Mega 500 rider-entry set to tackle awesome Welsh Two-Day Enduro
By TMX Contributor on 27th Jun 18
Imagine a place where 500 bikes are welcome to ride through the town, twice a day, for two days. Riders, families and friends are wholly accepted and the atmosphere is one of enjoyment living in a dream? No its the Welsh Two Day Enduro at Llandrindod Wells.
The event sold out the 500 entries this year in less than 15-minutes! Riders and visitors from all over the world make the trek to take in the event known to all as The Welsh.
It started in the 1950s as a three-day trial is one of the specified events which are allowed to exceed the 180 competitors on the road. The event not only attracts new followers every year, it brings back former competitors (the organising committee has two former winners) and many people who take a weeks holiday to sit on a time check and say Hi to old and new friends.
The single lap format is a rarity nowadays, with many months work going into the planning.
Jamie Lewis
Three special tests, ridden twice by Championship class riders gives added spice to the wonderful off-road going around the hills and woods of mid Wales. The event is well supported every year by the enduro sidecar classes, who lead off the entry.
Traditionally, riders are flagged away by the town mayor and schoolchildren, who have won the annual poster competition. The riders are quickly into the serious stuff though with the first test just north of the town after a couple of miles to warm the engines.
Open moorland and forest going, including the infamous Radnor Forest then take the riders out on a long loop before the second special test at Saints Well. With some more of the same, riders make their way to Cwmythig Hill MX track for the third test of the day.
Riders then return to the lakeside after about 130 miles and must carry out maintenance on the bikes before they are secured for the night in the closed control. Day two is a reverse of day one, and despite the wonderful weather promised this week Friday may have rain A wet W2D is a challenge as the mid Wales mud seems to have Teflon as a constituent part.
The event has a special place in the hearts of riders none more so than last years winner Joe Wootton. Its an amazing event. One that I put straight into my calendar at the start of the year to do. To have my name on the winners list next to some big names is a special thing.
Also to win it with Wyn Hughes (who is my mentor/dad No.2) who has never managed to win the Welsh gives it an almost redemption feel. Its such a great event, I think everyone should at least have it on there list of to dos. Im gutted I wont be able to compete this year due to my World commitments. But I will be back next year.
In the sidecars Welsh duo Alun Davies and James Ferguson pushed hard last year, but as soon as the event was over they head for Australia to compete in a major event, the 24 hour enduro (reliability trial) as its called over there.
This year four Aussie crews are coming over and Alun Davies, with the No.1 plate this year, said: After flying the Welsh flag over in Australia last year many of the teams fancied coming over here to compete in our main event of the year (W2D).
It looks like a dry and dusty Welsh, which makes things a little more like home for the Aussies, however the grass on the tests will be interesting for the boys. We were made to feel very welcome when we went to Australia, so we are keen to make the trip a great experience for the whole team.
The Australian team has been testing and setting up their bikes, they are riding at a very strong pace and are very dedicated riders.I am sure they will finish very high up in the results. I think this year in the Sidecars things will get very interesting and it will be a great show for spectators.
A finish at the Welsh is a great acheivement but a win at the Welsh is very special, we are very excited for this year.
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Who even needs the Enduro World Championship?
While it sucks that we won’t get to see Steve Holcombe, Jamie McCanney, Danny McCanney, Brad Freeman and Dan Mundell in world championship competition on this side of the English Channel what we might end up with is all those guys – and more – competing for pride and big cash prizes instead!