Giving the series their full attention, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team will have five riders competing in the entire eight-round championship with Taddy Blazusiak, Josep Garcia, Jonny Walker, Cody Webb and Nathan Watson all eagerly awaiting the start of this new multi-discipline series.
The World Enduro Super Series (WESS) will address the increasing diversification of enduro sport by bringing together selected Hard Enduro, Classic Enduro, Cross-Country and Beach Race style events into one championship. Presenting KTM’s official riders with a wide array of new challenges, the series will require all athletes to showcase a broad set of skills including speed, technique and endurance.
Of particular interest to KTM is the fact that amateur riders will compete alongside professionals in all events. Collectively, the series will bring together many thousands of competitors and spectators ensuring high levels of engagement with fans at each stop of the series. Through extensive TV, print and new media coverage the championship and its eight unique and diverse races will enjoy extensive specialist and mainstream exposure.
Requiring a wide range of skills and techniques, the WESS will challenge riders in ways no other series has in recent years. All competitors will need to adapt and rise to new challenges in order to be crowned the Ultimate Enduro Champion.
The 2018 WESS will begin on May 11th with the Extreme XL Lagares in Portugal. The series will then take in the ErzbergRodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (Austria), Le Trefle Lozerien AMV (France), Red Bull Romaniacs (Romania), Red Bull 111 Megawatt (Poland), Gotland Grand National (Sweden) and the Red Bull Knock Out in The Netherlands. One additional round is soon to be confirmed.
Pit Beirer (KTM Motorsports Director): “It is with great pleasure that KTM announce their new direction by participating in the new, multi-discipline World Enduro Super Series for 2018. KTM thereby remain fully committed to enduro and enduro sport and we very much look forward to the start of this new series and the bright future that lies ahead. Combining the many different enduro disciplines into one championship is something that KTM is extremely pleased to see. It ensures many new and exciting challenges for all competitors. KTM believes the championship will produce a true enduro champion — the ultimate enduro rider. Additionally, by taking our factory team to these mass-participation events, KTM is able to engage directly with both its amateur riders and the wider enduro customer base, allowing us to further promote KTM to true enduro enthusiasts.”
Fabio Farioli (Team Manager Red Bull KTM Factory Racing): “The all-new WESS will bring a fresh new challenge to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team for 2018. Each of the series’ eight rounds are truly unique and provide new challenges for our riders. To excel in the WESS they will need to prove themselves as an all-round enduro rider with the best technique, speed and endurance. With five strong, determined and talented riders under the KTM awning for 2018, we believe we can fight for race wins at every event and mount a strong challenge for the title.”