Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1531664
Blazusiak Quits Stark Future H ard enduro legend Taddy Blazusiak announced that he is quitting the Stark Future team. Blazusiak and electric motor - cycle manufacturer Stark Future announced a partnership in the fall of 2023. They were expected to join forces in the FIM Super - Enduro Championship that sea- son, but due to the FIM blocking the use of electric motorcycles, they did not get to race. They began development of the off-road Varg EX that is due to be released in early 2025 and managed to race in a couple of events that allowed the electric bikes to compete head-to-head with gas-powered motorcycles. The FIM allowed electric bikes for the 2024-2025 SuperEnduro season but with stipulations— adding weight to the motorcycle and reducing power output. This allowed the Stark Future team to compete with Blazusiak, along with teammate Eddie Karlsson. Blazusiak had a disappointing first round in Poland, where he finished only one of the three motos. Another disappointing re - sult followed in Germany, where Blazusiak did not score any points. The upside for Stark was Karlsson finishing sixth at the opening round, and he backed that up with a fifth-place finish in Germany, which included a strong third place in one of the three motos. A little over a week after the race in Germany, Blazusiak shared via social media that he was leav - ing the Stark Future team: "I inform that as of [January 15, 2025] I unilaterally terminate the contract with Stark Future company, and I refuse to race in the next races. "I also want to express my apologies for the event that hap - pened at [the] German GP, which was not my intention and was caused by the unpre - dictable reaction of the motorcycle." The apology comes from an on-track incident with German rider Tim Apolle and a shouting match afterward in the pits. Blazusiak was contracted to race for Stark Future in the 2025 FIM SuperEnduro Champion - ship. CN reached out to Stark Fu- ture, which provided the follow- ing statement by Anton Wass, the CEO and founder of Stark Future: "We would like to provide clarity regarding the recent news about the end of our coopera - tion with Taddy Blazusiak. Stark Future and Taddy parted ways, marking the conclusion of a valued partnership. Taddy has been a significant part of Stark's journey, contributing notably to the development of the Varg EX and showcasing his race speed at events like the Super - Enduro of Champions, where he took second position among top competitors such as Jonny Walker and Brad Freeman. "Unfortunately, circumstances shifted following the FIM's decision to implement a penalty weight for electric bikes, despite the 'Open Class' category, since the start of the SuperEnduro World Championship season. While we understood Taddy's frustrations, we could not sup - port his recent decisions, includ- ing his refusal to race and his actions in Riesa, Germany. "While we are disappointed by the misrepresentation of events following this decision, we remain committed to moving forward with integrity. We wish Taddy all the best as he moves on to the next chapter of his life. "We look forward to welcom - ing new riders to our racing journey." CN WIND IN THE P56 Hard enduro legend Taddy Blazusiak and Stark Future have parted company.