Hot off the press! It is official, next season the sport will finally have a European Enduro Championship; supported by the UEC (European Cycling Union), the European branch of the UCI. Riders will now have the chance to race for the prestigious European Champion title, and it is all going to happen in Kirchberg, Austria on the 20th – 21st June 2015. The Championships will be run by the Trailsolutions team, headed up by Georgy Grogger; the same team who ran the popular European Enduro Series and the Specialized SRAM Series.
We checked in with Georgy Grogger to find out more about the Championship.
How was the 2014 European Enduro Series for you? It was the first year for the EES, and we are super happy with how it went. The feedback from the riders has been great, and all the venues and sponsors were happy too.
What was your 2014 season highlight?There were so many magic moments this year. I remember riding Rock’Oh for the first time at a location check early this year in Punta Ala, or the return of Jerome at the 3-countries Enduro at Reschenpass. They were both amazing moments, but I guess the highlight for me was the tired but happy faces of the participants at our races.
A euro championships has been eagerly anticipated, and now we hear that the 1st UEC MTB Enduro European Championships will take place in Kirchberg, did it take a long time to secure affiliation?It was definitely a long journey, yes. But the UCI released a basic rulebook to the UEC, which is the European branch of the UCI, and they were ready to go for it. We are really excited about it!
What sort of riding can racers expect from Kirchberg?We have already held three SSES races there, and we’ve been able to welcome a lot of great Enduro riders. The race track will be similar to that raced in the Specialized SRAM Enduro Series so some of your readers will know what to expect. I love the idea that for the first official European Enduro Championship we can make sure that nothing unexpected will happen. We want a fair and safe race, in order to find the fastest rider on the continent.
How do you see the structure, from national to world level enduro competition changing in the future? In many central and southern European countries the national federation is already involved. Most country’s host official national championships. Continental Championships are just the next step towards a one event World Championship. It will come, and every Enduro racer will show up in order to fight for the rainbow stripes. Single Events have a big tradition in cycling.
We saw you racing in the Scottish Enduro World Series, will we see you on the other side of the tape again this year?I did a few races, but since I’m a professional race organizer, my performance outside the tape is much better. But I will return to Tweed Valley – I loved the event!
With the 2014 race season over and the next one a few months away, what are you up to at the moment?A few months – are you kidding? 10 weeks! The real work of a event manager takes place in the off-season. When we stand in the forests the “easy” part has begun. So my entire team is working hard on the next season, we are hosting about 20 races in 2015.
We will bring you more news of the new UEC European Enduro Championship when the official announcements are made
Words: Trev Worsey
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