As a multi-time winner of Hell’s Gate there’s nobody better than Taddy Blazusiak to give us the racing line on Italy’s toughest Enduro race. Taddy tells us about how Hell’s Gate can really kick you in the butt.
Hell’s Gate is a really brutal race and it’s made even trickier by the weather conditions. With the weather the way it is in Europe at the moment I think this year’s race is going to be even tougher than usual.
The day of the race seems to go on forever with qualifying for the main race lasting about five hours. The qualifying would be bad enough on it’s own but right after that you have to get back on the bike for the real race. So after five hours of qualifying you have about two hours off the bike and then you’re at the start line of the Hell’s Gate race. Depending on how bad the track is on any particular year the main race takes between four and five hours to complete. After 10 hours on the motorcycle you always end the day feeling a little beaten up.
'You just have to know that something will be waiting around one of the corners to take you down'
Although I’ve won Hell’s Gate three times now at my fourth visit to the race I had a pretty big crash. What happened to me was I hit an ice patch that took me off the track and I ended up knocking myself out. All the riders at this race have to be aware of the weather and the conditions on the track. The whole race is just so unpredictable and you just have to know that something will be waiting around one of the corners to take you down.
The key to Hell’s Gate is concentration because you have to keep focused on what is about to hit your front wheel the whole day. Total focus for 10 hours or more is what really makes Hell’s Gate stand out as an Enduro race. There’s no moment to relax because the track can even change from lap to lap so you must maintain focus the whole way. There could be a pool of water on one lap that is a patch of ice on the next lap.
Enduro is all about man and motorcycle against everything and Hell’s Gate is a race that really tests the riders that come to take part. The best advice I can give to anyone coming to race Hell’s Gate for the first time this year is to pay attention. Keep your focus on the track because for sure it’s going to try it’s best to kick your butt at one point. Be prepared for hell and be prepared for suffering, but it’s also great fun as well!
© Jonty Edmunds/Red Bull Content Pool
Want more?
- Six of the Best: Enduropale du Touquet
- More Hard Enduro on redbull.com
- Taddy's Hard Enduro profile and bio
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