Daniel McCanney has agreed terms with the Italian factory TM for the 2019 Maxxis Enduro World Championship.

Third in this year’s E3 class riding for the Spanish Gas Gas team, the 27-year-old was concerned that the Gerona outfit was not prepared to contest the entire championship, which he is keen to do.

Having won both the British Sprint and Timecard Enduro Championship titles this year, with the backing of UK importer John Shirt and local Gas Gas dealer Juan Knight, McCanney is hoping to successfully defend the titles on the lesser-known TM.

But with the team being Italy-based, they also want him to contest their national championships.

’It’s a relatively small team, based in Pesaro, on the Adriatic coast. All the bikes are hand built, but they are a well-established company with a good track record so I am confident that the bike will be good for me,’ he said yesterday.

It was also announced this week that the 2019 International Six Days Enduro will take place in Italy, although a date (likely to be at the end of August/early September) has yet to be confirmed.

Daniel’s team-mate at TM will be Frenchman Loïc Larrieu, who ironically partnered his brother, Jamie McCanney, in the Outsider Yamaha team this year.

Larrieu will ride a 300cc four-stroke in E2 , while Daniel will ride the EN300 Fi two-stroke in E3.

The Manxman won the 2011 European Enduro Championship prior to signing for the Gas Gas factory first time around for the start of his professional career in 2012. He was Junior Super Enduro (indoor) Champion in 2013, outdoor junior champion with Beta in 2014, before spending three years with Husqvarna and then returning to Gas Gas this year.

l He wishes to thank IoM Sport Aid, Duke Video and Juan Knight for the support he received throughout 2018.