The opening round of the 2021 Hard Enduro World Championship has arrived at last with three days of action at Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal this weekend. With no form book and only one major extreme race in 18 months, victory at the inaugural HEWC event is anyone’s for the taking.
It arrives a full 18 months after Manuel Lettenbichler won the World Championship formerly known as WESS in November 2019. Some are calling this weekend a historic moment in our sport. At Enduro21 we’re just calling it a goddam relief to finally be witnessing some topflight Extreme Enduro action on the infamous rocky riverbeds of Lagares.
17 March 2021 | Features
Enduro21 catches up with a rising star of extreme enduro, Bulgarian Teodor Kabakchiev at a Spanish Hard Enduro series round as he prepares for the 2021 Hard Enduro World Championship and settles into life in the Jarvis Husqvarna Racing Team.
2020 proved to be a great year for Teodor Kabakchiev, clinching the Junior SuperEnduro World title and finishing ninth at the Red Bull Romaniacs, while also clocking a top five at the Sea to Sky Hard Enduro – this coming from a guy who says he hasn’t ridden a trials bike in his life.
Just a month and a half after signing with the Jarvis Husqvarna Racing Team, the Bulgarian youngster made his racing debut at the second round of the Spanish Hard Enduro Championship. Enduro21 caught up with Teodor to find out how 2021 is looking and what it’s like having a legend as a team manager…
Mario Roman, Jonny Walker and Sam Sunderland set for Spanish Hard Enduro
Round one of the Spanish Hard Enduro Championship this weekend in Catalonia sees Mario Roman, Jonny Walker and, yes, you read it right Dakar winner Sam Sunderland opening the 2021 extreme enduro season (at last).
Spaniard Mario Roman starts as joint-favourite alongside Jonny Walker making his first competitive outing since signing with Beta Racing and creating his own race team. The surprise name among the entries is the 2017 Dakar Rally winner, Sam Sunderland who is set to take on his first-ever hard enduro fresh back from his 2021 Dakar podium finish.