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French Youngsters Arrive!

There are now just 12 days before the opening round of the 2017 SuperEnduro season at the Tauron Arena in Krakow (Poland)! The starting grids for Junior and Prestige are starting to fill up, and it looks like France will be one of the most represented nations this season with no fewer than five riders spread across the categories...

First off, Aurélien ADDESSO (Beta) will line up in Prestige. As he enters his fourth season in SEWC, the goal of the Beta France rider will be to reach a highly coveted place in the Top 10. Returning to the field will be Joffrey MARIN (Kawasaki). MARIN, who was wounded in Poland in 2016, will be running in Junior, and will hope to bash bars with the top runners; HERRERA, APOLLE, KACZMARCZYK, SEALEY and GUTZEIT...

Also for 2017, the French Army Team (EEAT) - well known in the EnduroGP paddock - will tackle SuperEnduro. Team Manager Fred WEILL will bring two riders into the Junior category: Jean-Baptiste NICOLOT (Yamaha) and Bastien MECHIN (Yamaha). The latter had already impressed in the National category at the final SEWC round in Cahors in 2015. But for NICOLOT, joining SuperEnduro is a completely new venture. The youngster was 4th in EnduroGP's FIM Youth Cup in 2016, and he certainly has the talent to produce some strong results in his first season at the FIM Maxxis SuperEnduro World Championship.

Finally, Paul BURY (Sherco - Photo) will be the fifth and final French rider in the mix. Whilst we know very little about BURY, his manager Didier VALADE speaks highly of him...

Although France's top Enduro stars have perhaps not quite warmed up to the challenge of battling against the specialists of the discipline, it's a different outlook for the French youth, who show great interest in this developing sport... One thing is certain, if these five riders manage to shine, this could well encourage others to try their hand at SuperEnduro, and they will have the opportunity to do so in front of their home fans in Albi on March 18 at the 2017 Season Finale!