2024 Xross Hard Enduro results: Wade Young fends off Kabakchiev for first FIM World Championship win

Results from the 2024 Hard Enduro World Championship in Serbia, the Xross Hard Enduro Rally, where Wade Young fended off a last day assault from Teo Kabakchiev to claim his first FIM race win as a privateer on the Leader Tread GASGAS.

Xross Hard Enduro off road day 3 in a nutshell:

As is the pattern set out by Romaniacs, on which this race in Serbia is surely modelled, the days are long a start early at the Xross Hard Enduro. It needs to with warm temperatures making the morning riding way more comfortable on the riders.
As has been the pattern all week, Teo Kabakchiev blasted away at 8am to set the pace with Wade Young in tow on the ground, the pair remaining relentless in their hillclimbing and rock gulley techniques.
More technical riding at times on this third day meant the field wasn’t so spread out, the riders coming thick and fast through checkpoints and fuel stops on very similar check times.
The big talking point today was could Kabakchiev close down Young’s nine-minute lead. It was a tall order but one which the Bulgarian looked determined to prove was possible as he steadily increased his lead on the day, reducing the gap in the overall classification with every check point.
But the South African obviously has pedigree in these GPS-style events having won Romaniacs and he did what was necessary. This was the first time for a while we’ve seen the real Wade, and it looks like the bike gremlins and a few injuries of the past couple of years are ironed out.
It was an impressive ride for the win, working hard on day one to establish a lead, keep it consistent on the second day to extend and finally bring it home.
Second overall and increasingly strong as the race progressed this week in Serbia has been Teo Kabakchiev. The new Sherco recruit makes it three podiums in three years at the Xross Hard Enduro, showing his skills on the multi-day GPS rally events is a match for anyone. His day three performance was standout, bettering Young by seven minutes to reduce the overall to just 2:42.
The battle for third was real all week but Michael Walkner, not signed up for the full HEWC season, clocked in for third on the podium with another P3 today. It was a more mature ride from the Austrian, dare we say it, which reaped a reward for his best-ever world championship result.
Complaining about the course being too easy, Mario Roman has never quite matched his rivals this week and a brace of fourth places, plus P7 on day two, amounted to fourth overall, 30 minutes behind his former teammate Young. Whether he liked the course or not, a total of around 13 raced hours across the three days was time enough for the Sherco rider who needed to use this round to bag serious points while Lettenbichler is away.
Shout out to David Cyprian for his fifth place overall. The Czech rider has had his troubles including bikes stolen at round one in the UK, and some injuries in recent seasons keeping him out of what should have been better results in the Junior category. Fifth place at Xross is his best world championship result since joining the senior ranks.
Best of the Junior World Championship riders looked for a while today to be going to the way of Suff Sella. The Israeli battled all week with Mitch Brightmore, plus James Moore, showing consistency in the heat and tough conditions. But an engine problem close to the end of the day meant he handed the win to rival Brightmore who maintains his championship stranglehold with another solid ride.
Graham Jarvis deserves mention and not just for his day two scratch win. The veteran surely would have landed on the podium this week but for a bent sprocket on day one which cost him an hour.