Walton begins European Enduro Championship title defence in Italy – Preview & Entry Lists
Reigning E2 champion Alex Walton and a good number of British riders are taking part in this weekend’s Enduro European Championship opening round at Castiglion Fiorentino in Italy.
Words by European Enduro Championship – Feature Image by Gary Jones Photography
The first race of the year will take place in Italy, a country with strong enduro roots, which on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th March will host 185 athletes from all over Europe. An important number of participants will be present this weekend at the first round of the European Championship, synonymous with passion and interest towards a specialty and a championship that is growing year after year.
The European Enduro championship, for the 2024 season, has a new title sponsor: this year the 24mx brand, an important and well-known brand among off-road lovers, will be at the forefront of all the continental rounds. The 24MX Enduro European Championship will stop in four different countries: Italy will open the dance, followed by the new entry, San Marino, ready to welcome European riders on 15-16 June. In August we will stop in Sipoo, Finland; a return to Mika Ahola’s land that will enjoy the participants. The final round of the 2024 season will once again be organized by Germany with the town of Wolterdorf, a few km from Berlin, which will await the riders on November 2nd and 3rd.
But now all eyes are on the first event of the season. The stage of the first round will be Castiglion Fiorentino, which returns to the European scene after the excellent organization of the final round of the 2009 championship. On the same routes faced by many enduro champions and by the great Dakarian rider Fabrizio Meoni, the European offroad family will compete in a two-day event of the highest level.
Three special tests will welcome the exploits of the riders at the start; 10 minutes after the start there will be the 24mx Extreme Test, designed on rocks and natural stones, which will highlight the technical skills of the competitors. Following the Enduro Test, located in Ristonchia, that will be 8 km long and will be characterized by a rocky surface and undergrowth. At the end of the lap, the Cross Test, located on a grass lawn, will involve the riders for 3 km. The total lap will be 54 km long and it will be repeated 3 times, with the scheduled departure, on both days, at 8.30 am.
The preliminary inspections will take place from 10.00 to 17.00 on Friday March 22nd, after which will take place in the center of Castiglion Fiorentino the presentation parade of the Nations and the riders. 14 European states will be represented in this first round of the season. Which nation and which rider will be the faster in Italy? Many important names will be at the start, among these stands out Andrea Verona, a young Italian talent, who has several European and world titles in his palmares, and the 2023 world champion Kevin Cristino. Many reigning European champions will competing the race: David Abgrall, winner of the overall in 2023 and starting in the E2 category this season, Riccardo Fabris, who moved to the J2 class, Alex Walton, still starting in the E2, Maurizio Micheluz, ready to defend the Senior title and Tanja Schlosser, also looking for reconfirmation herself in the Women class.
Let’s start warming up the engines, the first round is coming. See you in Castiglion Fiorentino!
Entry Lists
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