2016 French Enduro Series: Round One, Raon l’Etape - Practice Day
Bike riding gets underway here today in Raon l’Etape for the first round of the 2016 French Enduro Series, we’re here in the picturesque region of the Vosges surrounded by green rolling hills. Today was the first time the riders had been able to see the trails, and the format is run as a race. Each rider had a time slot to practice each trail and then the final run of the day was a race run on stage one. This was to help seed the riders for racing on Sunday.
Jerome Clementz took the first stage in the men’s and Cecile Ravanel in the women’s.
![Good morning from the French Enduro Series in Raon l Etape]()
![The Vosges are pretty stunning.]()
![Pauline Dieffenthaler getting her bike set this morning and Remy Absalon checking his pressures.]()
![2016 French Enduro Series Round One - Practice Day Raon l Etape]()
![And it s go time All the riders must set off from the paddock at an allotted time.]()
![There s no uplifts here for practice it s all pedal power.]()
![2016 French Enduro Series Round One - Practice Day Raon l Etape]()
![At the top of the stages the riders take a quick walk down from the top to see what they re up against]()
![It begins here.]()
![Aller aller aller.]()
![2016 French Enduro Series Round One - Practice Day Raon l Etape]()
![Nico Vouilloz is one of the first men down and looks pretty comfortable on his e-bike.]()
![Some trails are perfect singletrack with leaves brushing your hands and feet.]()
![But best not to cut any corners though big rocks are hidden within the bushes.]()
![Pauline Dieffenthaler came in fourth place today in the final stage.]()
![2016 French Enduro Series Round One - Practice Day Raon l Etape]()
![There are a few rest stops loaded with energy.]()
![Danger]()
![Theo Galy darting through the woods and finished with an 11th place today.]()
![Local lad Alexis Noirot was looking pretty confident today who is now ranked second for tomorrows racing.]()
![Nico Quere.]()
![Rae Morrison all the way from New Zealand stormed her way into Second place after the first stage today.]()
![A quick break in the middle of the day for lunch and a bit of a rest.]()
![And to watch back those crashes from the mornings practice]()
![2016 French Enduro Series Round One - Practice Day Raon l Etape]()
![Nico Vouilloz.]()
![Ludovic Oget through the rock section at the top of Stage 4 although this stage has now been scrapped as it was super technical and deemed too dangerous for racing.]()
![29 Just ask this guy]()
![Seb Claquin styling it up at the bottom of his race run and into third position.]()
![Yannick Pontal at warp speed.]()
![Stage three was fresh and a few riders down it was kicking up a lot of soft dirt]()
![The legendary Sabrina Jonnier is here racing the e-bike category.]()
![Elliot Trabac.]()
![Rae Morrison through the rocks.]()
![Cecile Ravanel dashing through the trees]()
![and then styling it up in her race run taking the lead by quite a margin.]()
![Jerome Clementz.]()
![Cheers from Jerome he s just a few hours from home here and is pretty happy to be racing here]()
![He also makes time for his fans.]()
![Second place Alexis Noirot left and third place Seb Claquin right . After day 1.]()
![The pizza vans were on site to provide everyone with dinner.]()
![And Crepes.]()
![See you tomorrow for racing]()
MENTIONS: @BWinder
Jerome Clementz took the first stage in the men’s and Cecile Ravanel in the women’s.
Good morning from the French Enduro Series in Raon l'Etape
The Vosges are pretty stunning.
Pauline Dieffenthaler getting her bike ready this morning and Remy Absalon checking his pressures.
And it's go time... All the riders must set off from the paddock at an allotted time.
There are no uplifts here for practice, it's all pedal power.
At the top of the stages the riders take a quick walk down from the top to see what they're up against!
It begins here.
Aller, aller, aller.
Nico Vouilloz is one of the first men down, and looks pretty comfortable on his e-bike.
Some trails are perfect singletrack with leaves brushing your hands and feet.
But best not cut any corners, though, big rocks are hidden amongst the bushes.
Pauline Dieffenthaler came in fourth place today on the final stage.
There are a few rest stops loaded with energy.
Danger!
Theo Galy darting through the woods, he finished with an 11th place today.
Local lad, Alexis Noirot was looking pretty confident today. He is now ranked second for tomorrow's racing.
Nico Quere.
Rae Morrison all the way from New Zealand, stormed her way into second place after the first stage today.
A quick break in the middle of the day for lunch and a bit of a rest.
And to look back on those crashes from morning practice!
Nico Vouilloz.
Ludovic Oget through the rock section at the top of stage four. This stage has now been scrapped as it was super technical and deemed too dangerous for racing.
Just ask this guy...
Seb Claquin styling it up at the bottom of his race run and into third position.
Yannick Pontal at warp speed.
Stage three was fresh, and a few riders down it was kicking up a lot of soft dirt!
The legendary, Sabrina Jonnier is here racing the e-bike category.
Elliot Trabac.
Rae Morrison through the rocks.
Cecile Ravanel dashing through the trees...
...and then styling it up in her race run, taking the lead by quite a margin.
Jerome Clementz.
Cheers from Jerome, he's just a few hours from home here and is pretty happy to be racing!
He also makes time for his fans.
Second place, Alexis Noirot (left) and third place, Seb Claquin (right). After day one.
The pizza vans were on site to provide everyone with dinner.
And crepes.
See you tomorrow for racing!
MENTIONS: @BWinder
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It's not about the mode, it's about the likely closing of trails due to user conflicts "generated" by more people on bikes that don't have the investment of time or effort to understand the diplomacy needed to keep trail access. Since hikers and equestrians can't tell the difference between e-bikes and non, closure to all bikes is a likely result of the inevitable conflicts caused by faster equipment with more uninformed or don't-give-a-shit riders.
And @nicolai12 , all bikes are mechanized. Regulating is probably necessary, but enforcement will be increasingly difficult as the units become more difficult to detect. The bottom line is any d-bag who spooks or injures another trail user - especially one on foot or horse - will be lumped into the same category, and kicked off the trails. E-bikes make that MUCH more likely to occur, both in the speed of the instrument, and in the lack of understanding (or concern) of the pilot.
For an enduro race where you have to ride to the start of stages it seems an unfair advantage to allow ebikes. It's like getting a lift to the top.
Sorry Nico but you've just lost every last bit of respect I had for you.
Same here and I'm not sorry
Motorsport is not bike racing. Period.
Maybe just maybe Nico knows something you do not? ??
Oh and it is practice still, smart move by using an ebike to pre ride. Save energy for race day.
I watched French E-bike racing from up close and it is every bit as hard as racing without an engine. They ride up extremely technical uphills, which takes lots of handling skills and balance with a bike as heavy as that. These guys still have to make the difference by pedal power. Downhill, the weight does not help either. Each their own; as long as they race in their own category, I'm fine with it.
You've got to see this in its context. The French truly embrace risky outdoor sports, motorized or not and their downhill/enduro racing culture is second to none. When racers like Vouillioz or Jonnier ride an E-bike, it's not just literally worlds apart from the image of the fat, trail blocking, trail destroying U.S. rider without skills some seem to have in mind.