Luis Enrique

What’s your name? 

My name is Luis Enrique but most people call me LUISEN

How old are you?

16 years old

Where are you from?

Guanajuato, Mexico

When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?

I’ve been riding since I was 5 years old.

What bike do you ride?

Husky 300

What team do you ride in (if any)

MOCEDI 

How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?

2: Avandarocks and Sierra hard enduro 

If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro? 

I would say privateer

What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?  

The first day it was a 1.5 hour race just to make a good lap to get in front for the big day. The second day was the main race and the purpose was to finish first.

What excited you the most about this race? Was it the terrain, the grip, the camaraderie, the organisation, the weather, your own performance or something entirely different?

Monterrey is a pretty hot place, with so much rocks and there’s an incredible amount of dust in the hill, which makes the race more like a physical challenge and hard to finish.

What kind of tires/mousse/tubliss/tube did you use and why? More importantly – would you recommend your setup or did you learn that something else would have been better?

I used a Michelin medium tyre and a really soft mousse. I DEFINITELY recommend this set up, because of the traction you have with a soft mousse and a good tyre. I didn’t use a gummy tyre because it was a really rocky terrain and a gummy tyre would have fallen apart real quick.

Was there anything bike setup-wise that you discovered to work great and that you’d like to share?

That the Michelin medium tyre is the best tyre for that kind of terrain.

How tough did you find the track physically and mentally?

Really tough, as i just said it was a really rocky track which makes the arm pump start hitting you. Also the breathing you get with the dust makes a huge difference.

Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS tracks) and was the difficulty level what you expected, easier or harder? 

The staff did an amazing job marking the track, I just used my GPS a few times. The track was increasing the level as you kept moving.

Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)

We stayed in a hotel, which was a pretty good decision, because it was kind of near the pits.

What result did you get and are you happy with it?

I got 18 out of 120. I’m not happy with it, I think I could have done it way better if it wasn’t because of technical problems with my bike.

Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?

Yes, hard enduro races are expensive, this race had a really good organisation and really good track.

What would be your best piece of advice, to a person who is considering entering this race for the first time?

To be in a really good shape, to put a good tyre and a soft mousse for the traction you get, and have so much fun.

What (if anything) would you like to see changed in the event to improve it?

Time trial qualifying wasn’t the best. I couldn’t make a good time because the traffic in the uphill call “CABRAS”, and I think they have to divide categories just for the qualifying.

Finally, would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?

I’m coming next year for sure. I definitely recommend to go to Sierra hard enduro, it’s one of the best hard enduro races here in Mexico.

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