Enduro World Series racing kicked off at its first ever double-header in the Dolomites and six riders would come out on top.
Rain threatened but never appeared for racing in the opening round of the 2021 Enduro World Series in Val di Fassa Trentino, with riders left to battle first race nerves rather than the elements.
Here’s who kicked off the season with the silverware.
U21 Women
Polly Henderson became yet another Tweed Valley resident to step onto a World-level podium, taking three of the four stages. She’d be pushed all the way by Anna Newkirk and Jess Blewitt who were over half a minute ahead of fourth place. Expect these three to be battling for the win all season as they were only separate by seven seconds.
U21 Men
It was a good day for the UK in U21 men as Jamie Edmondson continued his strong form and took three of the four stage wins, only losing a stage to Francescu Camoin who would end up third. Luke Meier-Smith would be consistently in the top three all day and end up just over six seconds back on the Rockshox Trek rider in second.
Master Women
Liv Racing’s Leonie Picton would run off the Master Women victory with a clean sweep of the stages, coming back to the pits after four stages with a mighty one minute, forty five second advantage on second place. Her time would put her inside the top 30 in Elite Women.
Master Men
Karim Amour would follow Leonie Picton’s example and come away with the Master Men’s win by a minute and nineteen seconds despite coming in third on stage 3. Three of the top five in this category were Brits though, so we know how to churn out the fast, old boys.
Elite Women
Take a bow Isabeau Cordurier. Her win in Val di Fassa Trentino was a true champion’s ride. He reaction to winning after crossing the line showed it all. She’d dedicate the win to her late father after stating that simply getting to the start line would be enough. A true class act that will no doubt be the one to beat yet again this year.
Big shout out to Trek Factory Racing Enduro’s Harriet Harnden who would take the win on Stage 3, four seconds up on Isabeau, in her first Elite year.
Morganne Charre wouldn’t be out of the top three all day and slotted into second, just shy of fourteen seconds back. Melanie Pugin would continue her form from last season, much like Charre, taking the stage 2 win, and not being out of the top three. These three would be a step ahead of the rest of the pack.
Massive shout out to Katy Winton who’d shrug off the challenges thrown at her this winter, riding consistent through the day to end up sixth overall.
Elite Men
Richie Rude would take the day by a whisker over Jack Moir. Rude would take the first three stage wins, with Moir taking the last, leaving them 0.58 seconds apart. 27 minutes of racing came down to the blink of an eye. These two will no doubt be after the overall at the end of the season.
Jesse Melamed would get himself on the last step of the box but likely won’t be happy with being fourteen seconds back on the front two.
Some riders that we’re used to seeing at the sharp end came unstuck in this first round. Kevin Miquel was building nicely before a disastrous last stage (126th) left him back in the mid forties. Greg Callaghan would post one top 10 stage time then end up thirty second overall. Florian Nicolai would yoyo between top 15 stages and top 60, and even Sam Hill would go second on stage 1 but struggle to get into the top 10 after that.
Round 2 is in the same location, so it’s time to brush off the dust or the cobwebs and go again.
