The 2017 FIM EnduroGP World Championship kicks off this weekend with the season opening EnduroGP of Finland. Far from a typical event, the first GP of the season will see all race machines equipped with special spiked tyres. With the whole area around Finland's Lake Paijanne covered in snow and ice, this is a necessary bike set-up for all riders taking part.
Among the elite of international enduro riders and the Scandinavian riders who are used to racing in such conditions, Loïc Larrieu and Jamie McCanney are determined to give their best to start the season on a high. Arriving in Finland more than ten days ago, the two Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team riders spent one week training on the icy and frozen trails of the area. Initially focused on finding the ideal bike set ups for their Yamaha machines, Loïc and Jamie worked hard during the last few days to better familiarise themselves with the winter conditions.
With the EnduroGP World Championship getting a makeover for 2017, the level of competition is higher than maybe ever before. Recent rule changes will see the series' major classes shrink to just two, namely EnduroGP and Enduro 2. The decision has been taken by FIM in collaboration with the EnduroGP promoter, ABC Communication, in order to bring the championship even closer to MotoGP standards.
Remaining aboard Yamaha's WR450F machinery, Loïc Larrieu is officially representing the Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team efforts in the premier EnduroGP class for 2017. As for his teammate Jamie, the Manxman will be racing Yamaha's WR250F machine with the goal to consistently finish inside the top five in the Enduro 2 class. Working hard during the off-season to better prepare themselves for the challenge, both Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team riders are really looking forward to starting 2017 on a high in Finland.
Marc Bourgeois – Team Manager: "We arrived in Finland more than a week ago and managed to make some great progress since then. Both Loïc and Jamie enjoyed some very productive training sessions to wrap up their off seasons in the best possible way. Both of them worked hard this winter and I'm confident they can get the results we are looking for. We want to help Loïc continue learning and improving, in order to become a podium contender in every race. Loïc is entering the new season on a bike he knows really well and this is a great advantage for us. As for Jamie, he never stops impressing us. We knew he had the potential, but what he showed us during the winter made us believe he's got what it takes to battle for the top. In saying that, we know the season will be very long and it's early to make any predictions for the championship. We know our strong points and we are looking forward to seeing what our competitors have to offer. We have a solid set-up and two highly competitive Yamaha race machines, so we are all looking forward to going racing this weekend.”
Outsiders Yamaha Official Enduro Team