World Hard Enduro Podcast

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We had the opportunity to visit Stark HQ on our way to Romaniacs this year and sat down with Eddie Karlsson and Seb Tortelli to talk about Stark in Hard Enduro. From Eddie winning the Silver class at Romaniacs to Seb taking the top spot at the Erzberg Rocket Ride and of course Stark crossing the Erzberg finish line in a world first… Stark has slowly but surely been inserting itself in the world of hard enduro and we’re stoked! 
Stark is essentially a tech company that sells bikes… and what the team has created is an ever evolving bike. They paved the foundations from the beginning with their forward thinking manufacturing which now allows for constant tech updates that put the standard year on year model changes to shame. Instead of buying the latest release, customers are getting a new bike with an update. Who would have thought?
We chat to Eddie about his experience moving to the Stark, transitioning from trials which is a clutch intensive sport to a bike with just a front and back brake. We also touch on what it’s like to have Toby part of the team and how they have very different preferences when it comes to bike setup. 
While Stark won't be racing the remainder of the HEWC season, this year is clearly just the beginning. The momentum is building and we have a feeling this is a team that's going to be very hard to ignore in the years to come.
We hope you enjoy this episode! 
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:20 Inside Stark Future HQ with Eddie Karlsson & Seb Tortelli 
02:15 How rider feedback shapes the bike
03:22 Racing bike vs consumer bike 
05:25 Enduro vs MX bike
06:25 Riding without a clutch
09:17 Super Enduro 
09:50 Romaniacs silver class
14:08 Erzberg debrief
16:11 First electric bike to finish Erzberg
16:30 Seb Tortelli at Erzberg
18:27 Competing electric manufacturers
21:07 Traction control in hard enduro
25:01 Electric bikes in racing regulations
27:37 Hard enduro championship goals
34:09 The electric bike online debate
35:36 Eddie VS Toby 
37:10 Seb's take on hard enduro
38:42 How the HEWC format helps electric
Are you a fan of electric in hard enduro? Or do you think the 2T and 4T still have too much of an edge? Also, have you ever ridden a Stark? Let us know in the comments, we'd love to hear what you thought of it ↓↓↓
Support the show
Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro
You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube
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We have officially passed the half way mark of the season and are well into the second half with round 5 taking place at Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy. A race that has been part of the FIM championship on and off for 4 years since 2021. Minestrone is a section of the race that has been well known since the beginning but this year appears to be the defining section and the true test and separator between the top guys. 
We chat to Mike to get some on the ground stories and a behind the scenes look at what went down. From prologue with 2 juniors on the box we look a look at some of the stats and it was surprising to see Both Mani and Mitch being so wrong in this format throughout the season so far. The spring race proved to be quite a challenge for the riders, although only 1 hour the heat added an extra layer of intensity to the race. A unique race added to this event was the straight rhythm which set the starting positions for the orders for the main race day. This was an unfortunate setup for a number of riders who did exceptionally well in the print race but got pushed back due to poor results in this spectator focused event. 
The main race was a 2 hour run for the riders that resulted in being around 6 laps for the top guys. Some good riders, some not so great results too. There is no doubt that riders who have been traveling between Europe and the US and then back to Europe have been struggling with jet lag and it’s no surprise that we’re seeing some changeup in the results. 
We also touch on topics such as managing frustration when on track, where riders are standing in the championship so far as well as what riders can expect heading to The Roof Of Africa for the next round.
We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
13:42 Listener appreciation 
14:02 Event format explained
15:06 The straight rhythm  
17:44 Prologue
22:05 Sprint race results
25:14 Main race conditions
29:30 Aggression vs efficiency 
31:09 Frustration in hard enduro
34:22 Billy's return
35:04 The last lap battle 
37:05 Mr 3rd Place 
38:00 Mario Roman:
40:24 Lorenzo Gondola
44:15 Main race results
49:24 The brutal reality of a consecutive race schedule 
52:48 Championship standings
56:04 Roof of Africa preview
58:42 Junior championship battle
01:02:07 Predictions going into Roof of Africa

Mani falls off, picks the bike up, doesn't say a word and rides away. Meanwhile most of us are screaming at our bikes in a rock garden. How do YOU handle frustration on the trail? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓
Support the show
Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro
You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube
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We got to meet Tobin at Red Bull Romaniacs this year and what it pleasure it was to also have him on the podcast. Fresh US blood on the international stage of hard enduro is something we hope to see more of in the future. In this episode we chat to Tobin about his Romaniacs experience from doing Silver class as a “warm up” and getting a good understanding of how things work at an intense race like Romaniacs before entering Gold class this year in 2026. He shares some great insights into how Silver and Gold differ and which riders could be considering entering the class depending on their local US hard enduro results. 
Tobin shares some of his ambitions for the future and his desire to do more races on the international stage if the opportunity were to present itself. He also shares some interesting insight into riding in the US. From training, traveling to different races as well as the do’s and don’ts on riding in different areas in the US. We see Tobin as a rider to keep an eye on in the future and someone who has a bright career ahead of him.
We hope you enjoy this episode
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:28 Meet Tobin Miller, Champion Brick Racing 
01:53 First Romaniacs experience: Silver class 
05:06 Why doing silver first was the right call 
06:22 Gold class in 2026 
08:46 Gold class mindset
09:52 Prologue
10:05 Day 1
16:06 The silver vs gold gap
17:22 How US hard enduro stacks up
19:11 US representation at Romaniacs
21:10 A 4-day rally style hard enduro event in America 
22:03 Day 4
22:55 International ambitions
25:57 HEWC vs USHE
27:08 Champion Brick Racing
28:44 USHE season update
35:00 Training in the US
36:16 Land access in America 
39:06 Enduro Burrows
42:28 Next up, TKO

