by Branko Bozovich
What’s your name?
Branko Bozovich.
How old are you?
35 years old.
Where are you from?
Lima – Perú.
When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?
I was 4 years old when I got my first bike. Bikes have been a very important part of my life ever since.
What bike do you currently ride?
Sherco SE 300 Factory
What team do you ride in (if any)
Team BK8 / Barbacci
How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?
Approximately 10.
If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro?
I will characterise myself as an ambitious amateur
What race are you going to talk about and what year did you do it?
Ukupacha Extreme 2019.
What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?
This race was a 2 day race. Day one – Prologue at a Bull Plaza, typical from this race. Day 2 – above 100 KM race increasing its level of difficulty every kilometer.
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?
Ukupacha was my first ever Hard Enduro Race back in 2013. Ukupacha is one of the most challenging Hard Enduro Race in South America. Through the years I have race it several times and have tried lots of the many formats this race has had. Really nice landscape to race and very hard to breath due to the high altitude (3500-4000 meters above sea level). Sebastian Cisneros has been making this race for more than 10 years now and he definitely knows how to make a great event. For me, the prologue at the Bull Plaza is unbeatable!
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 ran MITAS EF-07 Light (1 Green line). These tires were just on point for day 2 of the race, they endure very well and had tons of grip. For the prologue I just used a standard FIM endure tire. For both days I used a Michelin regular mousse, not extreme.
Was the track tough on you physically, mentally, both or not at all?
Yes, this race is very tough. It’s a very physical and mental demanding race. Day 2 is very long and its tough to maintain focus for so many hours..
Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS tracks) and was the difficulty level what you expected, easier or harder?
Track was marked very good and we also have the track on our GPS. I think the level of difficulty was just on point.
Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)
I stayed at the organisation hotel, very near the race area. A good thing is that most of the riders stayed there and the camaraderie was great.
What result did you get and are you happy with it?
I end up 8th in Gold Class. I was very happy with my performance at this race.
Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?
Totally, and it is also near my country so I could drive there and race with my own bike.
Finally, would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?
Yes, I would recommend this race to any rider who loves Hard Enduro and wants to have a different experience racing at high altitude and with a very particular type of terrain. It’s a very well-known race and the oldest one in South America.
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