2014 sees the introduction of a Europe-wide (well, central Europe at least..) enduro series in the form of the fittingly titled European Enduro Series…

Cube’s Nicolas Lau racing in Treuchtlingen in 2013.

In 2013 there was something of a Europe-wide enduro race series in the form of the Specialized/SRAM Enduro Series, but for 2014 the same collection of events becomes an official ‘European Enduro Series’. If you are dead keen on the discipline and want to compete at a high level on some challenging courses then this may be just the ticket. At the top end of the sport, Enduro World Series is set to take the racing format up another notch from where it left off at the end of the 2013 season, with racing going truly global, starting in April over in Chile and taking in the UK, France, Italy, Canada and the USA on its journey through the season. For those who aren’t racing at the highest level and/or can’t afford the travel though, news of the new European Enduro Series will probably be very welcome.

European Enduro Series dates and venues

Set to take place over the course of five months and six events, the European Enduro Series (EES) kicks off in Italy at the seaside retreat of Punta Ala (and of course the site of the first ever Enduro World Series race last year) and ends in Treuchtlingen, Germany via Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. The calendar looks like this:

19/20.04.2014  Round 1: Punta Ala (ITA)
05/06.07.2014  Round 2: Flims (SUI)
26/27.07.2014  Round 3: Kronplatz (ITA)
23/24.08.2014  Round 4: Reschenpass (AUT)
06/07.09.2014  Round 5: Maribor (SLO)
27/28.09.2014  Round 6: Treuchtlingen (GER)

…the EES also focuses on Central Europe with its destinations in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The experienced organizers of the series point out different advantages: as far as the travel expenses are concerned, a continental series is not as expensive as a worldwide one. Therefore, smaller Teams or single riders are presented with a perfect alternative.

– Words from the organisers.

The event hosts

The two teams behind the EES have already worked as a combined force to run the series in its previous guise:

The collaborative project of Trail Solutions and Racement has its source in their cooperation in the Specialized-SRAM Enduro Series over the last two years. Whereas Racement will be responsible for Registration, Timing and the Standings, Trail Solutions (under the direction of Georgy Grogger) will deal with conception and the course.

Enduro racing, the fledgling young gun of the mountain bike disciplines, is progressing in leaps and bounds and the momentum behind it is quite astonishing. A wealth of experience will be pooled by the EES, as its races are all existing events run by trusted organisers:

Some of the best and most popular Enduro races in Europe will be united to form the new European Enduro Series. It will serve as the missing link between the World Series and smaller national series.

At the top of Kronplatz 2013.

Do you need a license to race?

You don’t need a UCI license to race in the EES, although you will still be needing insurance and a medical note to certify your good health at certain events. Check the EES website for more details of that.

The races will be open to licence as well as non-licence riders. In addition, one of the results will be deleted, to avoid that a single technical defect or illness can inevitably destroy the chance to win the overall standings.

More information

Head over to the European Enduro Series website for the full lowdown.

We can’t wait to see how this year’s racing pans-out with so many great events planned across Europe. Will you be racing?