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 Intro13:42 Listener appreciation 14:02 Event format explained15:06 The straight rhythm 17:44 Prologue22:05 Sprint race results25:14 Main race conditions29:30 Aggression vs efficiency 31:09 Frustration in hard enduro34:22 Billy's return35:04 The last lap battle 37:05 Mr 3rd Place 38:00 Mario Roman:40:24 Lorenzo Gondola44:15 Main race results49:24 The brutal reality of a consecutive race schedule 52:48 Championship standings56:04 Roof of Africa preview58:42 Junior championship battle01:02:07 Predictions going into Roof of AfricaMani 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 showWhether 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/worldhardenduroYou can also connect with us on socials such as Insta and YoutubeInstagramYoutube

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