After a seven-week break, the HESG riders, organizers, and fans finally returned to action. The southernmost stop of the series in Reisersberg had been eagerly anticipated by many. As usual, the MCC Reisersberg powered by X-Grip pulled out all the stops, putting in tremendous effort to deliver a spectacular track.
And it certainly delivered – especially after a downpour on Friday afternoon, jokingly referred to by series boss Denis Günther as "Hamma 2.0" (a nod to the thunderstorm during last year’s race in Hamma). By Saturday, the course was in top form – and that was necessary, as the club had created several new sections that truly lived up to the "Hardenduro" name.
Facts, Hardenduro im Hexenkessel Reisersberg 12.07.2025
• Weather: 19°C, partly cloudy
• ACE Bikes Prolog Award winner: Leon Hentschel (Beta)
• Overall winner: Milan Schmüser
• Fastest race lap: Milan Schmüser (Beta), 12:50.526
Slippery Track Shapes the ACE Bikes Prolog Award
Due to rain on Friday and overnight into race day, the short prologue lap was extremely slippery for the first riders. Henry Strauss, who was first out on the track, felt it especially:
"I had a really poor lap, but I still managed to take second place."
The surprise winner was Leon Hentschel, who also called the Reisersberg round his favorite event of the year. Series leader Milan Schmüser took third. The improving conditions were evident as several guest riders managed to finish high up in the prologue results.
Group Races Push Riders to Their Limits
Even the group races proved to be extremely demanding. In particular, the many rock sections were energy-draining, with some riders only completing a single lap during the 90-minute race.
Leon Hentschel picked up right where he left off in the prologue. Although the lead changed hands multiple times, he ultimately came out on top ahead of Milan Schmüser. With this group win, the 2021 Reisersberg victor secured a strong starting position for the final.
A surprisingly strong performance came from Eric Seifert, who piloted his Stark Varg to third place – marking the first time an e-bike (even if only in the group race) reached the top 3. This also earned him the win in the HESG E-Bike category, ahead of Wanja Morlinghaus, who completed his first race on the Stark without major ambitions.
The second group race was clearly won by Henry Strauss, ahead of Marc Wulf. The women’s category was won by Karolina Vrchotova after a close battle with Julia Bittner. In the Luminus Energie HESG Kids 85cc class, Loris Solbrig claimed his fourth win of the season.
Final Race Delivers Plenty of Drama
The final once again resembled a tightrope act. MCC Reisersberg powered by X-Grip had set out to deliver a demanding and spectacular track. With a mixed field of guest riders and less experienced series regulars, bottlenecks at key sections were inevitable. Sure enough, the first tough climb created a traffic jam at the very start, taking some time to clear.
Milan Schmüser, who was in the lead after lap 1, managed to navigate the tight spots smoothly – as did several other top riders.
The final once again resembled a tightrope act. MCC Reisersberg powered by X-Grip had set out to deliver a demanding and spectacular track. With a mixed field of guest riders and less experienced series regulars, bottlenecks at key sections were inevitable. Sure enough, the first tough climb created a traffic jam at the very start, taking some time to clear.
Milan Schmüser, who was in the lead after lap 1, managed to navigate the tight spots smoothly – as did several other top riders.
Henry Strauss, on the other hand, struggled with the first bottleneck and had to make several attempts, which cost him a lot of time early on. But as the race progressed, he found his rhythm, steadily made up ground, and eventually climbed to third place.
At the front, a duel emerged between Beta teammates Schmüser and Hentschel. Both had to dismount several times to push their bikes. Hentschel later aptly described the race as "Real Hardenduro Reisersberg."
The day’s victory went to Milan Schmüser, who extended his championship lead over Henry Strauss to seven points: "I had a good battle with Leon in the first lap, but from the second lap on, I was able to pull away. That was important because there were so many sections where you simply lost time. This really was a true hard enduro – I hope we see more like this in the rest of the season."
Leon Hentschel also drew a positive conclusion: "It was extremely exhausting, but a lot of fun. The track was great, the weather was just right, and the bike held up. Thanks to my team, Peschel Motorradsport."
Henry Strauss, though not fully satisfied, still found encouraging words:
"My day was pretty mixed. After a poor prologue, the first lap of the final didn’t go well either. I had a few bike issues but managed to settle in and fought back from P7 to P3. There are still a few races left in the season."
Early Decision in the Senior Class
In the seniors category, an early decision has been made: Kai Uebe crowned himself champion with another victory. The Thuringian rider has won every race so far this season.
Things remain more competitive in other classes. Among the amateurs, Pascal Kaupa earned maximum points for the first time and reduced the gap to Sören Emich, who finished only third this time. The day’s win went to Austrian guest rider Ralf Wartecker,who piloted his Stark Varg to the brand’s first-ever victory in the series. Together with Eric Seifert, who achieved an impressive fifth overall, this sends a strong signal for the e-bike concept.
Another guest rider claimed victory in the juniors: Lorenz Steinkellner took his first win in the series after several previous attempts. Series leader Matthis Millich narrowly defended his top spot against Emil Kessler, who moved up to second in the standings with his podium in Reisersberg.
Series Organization Praises Event
The HESG organizational team around Denis Günther was highly satisfied with the event in the Bavarian Forest: "We leave Reisersberg with a smile, as we witnessed an exciting race day with tight competition and many happy faces. Thanks to MCC Reisersberg powered by X-Grip for the excellently prepared course and strong organization. We’re already looking forward to 2026."
The series now enters another short break before heading into the final phase on September 13th in Schwepnitz. Three more events remain on the calendar.
Up-to-date information on the Auner HardEnduroSeries Germany is always available at www.hardenduro-germany.de and on social media.
Photos: Michel238pic/Michel Kuchel