words : Steph Vetterly photos : Future7Media Abetone , Italy ( July 10-11 , 2021 )
After COVID developments in Portugal and Austria made for a rough start to the planned 2021 season of the new FIM Hard Enduro World Championship , the stage was set for another go . Three days of racing were planned at the beautiful ski resort in the mountains of Tuscany in Abetone , Italy , and the Abestone Hard Enduro event did not disappoint .
Riders were excited , but nervous as they arrived , and racing got underway . The new , never-before-used venue provided more of a level playing field for all in attendance , as no one was quite sure what to expect . Friday ’ s agenda consisted of a short extreme test , optional for competitors , but allowing a glance at the type of terrain to be faced in the weekend ’ s events . This extreme test also served to determine the starting order to Saturday ’ s time trial qualification race .
Saturday ’ s racing consisted of a longer , 10-kilometer course laid across the Val di Luce and l ’ Ovovia peaks . Each competitor could ride the
ON THE PEGS // PAGE 92