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After a rough and dusty round one of the Enduro World Series, the trails above Canazei, Italy, were well worn and full of holes. The opening track, called Titans, was freshly re-cut this spring, and the loose soil quickly became a minefield of hub-deep holes between the roots that swallowed a lot of speed. For the Pro Stage on Friday, riders had to get air anywhere they could to avoid those wheel-eating depressions, which became trickier as the race continued thanks to heavy rain that rolled in shortly after the start.
Devinci’s Georgia Astle finished in 19th on her new high-pivot ride.
The original plan was to race Titans one more time on Saturday, but by the racing hour, the track needed far too much work so it was cut from the roster. With three stages left, the EWS organizers also decided to neutralize a longer climb on Animal House trail. During round one several riders had mentioned that the steep climb had their heart rates so high that the following root-field was decidedly more dangerous. To neutralize the climb, riders passed a checkpoint that deactivated their timing chips, and then passed a new start line near the top of the climb. They had a reasonable amount of time to walk or ride between the electric chip readers, though a lot of folks said that they kept the pace pinned so that muscle fatigue wouldn’t set in and mess up the extremely physical following segment.
Hundreds of trees fell across the trails during a powerful spring storm, limiting the tracks that builders could clear ahead fo the event. This stone hip created a launchpad for racers to clear a long section of wet roots.
Korem and ALN leaning it over for the video reel. Who shredded it best?
Any rider on a simple single-pivot bike like this Kona was likely stoked with their easy cleanup afterward.
Eyes up toward more slippery stuff. Estelle Charles was ripping below the thunder on her prototype frame from Rossignol. The exposed sections of trail dried up significantly for Saturday’s race.Yet, even the slightest amount of shade meant sliding and spraying dirt. EWS legend Isabeau Courdurier’s father died two months ago, and this race was one of the first times she’s touched a bike since. After the race she said that it felt great to be on her bike again, though she missed having her biggest fan and supporter around.Get low and look up. Miranda Miller is riding as strong as ever this year.Opening the turn up right.Kasper Woolley looked to be pleased with his new team, finishing high in the top-half of the results sheet.This little hip added fun to a briefly easy segment of flow trail. Vid Persak was happy to play around while letting his arms rest a little. Gravity MTB isn’t the only extreme sport in Val di Fassa.Smiling at full tilt.
A few riders really gave us a show. If you’re not going to win, you may as well party.
Even Rude found time for a little flare, despite the leader’s plate bolted to his handlebar.Oh yeah, fully saved it.In case you were wondering how riders remember all of those start times. This handlebar is attached to Wyn Masters’ top-secret new bike from GT. Stay tuned…
The end of the final stage in town. Again, who shredded it best? Let us know in the comments below. Sophie Riva took a commanding U21 win with her dual-crown Formula fork keeping the front wheel in check.In a surprising twist, the elite women’s podium wasn’t entirely French, with Melanie Pugin earning first, Morgane Charre in second, and Harriet Harnden from the UK in third place. Courdurier finished round two just off the podium in fourth position.
These women are so happy to be back at work.
Matt Walker wetting down some bikes during the team awards. Walker finished in 13th position, while Jack Moir, Richie Rude, and Charles Murray took the top three steps.
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