CHRISTCHURCH RIDER SETTING
ENDURO WORLD ALIGHT
C
anterbury man Hamish Macdonald is taking
on the world and (mostly) he’s winning.
Racing on the other side of the world,
against the elite of the enduro scene in the 125
Youth Cup class of the FIM Enduro GP World
Championships, could seem a fearful prospect,
but it’s one that was embraced by Christchurch’s
Macdonald at the start of the 2018 season.
Eighteen months later, the 20-year-old is on
the ascendancy in the sport and his decision to
spread his wings and head off-shore immediately
after finishing third overall in the 2017 New
Zealand Enduro Championships now seems to
have been an inspired career choice.
Finishing no worse that sixth all last season –
and celebrating two wins in Italy – Macdonald
wound up a close second overall in the 2018
125 Youth Cup world series, finishing behind
Chile’s Ruy Barbosa and ahead of Britain’s Daniel
Mundell.
A factory rider for the French-based Sherco
motorcycle company and fully focused on
moving up the rankings, he headed back to
Europe in March to conduct testing with the
team two weeks before the first of seven rounds
of the 2019 world championships in Germany.
“We changed the suspension and engine and I
felt really comfortable with the new bike set-up,”
said Macdonald. “We didn’t know what expect, I’d
had some setbacks over (the European) summer
and couldn’t train as much I would’ve liked.
“New riders come into the Youth class each year,
there were some fast Italians on board, I had no
idea where my speed was at.
“Things turned out great with me winning on
both days in Germany, and overall times were
pretty good also,” said Macdonald.
“I am based in England with [British GP enduro
rider and 2016 125 Youth Cup champion]
Jack Edmondson and we challenge and push
KIWI RIDER 113