Tobin thinks America needs a 4-day rally style hard enduro race, do you agree? And if so, where in the US would you have it? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓
Support the show
Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro
You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube
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Round four of the Hard Enduro World Championship was most definitely a unique race on the 2026 calendar. Forza Orza made its debut appearance and was a very unusual location and track for the riders. Based in an abandoned zoo, Mike had to put in a lot of work setting a track in such challenging conditions. Short, punchy and in your face… this race definitely suited riders with more trials and super enduro experience over those looking for long days in the mountains and it showed in the results. 
Prologue was a fast run for the boys with the top times coming in around the 4 minute mark. A very surprising changeup with the results having Mitch, James and Ashton on the box… no Billy or Mani in sight. An awesome showcase of the skills the younger riders have in their back pocket. 
The sprint race was a 1 hour multilap loop with a home rider taking the show. Eddie had some great results finishing in 4th on the day and giving the home crowd a solid reason to cheer. It’s awesome to hear that even without hearing the bike… you knew he was close with the sound of the crowd. Maybe it was this energy that gave him that extra fight he needed to race at the level he is truly capable of. 
The main race on the final day was a 2 hour + 1 lap, multi lap race. This day was definitely a challenge not only for the bikes but for riders too with arm pump, multiple mistakes and crashes as well as some bike issues throughout the race. We see Billy making some big mistakes ghosting his bike off a hill, Mani almost losing his race lead to bike issues and Teo going for a swim with cow bones in the polar bear enclosure. 
We also go a little off topic talking a little more about bikes from frames, old gen to new gen and more. 
We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:16 Forza Orza: Sweden's first ever HEWC round 
01:03 Track manager Mike
04:12 Making hard enduro accessible for a local crowd 
05:49 An abandoned zoo with skeletons in the lake 
09:25 Event format: Prologue, sprint race & main race 
10:37 Prologue: A race the juniors lit up 
14:51 Sprint race
15:54 Why 1-hour intensity works for hard enduro 
23:57 Sprint race Results 
24:16 The Brightmore progression 
26:51 X-Grip factory bikes & KTM's development
31:32 The main race
34:06 Billy's ghost ride 
38:31 Mani’s battery issues
46:00 Main race results
46:18 Eddie on home terrain 
49:43 Thomas Scales & Justin Elizondo
54:35 Teo's swim in the lake
54:55 HEWC championship standings
55:25 Halfway mark: The 2026 season 
56:49 The Hard Enduro World Ranking system
58:33 Next up: TKO

Mani’s bike and battery let him down again… two races in a row now. Do you think it's only a matter of time before it costs him a race result? What are your thoughts on the situation? Drop your take in the comments ↓↓↓
Support the show
Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro
You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube
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Another Romaniacs under the belt and another year with many stories to tell from the gold class track. Four intense days of racing for the top guys with countless kilometers raced and grueling Leatt LiveManiacs challenges. Each day came with its own set of unexpected issues and of course constantly changing results. From crashes to dead batteries, seized forks, questionable tyre choices and shirtless finishes… this year was certainly full of entertainment. 
Once again we have Mike on to chat about some of the behind the scenes of what went down and to give us the inside scoop and a bit more context to some of the unbelievable stories to come out of this year’s race. Some standout moments of course would be Mani dominating the gold class field once again even with a race that certainly wasn’t without its issues. James Moore racing so consistently once again proving he is not only aiming of the top… but has without a doubt arrived! Thomas Scales is a rider who we’d consider a dark horse but one to keep an eye on going forward. 
This year the Romaniacs organizers focused more heavily on the ADV classes, especially the Ultimate riders and there’s no denying that what these guys can do on the big bikes is impressive! From hard enduro favorites like Mario Roman and Dieter Rudolf to ADV legends like Pol Tarres, it’s interesting to see how they are stacking up in a pretty competitive field. 
In this episode we chat about Prologue as well as go though all four race days.
We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:18 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs recap with Mike 
03:00 Prologue: Teo wins, Manny vs Mitch in a battle 
04:24 Adventure bikes
08:24 Day 1: Chaos, toilet stops & hydration packs
11:35 Manny's dead battery
16:00 Lorenzo Gondola
21:05 Matthew Green's wrong tyre choice
23:51 Teodor Kabakchiev
26:04 Day 2: Straja 180km loop
29:41 Dieter Rudolf's heat sensor 
32:20 David Cyprian
35:20 Day 3: Rolling rocks and sketchy downhills
40:29 Manny’s sketchy descent 
44:08 Day 4: The day that had it all
46:23 Pandora's Box 
48:24 James Moore
50:16 Walkner on track for a career-best
53:22 Thomas Scales: A career-best result nobody saw coming 
58:07 Matt Green’s shirtless finish
59:58 James Moore's collapsed front fork
01:02:19 The reality of pro racing
Every year Romaniacs throws up stories that are just wild… dead batteries, wrong tyres, collapsed forks and a shirtless finish. What was your standout moment from this year's race? Let us know in the comments ↓↓↓
Support the show
Whether you're driving to work, heading back from a weekend ride or working on the bike in the garage make sure to tune in and if you're feeling generous you're welcome to buy us a coffee to support our efforts with the following link - https://buymeacoffee.com/worldhardenduro
You can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and Youtube
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