Dh and xc are great and all, but

I'm most excited for the return of ews.



Just not as much live coverage, I guess also harder to cover the different track segments

 

Uh... please tell me I'm not seeing three e-bikes on the splash page for the video...

 

I don't think those are e-bikes in that photo. The one on the far right is a Nuke Proof Giga. But being members of the media, an e-bike could almost be justified.

Ahhh, but there is an e-bike category in EWS, I think. Which makes me laugh - gee - what could go wrong with trying to enforce fairness when there are motors involved? And ummm, wasn't the original idea of enduro to mimic how many of us ride - suffer to the top so you can enjoy the downs? The climbs aren't counted as part of the race, but climbing 5000' in a day between your segments certainly takes its toll on your DH abilities. But hey, let's erase that by using a motor.

 

And I was wondering the whole time how much Santa Cruz paid to have that High/Mega? Tower sitting there throughout the whole interview. It has to be a fraction of the broadcast TV rates for product placement, but it still can't be free...

 

I am stoked to see if Richie Rude and Sam Hill return at the top of their game! And Jesse Melamed, Martin Maes and a host of others have proven to be ridiculously fast as well. I like the host's pick of Jack Moir - the tall man is incredibly fast - and has survived an actual shark attack, so there's that. This is going to be incredible to witness.

As for viewing - while we don't really get much race day coverage, the highlight videos that come out after the event are usually jammed with amazing riding. Stoked to see it!

 

COnsidering how the enduro at Big Bear uses the lift chairs, people shuttle Rim Nordic, and the races are super short at Vail (no shuttle option), I don't think enduro is what you think enduro is.

(also why I don't race enduro, I like my climbs)

 

What enduro is, isn’t what it was, or what it is supposed to be.

What it is, is a way to sell a bike that you don’t already have. Same with e-enduro, mullet trail, reverse mullet XC (you know it’s coming), 14 speed 160mm hub spacing, and Genesis II geometry with biopace mark 3.

Wait, people shuttle Rim Nordic? ?!!?

 

Didn't you get the memo, riding e-bikes is just as much exercise as riding a real bike? At least, according to every e-biker. Guess they just get up the hill faster on their non-timed transfer segments? So it totally makes sense to ride one in an enduro race.

 

LOL, they really do believe that. I was going up Mathis about a year ago and an eBike rider tells me "I know it's cheating, but it is a great workout." Totally unsolicited comment as I had not said anything to him prior. I guess he felt guilty.

 

The ones that are really funny are the ones that claim how great a workout it is, while they're wearing a full face helmet and bluejeans. I can't imagine two things that would be more miserable to wear if you're truly exercising hard.

 

EWS utilizes various forms of uplift between some stages as well -but mostly to prevent it from being 10,000' of climbing in a day, or a three hour liaison. Those lads and lasses get more than their share of climbing on race day, then usually have to do it again tomorrow.

But you are right, I don't know how much climbing the racers have to do at local "enduro" races. I'll take your word for it that it's very little.

As you know - any race where the climbing is included in the race time will go to the dirt roadie. You can't erase a ten minute deficit in climbing on a 4 min. descent.

I disagree with @tick to some degree. Enduro racing was created in response to the ultra-capable, long travel all mountain bikes. The bikes were first, then the race format followed. The race format is a great way to test great descenders who are also physically fit. Racing might be propagated by selling bikes and other products, but it's invented to see how one rider compares to another. It is a test of riding really, really tough trails that you are either riding blind or with very little familiarity. Not the repetition of WC DH, and not just a dirt roadie race like XC. Granted, the downs have gotten really tough in XC, but it's a tiny percentage of the race.

 

Yep. Every time they do an enduro race there, several people get hauled up in pickups up the road and dropped off up by the lookout area.

Inevitably followed by "I can go ride a 40 mile loop in 2 hours because I have a motor"'

I enjoy "enduro" riding, and would consider "enduro racing" if it was a bit more like EWS where you still have to earn your climbs (most of it), but that's just not how local races work. It's just a lift day with people sitting around all day to ride for 15 minutes. I think the last race I did there was 300' after one stage with the other 3 stages being lift access. I did the entire race without the lift, proving it was possible to do the entire race without the lift and still finish mid pack in the Expert
category. I think it would be far better if the Pro class was required to pedal the entire event and/or do more stages. I would sign up for local Pro class enduro races if everyone was pedaling up.

I don't have the sprint power, and am at a lower skill level against those people, but at least it would feel like I rode my bike that day.

 

Here ya go. Not the best footage, but the first. Loved today's result!

 

I went to the Dolemites when the snow was gone. I wanted to see the land of my heroes; Tomba and McConke. What a wonderful place. The mountains are the color of travertine. Very tall very rugged. The people were Austrian and Germanic. I stopped at an old abandoned brick fort guarding a high pass. the ramparts faces towards Italy. Had a nice German meal. I have always wanted to ski there but I do not think it is a beautiful in winter, not that it is ugly in winter. It was almost 20 years ago and there were no mountain bikes there, or published mountain bike trails. I looked as I was already an established mtn dawg, I noticed the movie they used dry ski runs. It is nicer than US resort areas. It would be as if Vail - Beaver trails routed over the to to Aspen Buttermilk. Multiple valleys with many smaller towns sprinkled about. And the very dedicated could ride over the top and end up in Bershtesgaden in no time at all. A bit like riding over the Tetons
Happy dream trails

 

You had me at Tomba...

 

Here ya go! More to come...

 

Commentary from an Irish guy, an English guy, and Scottish guy... The islands of Britain and Ireland are well represented!

 

Yes - I'm quoting myself.

And spoiler alert...

 

Still waiting for Sam Hill to show. Clearly taking last year off makes for some adjustment time.
I wonder how the dynamic with Rude and Moir will shift when Mae's comes back?

 

EWS just finished two races in La Thuile Italy. (Fun fact - I've skied there!).
Another amazing few days of racing, and the top two men are in a heated battle after four rounds, with Canadian Jesse Melamed hanging in there right behind them.

I'll link some video if I find some.

Here's one:

 

Looked like Mae's was ready to start challenging the leaders, then gone done and concussed himself

 

That boy has been poised to kill it for years, then something always happens (like a disqualification, if I recall). He can't seem to buy a break. But what a talent! A hope he has a speedy and complete recovery.

But the two boys at the pointy end of the stick are putting on quite a show, are they not? So. Frickin. FAST!

 

Absolutely
So many times within a second of each other as well.

 

And the latest round came up so fast that it was finished and I saw the result before I even knew it was here....

 

And the top two men continued to be the top two men. I believe they race again tomorrow.

 

Another EWS at Loudenvielle underway right now and a WC DH in Lenzerheide just completed this morning. Lots of racing today!!!

 

There have only been two mens winners in the 6 EWS events this season - and that trend continued this weekend. But one of the two emerged with two wins this weekend instead of alternating with the other guy.

Richie Rude and Jack Moir continue to dominate, with one of them finally putting a little bit of daylight between himself and the other.

 

Highlight show.

 

So are you saying that women won the other 4? Or are those 4 the non-binary races for those that struggle to find the appropriate pronoun?

 

Keep your eyes out for local phenom Adien Chapin racing for Team Trek. Second place last weekend in U21 pro!