2015 California Enduro Series Round 1 Recap: Battle Born Enduro

This weekend just over California's border in the mountains outside of Reno, NV, an exciting day of racing kicked off the 2015 California Enduro Series at the Battle Born Enduro.


Round 1 of the California Enduro Series began on Peavine Mountain. Downtown Reno could be seen from every stage.

The trails of Peavine Mountain served as a prime location for the first race of the series. At 8,200 feet tall, the high desert mountain offered spectacular views of Reno and the surrounding desert. The high elevation coupled with the loose sandy corners and technical rocky descents provided plenty of challenges for competitors this weekend.

Pro rider Lauren Gregg (Pivot/Fox Factory) chatting it up with Jason Moeschler (WTB Cannondale Overmountain) prior to the race start. A flat tire on Stage 2 significantly hurt Gregg's final result but she was able to make up enough time to end up in 5th place, showing strong fitness going into the season. Moeschler, along with many other riders, also experienced technicals on the course but still ended up with a very respectable 11th place finish.

The Pro/Cat 1 category was the largest the California Enduro Series has yet seen, with 200 participants at the start line! The crowd's excitement for the first round of the Series was off the charts.


Luna Pro rider Katerina Nash putting down the power on Stage One. Battle Born was her first Enduro race ever, but the seasoned racer excelled in the new format. The Peavine trails are familiar training grounds to Nash and her fitness and skill landed her on top of the podium.

Marco Osborne (WTB Cannondale Overmountain) smashing a pedally section of Stage 2. Marco ended up 2nd in the Pro men's field, with the fastest Pro time down the gnarliest segment, Stage 5.


Round One saw a strong turnout for the Junior category. Here is Danny Molineda looking smooth and fast on Stage 2.

Doug Thayer looking fast and focused. Thayer posted impressive times on all five stages and ended up on the top step for the Pro Men Category.

Mechanicals were common on the technically demanding course. Many racers' chances of strong finishes were dashed by issues with their bikes or crashes in the loose sand or unpredictable rocks.

Kevin Smallman (Cannondale Incycle) going hard and looking determined on Stage 4.
Stage 4 was the longest of the stages with the most pedalling and opportunity to make up time. The roughly 7-8 minute segment included a lung-busting climb and a long pedally traverse to the finish line.

Sport rider Zach Peterson dialing in his line through Stage 4's rock garden during practice. On race day, Peterson crushed the field and took first place in his category, finishing 30 seconds in front of second. He has wisely chosen to move up to the Expert category for the remainder of the series.

Spirits were high at the festival after the race. Racers and fans enjoyed delicious local food and beer while anxiously awaiting results. Results were delayed due to some technical issues, but the crowd was kept entertained with prizes and raffles until the times were finally calculated.

The California Enduro Series made the exciting announcement that they have teamed up with the Chillhouse (link- http://www.thechillhouse.com/California-Enduro-Series-Raffle) to offer an unbelievable raffle prize, a once in a lifetime Bike and Surf Vacation to Bali for one lucky winner and a guest!

When times were finally posted, it was a mad rush to the Results board as everyone scrambled to see how the times had shaken out. With five stages and plenty of places on the course to either make a mistake or make up time, it was difficult to predict how you placed before actually getting your eyes on the results.

19 year old Dillon Santos impressed everyone with his amazing 4th place Pro finish. Santos won the Series last year in the Junior category, and at Battle Born he proved he can still hold his own now racing with the big dogs in the Pro category.

Pro Men's Podium
1- Doug Thayer
2- Marco Osborne (not pictured) (WTB Cannondale Overmountain)
3- Kyle Warner (Marin)
4- Dillon Santos (Ibis Cycles)
5- Corey Sullivan (not pictured) (EThirteen)


Pro Women's Podium
1- Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team)
2- Brianne Spiersch (Marin Rabbobank)
3- Monika Renk
4- Amy Morrison
5- Lauren Gregg (Pivot/FOX)

Words by Lauren Gregg, Photos by Scott McClain, Called To Creation.