World Enduro Championship

FIM World Enduro Championship

Motorcycles lined up in Italy
Sport Motorcycle sport
Founded 1990
Country International

The FIM World Enduro Championship (WEC) is the world championship series for enduro, a popular form of off-road motorcycle sport. The championship currently features three classes (E1, E2 and E3), along with separate categories for junior and female riders. The WEC was first organized in 1990, and currently consists of 16 races based on eight two-day events. All rounds include an enduro test, a motocross test and an extreme test.

History

Simone Albergoni at the GP of Turkey

The World Enduro Championship began in 1990, replacing the FIM European Enduro Championship, which had been contested since 1968. The European championship was later restarted by the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM) in 1993. The WEC had six classes from 1990 to 1993, after which the 80 cc and 500 cc 2-stroke championships were discontinued. The series continued with four classes, 125, 250, 350 and 500 cc, until the 1998 season, which saw 250 cc 4-stroke as a new class and the 350 cc replaced by 400 cc. In 1998, all rounds also counted towards an overall championship, which was continued until 2004.

Sébastien Guillaume rides over logs

The competition classes of the WEC were revised for the 2004 season. The number of classes was reduced to three, and 2-stroke and 4-stroke machines were now competing in the same classes. The new classes were named Enduro 1, Enduro 2 and Enduro 3. The 2005 season saw a new addition; the Enduro Junior class (EJ). The age limit in the junior class was originally 21 years, but was later changed to 23.[1] A class for female riders, Enduro Women, was started in 2010.

The points system of the WEC originally awarded points for 15 best riders in each class, starting with 20 for the winner, 17 for second place and 15 for third. Since the 2004 season, the twenty fastest riders have received points, with 25 going to the winner of each class, 22 for the second fastest and 20 for the third-placed rider.

The 2007 championship included six events in Europe, one in the United States and one in Canada. In the 2008 season, all eights rounds were held in Europe. The current main broadcaster of the championship is Eurosport 2. In South America and Oceania, the series is broadcast on ESPN and Fox Sports, respectively.[2]

Current classes

Champions

Season 80 cc two-stroke 125 cc two-stroke 250 cc two-stroke 350 cc four-stroke 500 cc two-stroke +350 cc four-stroke
1990 East Germany Thomas Bieberbach (Simson) United Kingdom Paul Edmondson (KTM) Finland Kari Tiainen (Suzuki) Czech Republic Otakar Kotrba (Husqvarna) Sweden Peter Hansson (KTM) Sweden Jimmie Eriksson (Husaberg)
1991 Italy Pierfranco Muraglia (Kawasaki) Sweden Jeff Nilsson (KTM) Finland Kari Tiainen (Husqvarna) Sweden Kent Karlsson (Husaberg) Sweden Sven-Erik Jönsson (Husqvarna) Slovakia Jaroslav Katriňák (Husaberg)
1992 Italy Gian-Marco Rossi (HRD) Sweden Jeff Nilsson (KTM) Italy Giorgio Grasso (Kawasaki) Italy Mario Rinaldi (KTM) Italy Tulio Pellegrinelli (Honda) Finland Kari Tiainen (Husqvarna)
1993 Italy Gian-Marco Rossi (TM) United Kingdom Paul Edmondson (Husqvarna) Italy Giorgio Grasso (Kawasaki) Sweden Sven-Erik Jönsson (Husqvarna) Italy Giovanni Sala (KTM) Italy Fabio Farioli (KTM)
500 cc four-stroke
1994   United Kingdom Paul Edmondson (Gas Gas) Italy Giovanni Sala (KTM) Italy Mario Rinaldi (KTM)   Finland Kari Tiainen (Husqvarna)
1995   Finland Petteri Silván (Husqvarna) Italy Giovanni Sala (KTM) Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husaberg)   Finland Kari Tiainen (Husqvarna)
1996   Italy Fausto Scovolo (Honda) United Kingdom Paul Edmondson (Gas Gas) Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)   Sweden Peter Jansson (Husaberg)
1997   Australia Shane Watts (KTM) France Stéphane Peterhansel (Yamaha) Italy Mario Rinaldi (KTM)   Finland Kari Tiainen (KTM)
250 cc four-stroke 125 cc two-stroke 250 cc two-stroke 400 cc four-stroke 500 cc four-stroke
1998 Italy Gian-Marco Rossi (Honda) Czech Republic Roman Michalík (TM) Italy Giovanni Sala (KTM) Sweden Björne Carlsson (Husaberg)   Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)
1999 Finland Vesa Kytönen (Kawasaki) Finland Juha Salminen (KTM) Finland Petteri Silván (Gas Gas) Italy Giovanni Sala (KTM)   Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)
2000 Italy Matteo Rubin (KTM) Finland Juha Salminen (KTM) Australia Stefan Merriman (Husqvarna) Italy Mario Rinaldi (KTM)   Finland Kari Tiainen (KTM)
2001 France Stéphane Peterhansel (Yamaha) Finland Petteri Silván (Husqvarna) Finland Juha Salminen (KTM) Australia Stefan Merriman (Husqvarna)   Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)
2002 Sweden Peter Bergvall (Yamaha) Finland Petteri Silván (Husqvarna) Finland Samuli Aro (Husqvarna) Finland Juha Salminen (KTM)   Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)
2003 Sweden Peter Bergvall (Yamaha) Finland Petri Pohjamo (Gas Gas) Australia Stefan Merriman (Honda) Sweden Anders Eriksson (Husqvarna)   Finland Juha Salminen (KTM)
E1 E2 E3
2004 Australia Stefan Merriman (Yamaha) Finland Juha Salminen (KTM) Finland Samuli Aro (KTM)
2005 Spain Iván Cervantes (KTM) Finland Samuli Aro (KTM) United Kingdom David Knight (KTM)
2006 Spain Iván Cervantes (KTM) Finland Samuli Aro (KTM) United Kingdom David Knight (KTM)
2007 Finland Juha Salminen (KTM) Finland Mika Ahola (Honda) Spain Iván Cervantes (KTM)
2008 Finland Mika Ahola (Honda) France Johnny Aubert (Yamaha) Finland Samuli Aro (KTM)
2009 Finland Mika Ahola (Honda) France Johnny Aubert (KTM) Spain Iván Cervantes (KTM)
2010 France Antoine Méo (Husqvarna) Finland Mika Ahola (Honda) United Kingdom David Knight (KTM)
2011 Finland Juha Salminen (Husqvarna) France Antoine Méo (Husqvarna) Finland Mika Ahola (Honda)
2012 France Antoine Méo (KTM) France Pierre-Alexandre Renet (Husaberg) France Christophe Nambotin (KTM)
2013 France Antoine Méo (KTM) Italy Alex Salvini (Honda) France Christophe Nambotin (KTM)
2014 France Christophe Nambotin (KTM) France Pierre-Alexandre Renet (Husqvarna) Australia Matthew Phillips (KTM)
2015 Finland Eero Remes (TM Racing) France Antoine Méo (KTM) France Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna)

