When the trio of men, consisting of Julian Puffe, Toni Finsterbusch and Max EnderleinWhen they hit the road together, action is guaranteed. For ten days, the Saxony-Thuringia duo has been tearing up the area around Almería, Spain, on bicycles and supermoto bikes. All in preparation for the upcoming racing season. Pedaling instead of revving. Fitness factor: high. Conclusion: “We’d need an apartment there forever.” And Enderlein quickly adds: “With a garage. And heating, please.”
Julian Puffe and Toni Finsterbusch have extended their contracts with their respective teams —BMWand Suzuki—in the IDM Superbike 1000 series. Puffe, the 23-year-old who finished third in the 2018 IDM standings, will remain with alpha Racing-Van Zon-BMW. Finsterbusch, the 25-year-old who finished sixth overall, will continue with Suzuki Mayer.
Klarheit herrscht inzwischen auch bei Max Enderlein, dem 22-jährigen Meister auf Yamaha in der IDM Supersport 600. „Ein paar Rennen werde ich wieder fahren, das steht fest“, versichert der fünffache Laufsieger aus Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Ob eine Titelverteidigung möglich ist, vermag er derzeit nicht zu sagen. Der angehende Wirtschaftswissenschaftler hat einen Job bei Porsche in Leipzig und kann noch nicht abschätzen, ob und an wieviel Rennwochenenden er frei bekommt.
On Boxing Day 2018, Puffe and Enderlein set off for Spain by car. Finsterbusch flew after them. They were on the go every day. Once, the trio also met up with Moto2 World Championship rider Lukas Tulovic, who was also in Spain and stopped by for a quick visit. “That was cool,” says Enderlein. “It’s always interesting to see how fast and well others ride.” Puffe wasn’t quite in his element yet: “I wasn’t the best.” In the meantime, everyone was passing a cold around from one to the next.
After ten days, the three IDM riders are packing their bags again for the trip home. This time, Enderlein is flying because it’s his grandpa’s birthday, and Finsterbusch is driving with Puffe. Enderlein, however, has a little problem tomorrow when he goes from warm Spain to cold Berlin. “I don’t have a jacket anymore.” The Saxon’s nice—and, above all, new—jacket was stolen on New Year’s Eve. The three guys had been rocking out in the tourist hotspot of Benidorm at a nightclub that was more like a disco. “I hope I can get through this,” Enderlein said, annoyed and sighing at the same time before their flight.