narrowly beating Manuel Lettenbichler by just two minutes following over 26 hours of racing.
Round 6: Hawkstone Park Cross-Country
- Where is it: Shropshire, UK
- When is it: September 21-22
- What discipline: Cross-country
- How long is it: Two hours and 30 minutes
- How many people compete: 400
- Characteristics: A mass-start, multi-lap cross-country
- Biggest challenge: Hawkstone Park’s unforgiving deep sandy terrain
- Rider with the most wins: One – Josep García
- Who’s going to do well: Those willing to take risks
- Who’s going to struggle: Maintaining a fast, consistent pace is key, so anyone who has trouble with that
From Romania to the United Kingdom, the Hawkstone Park Cross-Country at the famous Shropshire circuit offers traditional enduro riders an opportunity to flaunt their speed. After qualification on Saturday, riders will take to the start line on Sunday for a rough and physical two-hour 30-minute cross-country battle across unrelenting sandy bumps, tight and technical woodland, combined with the fast and flowing motocross circuit.
Round 7: BRS Enduro Solsona
- Where is it: Solsona, Spain
- When is it: October 4-5
- What discipline: Classic Enduro
- How many people compete: 400
- Characteristics: Traditional Classic Enduro with timed special tests
- Biggest challenge: Adapting to the different styles of tests
- Rider with the most wins: N/A
- Who’s going to do well: Traditional Enduro riders
- Who’s going to struggle: Hard Enduro riders relying on technical skills
Keeping the speeds high, the penultimate round of the 2019 series is a new venue for all on the first weekend of October. Returning to Spain – but this time for Classic Enduro – it’s the all-new BR2 Enduro Solsona. Located just over 100km north of Barcelona, the region has been synonymous with enduro since the early 1970s, hosting numerous World Enduro Championship rounds, most recently in 2014. Another golden opportunity for Classic Enduro specialists to gain ground on their Hard Enduro rivals as the season reaches its climax, the BR2 Enduro Solsona could prove a pivotal turning point in the championship fight.
Round 8: GetzenRodeo
- Where is it: Drebach, Germany
- When is it: November 2
- What discipline: Hard Enduro
- How long is it: Two hours
- How many people compete: 100
- Characteristics: Slow, technical, extreme woodland tracks
- Biggest challenge: Navigating slower traffic on climbs late in the race
- Rider with the most wins: Graham Jarvis
- Who’s going to do well: Hard Enduro riders relying on technical skills
- Who’s going to struggle: Classic Enduro riders
Ready to sign off the 2019 WESS in style is GetzenRodeo. Another new addition to the calendar, the single-day GetzenRodeo is Germany’s leading Hard Enduro race and will prove a fitting finale to this year’s championship fight. Attracting more than 12,000 spectators in 2018, the private woodland transforms into the ultimate playground for the world’s best enduro riders to compete on. For 2019, the race will also be broadcast live on Red Bull TV, ensuring enduro fans won’t miss a moment in the crowning of this year’s ultimate enduro world champion.
Check out the WESS travel guide for more on each of the events:
