GASGAS backing new “Women's Hard Enduro Performance Award”
GASGAS has announced it is backing a new “Women's Hard Enduro Performance Award Trophy” in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, set-up specifically to highlight and promote female riders.
GASGAS say they are officially behind the new “Women's Hard Enduro Performance Award Trophy” which they say will be awarded to best performing female participant at each round of the 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
The goal of this new award is to “highlight the place of women in motorsport, promote and develop female participation, and encourage more women to take part”.
The focus will not be exclusively on the highest finishing female competitor at each event, more to award and reward “outstanding” female performances.
It’s quite obviously a good thing always to promote different categories of riders at world championship level and it is something Enduro21 tries always to do in our reporting from EnduroGP, ISDE and the HEWC.
With limelight always shone on the front (male) runners, it is easy to miss the efforts of those not getting the headlines.
GASGAS has a record of doing this already with awards like the free bike and entry for Erzbergrodeo gifted to Tom Minta last year after he finished the ‘best privateer GASGAS rider’ at the Scottish Six Days Trial. Tom has since began clocking up some respectable British enduro results across a range of disciplines with the support of John Shirt Motorcycles.
“Women race alongside the men”
The news on the award continues; “together with the HEWC series, GASGAS is fully committed to helping push female participation in hard enduro sport to an exciting new level. Who knows, we might soon see a rider capable of matching the incredible successes of GASGAS Brand Ambassador Laia Sanz.”
Rene Esterbauer – GASGAS Head of Global Marketing: “GASGAS is all about encouraging all riders to join in the action and especially on two wheels! We're thrilled to be involved with such awards that will hopefully encourage more riders to join the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and support the new Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award.
“In the HEWC, the women race alongside the men and we have seen some incredible performances from GASGAS Brand Ambassador Laia Sanz over the years, we hope this new award will attract more talented racers to the series and support the growth of the sport.”
Winfried Kerschhaggl - FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Manager: “With the Women’s Hard Enduro Performance Award supported by GASGAS we want to provide a platform to highlight and promote the extraordinary performances of our female competitors. Especially as they compete on a level playing field with their male competitors in the Hard Enduro World Championship.
“Riders like Laia Sanz, Sandra Gomez, and Jane Daniels have achieved great things, but ultimately, we want to see more and more female riders compete on a regular basis. With this award, we hope it will help us work towards that goal and make a positive and proactive step forward in Hard Enduro.”
