Abestone Hard Enduro, scheduled to be round three of the 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and a Hard Enduro European Challenge event in July, has been cancelled.

And then there were six. It’s not been smooth sailing in the 2023 Hard Enduro World Championship, that’s for sure. Adding to the confusion over TKO being dropped in North America and then organisational issues causing the Roof of Africa to be pulled, now the Italian round three has been cancelled.

Abestone Hard Enduro in Italy was due to be the third round of the season in early July but has been cancelled due to what Enduro21 understands is difficult environmental hoops for the organisers to jump through.

Based in a spectacular ski resort in the Tuscan Alpes, the event was also part of the Hard Enduro European Challenge, a newly established series within the continent.

Abetone, the host town, lies in the same Tuscany region as Italy’s previously hugely popular Hell’s Gate Hard Enduro which also suffered the same fate – someone in the local government doesn’t like dirt bikes it seems.

That means the world championship drops to six rounds with round two this week at the Erzbergrodeo, followed by Romaniacs at the end of July now being round three.

Amended 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar:

Round 1: Xross, Serbia - May 17/18/19/20

Round 2: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, Austria - June 8/9/10/11

Round 3: Red Bull Romaniacs, Romania - July 25/26/27/28/29

Round 4: Red Bull Outliers, Canada - August 26/27

Round 5: 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro, Spain - October 13/15

Round 6: 24MX GetzenRodeo, Germany - November 3/4

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi