The 15th edition of the EnduRoc once again proved to be a resounding success, bringing together nearly 850 participants, from amateurs of all ages to PRO riders, who enjoyed an intense weekend of racing at the “Les Comes” estate (Súria, Barcelona). The various competitions were followed by a large crowd of spectators who did not want to miss the riders' performances, creating an exceptional atmosphere.
As expected, the Rieju Factory Team was present at the event. On Saturday, under mild temperatures, the first races began around midday. The highlight of the day arrived with the SuperPole (Race of Champions), a spectacular five-lap race on a technical 3-kilometre circuit where the 40 fastest riders of the morning face each other — one of the most exciting races of the weekend.
Àlex Puey, riding his MR 250 PRO, got off to a strong start from the grid, quickly placing himself in third position overall. The course combined technical sections with faster areas, and the dust made overtaking difficult throughout the race. During the battle, Puey was overtaken by two competitors, although they later exchanged positions several times, eventually crossing the finish line in an impressive fourth place overall.
Regarding the other Rieju MR riders, Eric Miquel finished 16th and Marc Calmet 34th.
On Sunday, the main race took place: a Cross Country-style event consisting of two 35-kilometre laps. Early in the morning, temperatures were low, but the growing anticipation and tension on the starting grid helped warm the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, Àlex Puey encountered an issue right at the start, becoming caught on the starting gate, which delayed him significantly. This forced him into the middle of a crowded pack that he had to work his way through — a complicated task due to the heavy dust that again limited visibility and made overtaking extremely difficult. Even so, Àlex steadily recovered positions throughout the race, and after completing both laps, he finished 3rd in Enduro1 and 19th overall.
It was a better day for the newly crowned Spanish Hard Enduro Vice-Champion, Eric Miquel, who managed to position himself among the front-running riders from the start, maintaining a solid race pace and finishing 4th in Enduro3 and 9th overall. In the same category, Dakar rider Marc Calmet, who also lost time at the start, climbed through the field to take 9th in Enduro3 and 21st overall.
Àlex Puey:
“The race went quite well. On Saturday, in the timed special test, I set a decent time. In the afternoon’s SuperPole, I made a great start and placed myself third, but then I had a small crash. I recovered positions afterwards and finished fourth, so overall I’m happy — it was a good race.
On Sunday, I was really motivated to end the season well, but the start didn’t go as expected: I got stuck in the gate and was left last by a long way. With all the dust and so many bikes together, overtaking was very difficult. I had to take a lot of risks, and being the last race of the year, the priority was to enjoy it and avoid injury. I had a great time. I want to thank the Rieju team for their work, as always.”
