EDR out of the World Cup: Is enduro racing coming to an end? Three insiders, three opinions

Shortly after the last Enduro World Cup, the news broke. The UCI announced in a press release that the EDR 2027 would no longer take place. The World Championships, however, are set to continue under the UCI banner.

Following the cancellation of the E-Series, the news comes as no surprise to many, yet there is a sense of excitement amongst the drivers.

We interviewed three insiders, including Germany’s most successful Enduro World Cup rider, Raphaela Richter, serial champion Christian Textor and enduro pioneer Uwe Buchholz.

Current situation:

There will be no more Enduro World Cup in 2027. The UCI still has at least one foot in the door when it comes to enduro. The World Championships are to be retained. Shortly after the announcement, the Crankworx organisation pulled a rough concept out of the drawer and put itself forward as a potential organiser of the series. Neither the number of races nor the scoring system, the categories, the qualification rules nor a full calendar have been published as yet. Nor does the announcement mention any potential link to the UCI. There is also no mention of incorporating an e-category, which is rather surprising.

Ultimately, it will probably be up to the industry to decide whether it wants to invest or whether it will use the World Cup’s withdrawal as an excuse to cut its racing budget. It would certainly be a shame.

Four opinions

​The end of the EDR World Cup is no tragedy – it’s an opportunity. Warner Brothers has recently stifled the sport and become exorbitantly expensive for teams. Add to that limited media reach and a venue policy that has stripped enduro of all its sense of adventure. The industry has long since taken note of this and has already moved on. Now Crankworx and an active riders’ council are working together on a new series – one that returns to the sport’s roots: unknown locations, amateur classes, fair costs. If this succeeds, manufacturers and sponsors will say: ‘We want to be part of that.’ Hopefully, the decision will be made this winter – there are already plans for a stage next year.
Christian Textor, Germany’s most successful Enduro World Cup rider

I was surprised. And yet not surprised. Of course, the EDR had been under scrutiny for a long time. At the last World Cup round, the rumour was that next year things would carry on as before. Then came the news. At first I had to take a moment to process it, but the longer I thought about it, the more positively I viewed it. Because there’s a new potential series organiser – and for the first time, we riders get a say in the matter. That’s a first, and it’s cause for joy and hope. Hopefully the industry is on board – my gut feeling tells me they are, because the enduro segment is important, and they know that too.
Raphaela Richter, Enduro World Cup rider

​The end of the EDR World Cup didn’t really come as a surprise to me. The UCI has handed over the promotional rights entirely to Warner Bros. – and that was never a good fit for enduro. The format has drifted further and further from its roots: towards the big, established competition venues, away from the events that actually define enduro. And what about the promised increase in prize money and reach? There’s been no sign of that over all these years.

I’m all the more pleased that Crankworx has signalled an interest in setting up a new series. Incidentally, they were involved in the founding of the EWS back in 2012 – they know what they’re talking about. I hope they return to a model that once again involves local and national organisers and gives them creative freedom. That is precisely what made enduro great. This isn’t the end – it’s an opportunity.
Uwe Buchholz, the ‘father of German enduro’