New for 2022, the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship will feature a dedicated FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Cup to recognize and help promote young, rising talent within the sport.
In a strong effort to raise the profile of young Hard Enduro competitors, a Junior category open to riders under the age of 22 (on January 1) will be introduced.
The goal for the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Cup is to provide a professional platform on which upcoming talent can compete in Hard Enduro at the highest level.
The Junior class will be fully integrated into the Pro category, with riders racing side-by-side with the world’s best Hard Enduro riders, on the same tracks at the same time.
This will in turn offer them an unrivalled opportunity to learn, improve, and grow, while also battling for position in the overall championship.
For the 2022 season, Junior riders will be awarded points at four European events. Eligible competitions include Xross, Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Abestone Hard Enduro, and Hixpania Hard Enduro.
Keeping the selected rounds in Europe for 2022 will help to keep costs down and make participation more affordable for the primarily European-based Junior competitors.
For the inaugural season, the series will have the status of being the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Cup with the plan to elevate it to the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Championship.
Winfried Kerschhaggl – FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Manager: “The objective for the Junior World Cup is to support and motivate upcoming talents, providing a platform that allows younger riders to showcase their talents, and also helps their teams to better market their efforts. Hopefully we can encourage teams to support and assist young competitors and in return raise their profile too. We firmly believe in our future world champions and the FIM Hard Enduro Junior World Cup will help propel them in their journey to the pinnacle of Hard Enduro.”
John Collins – FIM Enduro Commission Director: “It is good news that the Junior World Cup is now confirmed as part of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in 2022 and I have every confidence that it will progress to become a Junior World Championship. I am also pleased that it is actually integrated into the main championship, which should give the Junior riders the challenge they seek while still being able to compare their performance with those of the established stars.”