Overall championship

Eight-time class and five-time overall champion Salminen rides his KTM in 2008.
Cristophe Nambotin during 2012 World Enduro Championship in San Juan, Argentina
Season Rider Bike
1998 Italy Giovanni Sala 250 cc KTM
1999 Finland Petteri Silván 250 cc Gas Gas
2000 Finland Juha Salminen 125 cc KTM
2001 Finland Juha Salminen 250 cc KTM
2002 Finland Juha Salminen 400 cc KTM
2003 Finland Juha Salminen 500 cc KTM
2004 Finland Juha Salminen E2 KTM

Junior championship

Thomas Oldrati in 2010
Season Rider Team
2005 Spain Cristóbal Guerrero Gas Gas
2006 Sweden Joakim Ljunggren Husaberg
2007 Sweden Joakim Ljunggren Husaberg
2008 Italy Thomas Oldrati KTM
2009 Spain Oriol Mena Husaberg
2010 Spain Lorenzo Santolino KTM
2011 France Jérémy Joly Honda
2012 France Mathias Bellino Husaberg
2013 Australia Matt Phillips Husqvarna
2014 United Kingdom Daniel McCanney Beta
2015 United Kingdom Jamie McCanney Husqvarna

Women championship

Season Rider Team
2010 France Ludivine Puy Gas Gas
2011 France Ludivine Puy Gas Gas
2012 Spain Laia Sanz Gas Gas
2013 Spain Laia Sanz Honda
2014 Spain Laia Sanz Honda
2015 Spain Laia Sanz KTM

Youth Cup

Season Rider Team
2009 France Romain Dumontier Husqvarna
2010 Spain Mario Román KTM
2011 Italy Jonathan Manzi KTM
2012 Italy Giacomo Redondi KTM
2013 United Kingdom Jamie McCanney Husaberg
2014 Italy Davide Soreca Yamaha
2015 Sweden Mikael Persson Yamaha

See also

References

  1. "The FIM in congress - Calendar and rules". ABC-WEC.com. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  2. "EWC Broadcasting in the world". enduro-abc.com. Retrieved 10 October 2011.

External links

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