If you believe the fans of the racing discipline, then enduro races unite the mountain bike concept more completely than any other category: it's uphill, along and downhill. However, it is also true that the focus is increasingly on the latter - at least in the Enduro World Cup. The idea is simple, whether in professional races or hobby races: different stages are ridden individually for time. The times are then added up and the bikers with the best overall time win. Even though the Enduro boom peaked in the mid-2010s, the idea of competing with mates and other Enduro enthusiasts remains popular and has recently experienced a second upswing. The demand for the Enduro One series proves this. Up to 700 starters take part in one of the five stops in Germany. The vision of race organiser Christoph Döbler is to soon bring more races close to urban areas.
Interview with Enduro One boss Christoph Döbler
BIKE: You launched the Enduro One in 2013. How did the idea come about?
CHRISTOPH DÖBLER: We wanted to expand our portfolio. At that time, we had a lot of experience in the motocross and marathon sector. Enduro has revitalised the MTB scene and we wanted to be part of it. In 2013, we started with an individual race, followed by the first series the following year.
That was a time when many racing series came into being. One of the best-known participatory series was the Specialized Enduro Series. Your series was somewhat under the radar, why?
Other series had more budget and were able to attract prominent racers with higher prize money thanks to financially strong sponsors. We, on the other hand, wanted to appeal to the hobby enduro racer and didn't have a main sponsor, at least at the beginning.
2016 saw the big death of the series. Why didn't this affect you, while many other organisers cited the great expense, bureaucracy and lack of profitability as reasons to stop?
Yes, these were certainly some of the reasons, but not all of them. The problems still exist. The biggest challenge is organising enough manpower, offering route diversity at stops and, in particular, obtaining route permits. In Germany, it's a real patchwork, sometimes it's straightforward, sometimes it's hard to beat in terms of complexity.
What makes the Enduro One special in your eyes?
The needs of our riders take centre stage. We want to offer challenging stages, but are not orientated towards professional tracks, as we don't want to exclude anyone. Our aim is to get hobby enduro riders excited about racing. We try to keep the barriers to entry as low as possible without making it boring for top racers or technically experienced riders. While many other enduro races involve lifts, we want the participants to manage the transfers using their own muscle power, because for us this is part of the enduro concept.
You currently have several small sponsors, but no major main sponsor. Is that a conscious decision?
No, sponsors are always good and welcome, after all the participants also benefit from them, e.g. in the form of more prize money. The reason for this is the current market situation. However, our local partners, i.e. the local MTB clubs or bike park staff, are important first and foremost. Without them, realisation would not be possible, as they prepare the routes, look after helpers and much more.
Back to the course of your races. How many stages are there?
Five to seven. In some cases, we ride on sight; for safety reasons, we leave the more challenging passages for training.
Unfortunately, enduro races also produce cheaters who train or take shortcuts beforehand. Is this also a problem for you?
This happens from time to time. We try to prevent this by blocking off untrained sections. Anyone caught will receive a time penalty or even be disqualified.
And that happens regularly?
Rather now and again. There are a few black sheep. The typical Enduro One participant doesn't do that. There will always be bikers who exaggerate and hope to gain an advantage.
You have five stops in 2025, none of them near an urban centre. Why not?
That's true, but that's my long-term goal. Again, it depends on the circumstances, such as licences, route variety or parking options. Yes, there is currently nothing close to the city, except perhaps Bad Wildbad. Nevertheless, our stops are in first-class enduro terrain. Rabenberg, Schulenberg or Bad Wildbad will certainly mean something to die-hard mountain bikers.
What is the biggest challenge for you as an organiser?
That everything runs smoothly. The weather plays a major role, especially when it comes to safety. Of course, I hope that the signposting is right, that nobody gets lost, that no helpers fall ill, that access roads remain passable and that there is sufficient car park capacity. When the race is over and there have been no major injuries, the tension falls away and I'm happy.
This might also interest you:
Laurin Lehner
Editor
