Superenduro 2016: Round Two, Varazze - Saturday Practice
We’re back for practice day two here in Varazze for the second round of the Superenduro. The sun was beaming down all day today, but nothing that a run and jump into the sea couldn’t solve.
As it was a Saturday the trails were rammed, with people practicing and also some out for their weekend ride. But a lot of the top guys treated it as a rest day and took it pretty steady to get ready for tomorrows racing.
With the pits set up in the morning, it began to feel like a race and there was/is a buzz in the air, pits and stands are lining the already extremely chaotic streets.
![To say the pits are a stone s throw from the sea is no understatement.]()
![Superenduro.]()
![To add to the hustle and bustle of the pits expo area it was also market day. Offering some of the most unessential ooh I might need that one day items.]()
![Alex Lupato and Andrea Pirazzoli working on bike set up first thing.]()
![The Pope of Enduro Enrico Guala. The voice of Italian Enduro he s one of the main men here at Superenduro too.]()
![Bikes onto the rack.]()
![And up to 1000m.]()
![This rock huck was getting eyed up for quite some time a crowd gathered and in the end it was peer pressure that pushed this guy to go for it.]()
![A serious lack of grip through these rocks with a coating of dust on them and your tyres.]()
![This section of trail felt like you were way in the wilderness no signs of civilization except a tiny glimmer in the distance.]()
![Yep. That is a small cave under the trail.]()
![Rock dusty and lushes greenery.]()
![Warp speed through the woods.]()
![The e-bike category is back for another round they re only racing a selection of the stages. It ll be interesting to see what the future holds for these bikes.]()
![There was some amazing light in the woods in the morning.]()
![Superenduro 2016 Round Two Varazze - Saturday Practice]()
![Towards the bottom of stage three it suddenly opens up into this incredible vista. Amazing.]()
![There are some high consequences for mistakes here.]()
![The dust is still out in force.]()
![Back closer to the seafront now stage four lures you in with a fast flowy top section and then drops away into a rocky boneshaker for what feels like an eternity.]()
![The trails are amazing. It s pretty nice here.]()
![The riders briefing finished the day off here today in Varazze.]()
![Superenduro 2016 Round Two Varazze - Saturday Practice]()
![Ps. A massive thank you to these guys who saw me struggling totally unprepared with a puncture miles away from anything and gave me a tube and saved me.]()
MENTIONS: @BWinder / @Superenduro
As it was a Saturday the trails were rammed, with people practicing and also some out for their weekend ride. But a lot of the top guys treated it as a rest day and took it pretty steady to get ready for tomorrows racing.
With the pits set up in the morning, it began to feel like a race and there was/is a buzz in the air, pits and stands are lining the already extremely chaotic streets.
To say the pits are a stone’s throw from the sea is no understatement.
Superenduro.
To add to the hustle and bustle of the pits/expo area, it was also market day. Offering some of the most unessential (‘ooh I might need that one day&rsquo
items.
items.
Alex Lupato and Andrea Pirazzoli working on bike set up first thing.
The ‘Pope of Enduro’ Enrico Guala. The voice of Italian Enduro, he’s one of the main men here at Superenduro too.
Bikes onto the rack.
And up to 1000m.
This rock huck was getting eyed up for quite some time, a crowd gathered and in the end it was peer pressure that pushed this guy to go for it.
A serious lack of grip through these rocks, with a coating of dust on them and your tyres.
This section of trail, felt like you were way in the wilderness, no signs of civilization except a tiny glimmer in the distance.
Yep. That is a small cave under the trail.
Rock, dusty and lushes greenery.
Warp speed through the woods.
The e-bike category is back for another round, they’re only racing a selection of the stages. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for these bikes.
There was some amazing light in the woods in the morning.
Towards the bottom of stage three it suddenly opens up into this incredible vista. Amazing.
There are some high consequences for mistakes here.
The dust is still out in force.
Back closer to the seafront now, stage four lures you in with a fast flowy top section and then drops away into a rocky boneshaker for what feels like an eternity.
The trails are amazing. It’s pretty nice here.
The riders briefing finished the day off here today in Varazze.
Ps. A massive thank you to these guys who saw me struggling (totally unprepared) with a puncture miles away from anything, and gave me a tube and saved me.
MENTIONS: @BWinder / @Superenduro
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I was thinking something very similar when I saw that e-bike pic.
Is it just me, or does it seem strange that e-bikes would race Enduros? A format with a name based on the word "endure"? I thought the liaison portion, while not timed, was a big part of the format. And a motorized biked used on any portion of the course defeats the purpose of an Enduro..
The pedal assisted bikes were reaching higher speeds.
On a side note:
Equestrians do way more damage than any ebike doing laps will.
if you guys don't have to deal with equestrians then your lucky. They do tons of damage and most have a negative disposition to mtb'rs.
I don't know about your guys' trails, but with the way e-bikes work right now, i.e. Pedal assist only, they're useless on DH sections on my home turf. It's just too technical and tight. It might save a couple of seconds of Strava but most don't give a sh*t about that.
The average Joe does not have the fitness to ride and e-bike more than 3 laps at speed on the trails I ride. Maybe if they go slower they could but then they probably wont do much trail damage.
Get some kid who races bmx that gets one for xmas and then I could see having problems...
If the category e bikes are racing in is different, can you explain that category for us?
And why don't they just have their own little Super-D league or something? Far less confusion. E Super-D. ED for short. Viagra and Cialis can be sponsors. LOL
Anyway...
There is still nothing enduro or endurance about e-bikes when compared to our current EWS, Super Enduro, Big Mountain Enduro, and all of the regional series out there.
NO.
Then again I'm not an Enduro guy. I'd like to think that it would be the real deal with courses run blind but perhaps that's totally unrealistic.
2nded on the able bodied E-bikes! We sold a long travel E-full suss to an older rider and trail builder who had some pretty serious health problems and it was awesome that it let him get back out on the trail again, but for people who are still capable of pedalling properly... WTF, bros?