On The Pegs June 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 6 | Page 87

On The Pegs
Vol. 4 Issue 6 - June 2019
87
Portugal’s Toyota Porto Extreme XL Lagares
launched this year’s battle to become the ULTIMATE
ENDURO CHAMPION among off-road extreme racers
worldwide.
Covering eight rounds of exciting mixed discipline
Enduro racing across seven months, the World En-
duro Super Series brings together the sport’s best rid-
ers as they fight it out in Classic Enduro, Hard Enduro
and Cross-Country racing. Like in 2018, the Toyota
Porto Extreme XL Lagares kicked things off with
Superenduro, Urban and Hard Enduro action across
three days in northern Portugal.
The 15th edition of the Portugal’s most-important
Hard Enduro race saw almost 300 riders compete
across five categories that included over 60 Pro com-
petitors.
After an intense weekend of racing, Spaniard Mario
Roman came from behind to win the event on his fac-
tory Sherco. Meanwhile, Roman’s Sherco teammate
Wade Young finished a solid second while German
Manual Lettenbichler was third on a KTM.
Lettenbichler and KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak led after
tpassing Alfredo Gomez at the beginning of the race,
however Roman picked up the pace midway into the
second lap and took over the lead, which he held
until the finish.
“I feel amazing, it’s so good to get the win,” said Ro-
man. “In 2016 I finished about a minute behind Al-
fredo and then two years in a row I had mechanical is-
sues with my bike, but I always believed in myself and
knew I could do it this year. On the first lap I was lying
fifth or sixth and I couldn’t see the top two guys, but
as the race went on, I started to feel stronger and was
able to push 100% and pass the others one-by-one.”