This year, 2018 will be a mixture of hard enduro, classic, cross-country events and beach racing. These combined events will surely raise the adrenaline rush of both the riders and spectators. Alongside these events will also include an extensive range of formats for enduro. The true aim of this events and formats is to identify who among the contestants deserves the title as the champion. It should be obvious that the one that should be at the top of the podium must be the best of the best and the one that had complete mastery of every kind of off-road environment.
The championship will held its first appearance at Extreme XL Lagares within the month of May taking place at the cobbled streets of Porto and will come to an end at Red Bull Knock Out during November happening in the sandy beaches of The Netherlands.
The best of the best are by now starting to sign up at the said event. Some of the prominent names that will be joining are 2017 Hard Enduro World Series champion Graham Jarvis and strong contenders like Jonny Walker, Billy Bolt, Red Bull Hare Scramble champion Alfredo Gómez, Cody Webb, Colton Haaker, Enduro2 World Champion Josep Garcia and Nathan Watson.
Even Taddy Blazusiak is emerging from retirement headed for the race of the WESS crown.
“When I first learned about the World Enduro Super Series, I knew I had to return,” told Blazusiak. “This is the series I’ve been waiting for all of my career.
“It’s the complete series, bringing together all elements of enduro. If you can win the WESS title then you truly are the ultimate enduro rider.
“I’m excited for this and I’m putting 100 per cent effort into it. I’m not coming back to make up the numbers – I want to win. This is the title I’ve always wanted.”
Where the WESS is happening in 2018
Round One – Extreme XL Lagares. To be held at Porto, Portugal on May 11-13.
As one of the most well-known occurrence in the enduro list; the Portuguese Extreme XL Lagares is now on its 14th edition. The said event is best known for its iconic prologue, competitors race head-to-head on the narrow, cobbled streets and stairwells of world heritage city Porto and starting from there will be a whole new set of challenge at the neighboring mountains.
Round Two – Red Bull Hare Scramble. To be held at Eisenerz, Austria, on May 31 – June 3.
Named as the toughest single-day enduro in the world, the ErzbergRodeo’s Red Bull Hare Scramble race is a must watch and an extremely obscure racing event. Starting with reducing the 1, physically powerful entries down to 500 riders for the duration of two days of high-speed condition, riders at that moment will face more or less 40 kilometres of properly rough environment in the region of Eisenerz’s Iron Giant.
Round Three – Trefle Lozerien AMV. To be held at Mende, France, on June 8-10.
A time constrained event is up next with just a little gap between the previous event. The riders will then head to France for the Trefle Lozerien AMV. The events will have the need of a completely diverse set of riding skills compared to rounds one and two. The style of riding is classic enduro, racing alongside each other on the clock across numerous timed special stages.
Round Four – Red Bull Romaniacs. To be held at Sibiu, Romania on July 24-28.
This marks the halfway point in the series with a five-day Hard Enduro in Romania. The event will take the contestants in the wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains and from there; a race accompanied by an amazing view is going to take place. The race is a 4 days long and the riders will have to find a way to beat the upcoming obstacles in their way.
Round Five – Red Bull 111 Megawatt. To be held at Belchatow, Poland.
This is Taddy Blazusiak’s signature event. It is a combination of fast cross-country racing with Hard Enduro. It will be composed of 1,000-plus riders and the starting line will be at the largest coal mine in Europe. The said race will be composed of a 30-kilometre loop, raced three times and featuring gigantic mining slag heaps, bottomless bogs and vertical climbs, offers a recipe for close racing.
Round Six – To be confirmed soon…
Round Seven – . To be held at Gotland, Sweden on October 26-27.
With an approximately 3,000 riders compete annually in the Gotland Grand National, this is considered as Sweden’s major enduro. A cross-country, three-hour race, the 20-kilometre course makes its way through a labyrinth of Swedish lush forests. Under continuously altering landscape; the ground changes from greasy rock to extended cavernous ruts and never-ending bog.
Round Eight – Red Bull Knock Out. To be held at The Hague, The Netherlands on November 10.
To mark the end of 2018 WESS in The Netherlands with Red Bull Knock Out is the world’s toughest beach race. the beach sand will be one of the main factors of difficulty as the 1000 plus riders make their way through the treacherous beach sands.
