The best enduro racers on the planet have only three days left to prepare for the start of the 2015 MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championships. Round 1 of this seven-round series takes place on April 18 and 19 in the city of Talca, Chile. Hot temperatures and rocky, hard and dry tracks await the more than 100 competitors.

KTM, Husqvarna, Sherco, Gas Gas, Beta and Kawasaki will all be sending teams to compete in the highest level of enduro competition. Yamaha Racing will also be making its official return to the FIM Enduro World Championships this weekend.

It’s been six years since Yamaha competed, but according to a press release, the team’s WR250F star, Cristobal Guerrero, has his eyes set on a podium finish in Talca. The Spaniard ended the 2014 enduro season in third overall for the prestigious E1 class (he was racing for KTM at the time). He returns in 2015 as a favourite, along with KTM’s Christophe Nambotin and TM Racing’s Eero Remes.

“I’m really looking forward to the new season,” said Guerrero. “After a long and very productive winter of testing, I feel ready to challenge for a strong result in Chile. Having raced Yamaha machinery in the past, I immediately jelled well with the all-new WR250F. It’s an extremely impressive bike and is a lot of fun to ride. I know the competition will be tough in Talca—everyone has been training hard—but despite being a young team we are ready for the fight.”