The Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team of Loïc Larrieu and Jamie McCanney joined by Johansson Yamaha Official Junior Enduro Team‘s Albin Elowson, with the trio launching their attack for championship honours in three separate classes of the 2018 FIM Enduro World Championship.
With the eight-round-long 2018 series kicking off on March 17 in Finland, Yamaha’s official representatives will aim to retain the brand’s status as a key player in Enduro World Championship competition. Leading Yamaha’s charge in the premier Enduro 2 and Enduro 1 classes will be the Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team duo of Loïc Larrieu and Jamie McCanney respectively.
Wrapping up 2017 as runner-ups in their respective classes, both Loïc and Jamie have their eyes set on climbing one step higher in the 2018 series. Remaining under the guidance of Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team manager Marc Bourgeois, the Yamaha powered riders will also look for winning results in the updated EnduroGP overall classification.
Johansson Yamaha Official Junior Enduro Team’s newest recruit Albin Elowson will be Yamaha’s official representative in the Enduro Junior category of the 2018 FIM Enduro World Championship. Entering the season aboard the team’s WR250F machine, 2016 Enduro Junior World Championship runner-up is expected to be a force to be reckoned with in the under-23 class of the 2018 Enduro World Championship.
The 2018 FIM Enduro World Championship officially kicks off in Finland in March and Enduro Junior class riders will join the series for the first time at the second round in Spain in April. Featuring a total of eight rounds in varied terrain and conditions, the up and coming series is expected to be challenging for all competitors.
Calendar – 2018 FIM EnduroGP World Championship
Round 1 – 17/18 March: GP of Finland (Lake Paijanne) [No Enduro Junior]
Round 2 – 27/29 April: GP of Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
Round 3 – 4/6 May: GP of Portugal (Castelo Branco)
Round 4 – 1/3 June: GP of Estonia (Tallinn)
Round 5 – 29/30 June: GP of Trentino (Arco di Trento) [No Enduro Junior]
Round 6 – 31 August/2 September: GP of Italy (Edolo)
Round 7 – 22/23 September: GP of United Kingdom (Hawkstone Park)
Round 8 – 12/14 October: GP of Germany (Woltersdorf)
Alexandre Kowalski – Yamaha Motor Europe Rally & Enduro Racing Manager – said: “”Entering the new season, we are really confident our riders will be strong championship contenders in three different classes of the 2018 Enduro World Championship. With the Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team, this will be the third consecutive year the team will be officially representing us in the series. With Marc Bourgeois guiding the team, both Loïc and Jamie have shown their immense potential. Loïc had a strong season last year, he topped the International Six Days Enduro and finished second in the championship. For 2018 he will stay aboard the WR450F machine with the goal to become Enduro 2 World Champion. Jamie had some great battles last year and took his fight for the title to the very last GP. We expect Jamie to be a top performer in the 2018 Enduro 1 World Championship. In the Enduro Junior class Yamaha will be officially represented by newcomer Albin Elowson. With the support of Johansson Yamaha Official Junior Enduro Team’s experienced crew we believe Albin is capable of winning the title in 2018.”