Details Announced for the 2021 British National Enduro Series

Press Release: British National Enduro Series


The British National Enduro Series is a GO!! But with a tentative plan for 2021. There is still a little uncertainty due to the current Covid times, however, organisers are looking at carefully planning ahead. With 2 events planned by the PMBA Enduro Series, 2 planned by the Tweedlove team, one from the Southern Enduro and one from Northern Downhill, there's going to be a damn fine mix of races and spicy venues. Plus you can also add to the mix some Enduro World Series qualifiers too. All eyes will be turning to select race organisers as they will be running a few "pilot events" with the Forestry England throughout May and British Cycling who have now announced their roadmap to events opening back up.

Usually in March, they would be just weeks away from National Enduro's starting the summer season but these are not normal times and as such they are tentatively launching the 2021 national enduro series. They have 4 rounds scheduled with 2 more extra's hoping to be confirmed, or cancel, in June. A huge thanks to the racers over the past year for their understanding of the troubles the pandemic has brought to event planning.

With the BNES series covering England, Scotland and Wales they are awaiting 3 lots of advice and "rules of engagement" on how the events will look but they can at least announce their plans, if not exactly how the events will need to run under any covid secure guidelines - especially for round 1 in Step 3 of England unlocking, while they are sure the restrictions could be similar to 2020 summer events, which ran very well.

Rounds 1-4

Graythwaite : 28/29th May 2021. Also an EWS Qualifier event. Backup date : 19/20th June 2021. PMBA Enduro. Entries open Sat 13th March 9 am (quite full from 2020 carry overs). Now sold out.


Tweed Valley : 17/18th July. Entries : FULL Tweedlove
https://tweedlove.com/events/pirelli-triple-crown-enduro-series/

Minehead : 24/25th July. Also the BEMBA National Championships. Southern Enduro. Entries open late March/Early April.
https://southernenduro.co.uk/events/southern-enduro-national-champs-minehead


Llangollen : 14/15th August 2021. Also an EWS Qualifier event. PMBA Enduro Entries open Sat 1st May 9 am
http://www.pmbaenduro.co.uk

"While all events are TBC till they actually happen in this covid era rounds 5 and 6 are most definitely TBC and have not yet achieved basic permissions to run. Sometime in June these 2 events will be confirmed as part of the BNES or dropped, we are expecting "test" events at English Forestry locations during May. The events still may happen even if dropped by BNES in June, but we feel racers need to know if the 3 tightly packed events in July/August are "it" at this point in the racing year."

Round 5 - Scottish Enduro Series ~ September/TBC
https://www.nofussevents.co.uk/scottish-enduro-series

Round 6 - NDH/Cold Brew - 23rd/24th October, Kielder -
https://descendantenduro.com


With the nations forests still too busy for events there are many missing enduros from BEMBA's full year program of grassroots upwards enduros'. BEMBA is run by a selection of the 20 most proficient enduro organisers from all parts of the British Isles, but the current climate makes organising events even tougher than normal. However there are still events happening up and down the country mainly on private land while councils and forestry organisations are not yet ready to host events, they have still been able to form a series from the biggest of those. They aim for 2 Scottish, 2 Welsh and 2 English rounds for each year, and hope they can deliver them in 2021.


"The Epic" at Graythwaite. is the ideal series opener, straight into racing hard, steep and technical stages. This private venue and walled estate provides the ideal isolated venue for these covid times, as PMBA Enduro proved last year with the biggest cycling event of the year running covid secure. Graythwaite has been hosting large enduro events since 2016, including the inaugural national enduro champs back in 2017, a venue with pedigree and some stunning views of the English Lake District. Saturday and Sunday of the late May Bank Holiday, they'll hopefully be allowed a little socialising after the event on the Sunday night, and postpone the travelling home till Monday. An open-air bar flowing the awesome Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery Ales in the marquee and some fun after the event? Will that be allowed - they are still waiting to find out!


National events like these, require "step 3" on the government roadmap which is due 17th May, just 12 days before the event scheduled for 29/30th May, However with the event so close to the "Step 3" date required PMBA are taking no chances and have sorted an alternate date to cope with a delay to this unlocking. 19/20th June is the backup date, allowing for a month of delay to Step 3. It's an unusual year when you have to announce 2 possible dates for an event but they hope racers will back this stance and understand if they don't have timing, medics, marshals, toilets and catering booked for June now, they may not be able to arrange a new date if there is a last-minute change - so PMBA has booked both dates to be sure and allow for racers to plan for both eventualities.

Next in line is Vallelujah, one of the premium Enduro venues in the UK, the Tweed Valley was made world-famous by its run of early EWS events, and before EWS makes its return to the valley in October, Tweedlove have a trio of events to serve up. Vallelujah was originally round 1 of the series and scheduled for March but now is scheduled for July and round 2 of the BNES series. With so many world-class stages available this is surely going to be a seriously tasty and fantastic event.


The series third offering for the 2021 season is also the big one, the standalone national champs. Who will get to wear the national champions jersey for the next year? The southern enduro team did such a great round of the BNES in 2019 they were unanimously voted to host the national champs last year and have kept that honour for 2021 with no national racing last year.

The fourth round is in Wales, at one of the nations premier DH venues of Llangollen. Having hosted just 1 enduro so far it was such a success that PMBA Enduro have enlarged the event to bring it up to BNES and EWS Qualifier standards. Fast DH inspired stages await racers here, and this could be the season finale too.


This series certainly has a huge amount of potential again, as it did back in 2019. Let's hope the crazy times can come to an end and we can all get back between the tapes. It seems most events already open for entries have sold out instantly so keep a watch on the BEMBA and BNES Facebook pages. Also having been chatting to the PMBA Enduro Series organiser Kev Duckworth, it's important to note there are no waiting lists for his events, if you need to swap or trade tickets then follow this Facebook page for further info.

Graythwaite : 28/29th May 2021. Also an EWS Qualifier event. Backup date : 19/20th June 2021. PMBA Enduro. Entries open Sat 13th March 9 am (quite full from 2020 carry overs)
http://www.pmbaenduro.co.uk

Tweed Valley : 17/18th July. Entries : FULL Tweedlove
https://tweedlove.com/events/vallelujah-enduro/

Minehead : 24/25th July. Also the BEMBA National Championships. Southern Enduro. Entries open late March/Early April.
https://southernenduro.co.uk/.../southern-enduro-national

Llangollen : 14/15th August 2021. Also an EWS Qualifier event. PMBA Enduro Entries open Sat 1st May 9 am

Words by Kev Duckworth
Edited @JWDTphotography
Photos @DialledinUK