Beta Factory and Alfredo Gomez create new Hard Enduro Team
Beta Factory announce Alfredo Gomez will form a new Hard Enduro Team to race SuperEnduro and Hard Enduro World Championships.
Beta Racing’s commitments outside of the EnduroGP and Italian Enduro championships has always been a bit on and off. Since Jonny Walker left the factory racing set-up earlier in 2024, there’s been a gap at the races – a fact more notable because the bikes are certainly popular with extreme enduro riders.
Ciao and Hola, Senior Gomez, who has signed a two-year deal with the manufacturer based just outside Florence to race himself and form a new Beta Hard Enduro Team.
Hi Alfredo, congrats on the new programme. Tell us how this new project came about?
Alfredo Gomez: “Okay, well, Beta made me an offer to race with them. I told them that I have a (junior) team and I wanted to bring them and myself together. They liked my proposal because there is no hard enduro team at Beta so the idea was to create the Beta hard enduro team.”
Which series’ will the team race?
“Hard Enduro and Super Enduro as there is a new 125 category in the SuperEnduro World Championship. The team will be two Spanish kids, Eneko Martinez and Ramon Godino, and an Australian, Michael Blake. They are all 16-years-old and they will race with 125 Betas.
“They will race in the Youth category and I will do it in Prestige. Then, in the Hard Enduro world championship, I will be racing plus Felix Baker and probably two more riders whose names I still don’t know, I’m working on it. For now, Felix Baker and myself, 100%.”
Will it be a Beta Factory team or a Beta Factory Alfredo Gomez team…?
“We still don’t know what the final name will be but it will be something like Beta Factory Alfredo Gomez because of the paddock structure I already have from this and previous seasons.
“It’s not a radical change from my old team to a Beta team, but it will be half and half. The guys who work with me will continue to be the same. And in Beta someone will come to reinforce at the races. That’s the idea.”
What has made you change to Beta? A more attractive project?
“The economic part, first. And then Beta has a very competitive motorcycle base, they are world champions in enduro and, at Rieju (where Alfredo has been development rider for two years), the injection motorcycle is in development, at least until now.
“In order to be able to set up a 100% Rieju or 100% Beta structure, I need a competitive motorcycle base, more competitive. And today, the truth is that Beta has given me that possibility.”
Have you ridden the Beta 300 2T yet? What is your first impression?
“Yes, I have had the bike for two weeks now. It is a bike with a lot of low-end power. The double spark plug engine practically camouflages the exhaust valve and the chassis is very similar to the Rieju but feels lighter. The engine is much fuller, it is a modern engine. The clutch works very well and mechanically it is very easy to work on.”
What will be your role from now on: will you compete and lead the team?
“Yes, both. I will be my number one rider! (laughs). I still want to race, I am 35 years old and I think with a competitive bike I can be at the front. As long as I can afford it, I will continue doing it. I want to race for three more years or something like that.
“I have signed for two, the truth is that SuperEnduro is not what I like most to compete in – I’ve been doing it for 16 years and now the idea is to pass on what I know to the guys who are going to come with me from within and for it to be an added incentive for those who are on my team.”
You have many years also as a development rider for different manufacturers, will you continue this at Beta?
“I don’t know yet, but almost certainly I’ll have to develop the bike as well. Fabrizio Dini, who is a former rider and the person in charge of racing and development at Beta, is here. Yesterday when we arrived at the factory he was already dressed in riding clothing! I hope that my opinion will be an opinion to take into account.”
And about your own bike and set-up, how does it look jumping on a new bike with just two weeks to SuperEnduro round one?
“From the base bike they’ve given me, which was what Johnny had and the easiest place to start, the same two-stroke base they use in the world championship.
“We’ve already been talking and we’re not going to touch anything, the suspension or engine, and for now I’m going to continue with the same setting. I’ve changed the suspension a little, which are made for me by Fauser and we’ve already done a couple of tests. Now this week we will do another one and little by little, taking small steps so as not to make mistakes, improve my feeling.”
Will you debut with everything in round one?
“Yes, with the three kids! Right now we are preparing the riding gear. The idea is for me to be in Prestige and then the kids in Youth class. In other words, it is a junior team in the Hard Enduro and in the SuperEnduro. We’re looking forward to it.”
The 2025 SuperEnduro World Championship begins in Gliwice on December 14.
