Practice was something of an unknown coming into this race. In previous years, while the Enduro des Portes du Mercantour has always been a big race, spread over two days, it has always been blind. However, at the EWS-level blind racing has been pushed out of the circuit and the rules now state that practice is mandatory. So the question for this week was - how do you organize practice for a race where the riders will tackle 3,200m of climbing during the race days?
Two days of practice was a non-starter - even for the elite riders, 6,400m up in four days would be pushing it. Even if you throw in some shuttles and a chairlift, it was still looking like a horror show. The compromise the organization decided on was to add an extra half day on Wednesday - so from 1pm stages one to four would be open, and then the same again on Thursday from 9am. On Friday riders could then hit five through to eight, assisted by the ski lift in the next town down the valley from Valberg, Beuil. Even with shuttles and two and a half days to practice the eight stages, it has still been a big week for riders, not helped by the ever-changing weather that soaks then dries the course - and with many of the pros taking multiple laps of the stages (except three, we haven't heard of anyone tackling that twice) there has been a hell of a lot of descending to do and a savage amount of climbing to come on Saturday...
The Parc du Mercantour isn't short on views, and the trails are top notch.
Gearing up for the big descent.
After a three hour pedal to the top of stage three it's time to have a snack and watch others drop in.
This is going to be a massive weekend, but Richie Rude is the man for the challenge. Question is, will anyone be able to challenge him?
With thunderstorms in the forecast for Saturday, stage 2 has been canceled to allow riders the chance reach the iconic stage 3.
Francois Bailly-Maitre has raced and won before on a similar combination of stages and was looking fast and comfortable right from the start of practice.
Stage 3 starts with a ridgeline traverse before plunging down though the forest for 1200 meters.
Josh Carlson drops into stage three. With practice starting at 1:00, many riders realized that the time restriction only applied to when you dropped into the stage, so you could make the two hour climb up to stage three before then and be ready to drop when the clock struck one, making Wednesday almost a full day of practice.
Cody Kelley boosts off one of the steep ridge lines at the top of stage 3.
Richie Rude dropping into stage three. It's about a three hour transfer to the top, and it's going to hurt after an already big day.
Jerome Clementz has won before here in Valberg, but not for a few years now. He certainly seems motivated this week and you know he wants to climb back onto the box before he starts to wind down his racing next year.
Hannah Barnes drops in while the picturesque Maritime Alps loom in the background.
Ride the spines for a wild time. The big knife edge from Trans Provence is out, but the rollercoaster is still in.
Jesse Melamed comes into this race hot after his stunning second place finish in Whistler. He showed in La Thuile that he can compete on any circuit, so expect him to be on the hunt.
Seb Claquin is still suffering from a sore hand after his rodeo-related accident in Crested Butte. The 1,100m drop of stage three is going to be a real test for him, but he's nothing if not tough.
Cecile Ravanel squashing the jumps on the high crest on stage three. She's the clear favorite this weekend and we're not 100% sure on the math, but a win here could very well seal her title for her...
Course medic, Brice Thouret, takes some time to enjoy himself high in stage three. Anyone who has raced Trans-Provence will likely know Brice as he has worked on that race too for a couple of years - he's well-renowned as a good doctor, but he's also pretty handy on a bike and would show a fair few of the racers how it's done if he weren't working this weekend.
Anneke Beerten leaves the peaks behind as she heads for the lower parts of stage three. She has not had the season she might have hoped for, most recently crashing in the finals at 4X Worlds, so she is another rider looking to strike a high note in the final races of the year.
Grey Earth. Looks like an old Matchstick Productions freeride spot for trail bikes.
Nico Lau surely has to be the danger man this weekend? The undisputed king of blind racing, he has swept all before him here in Valberg on races like the Trans-Provence, so he knows better than most how to go fast in this challenging and varied part of the world.
We imagine this is what it would look like if Jared Graves ever got a chance to ride on the moon.
Massive rain ruts of another era make for fantastic banked corners in modern day.
Thomas Lapeyrie flowing like water down the canyon on stage 4.
Iago Garay winds his way through the corkscrew turns on Grey Earth.
Easily one of the fastest through this section was Marco Osbourne.
Matti Lehikoinen threads it through the last canyon of grey earth in stage 4.
After rain Wednesday night, the sun began to creep through the clouds Thursday morning.
Nico Lau wasn't phased in the slightest by the wet conditions Thursday morning.
Jared is loving the trails even in the mud and rain and reckons if things had stayed dry this would have been one of the best combination of stages we have seen at the EWS.
Iago Garay navigates the steep and slick chute at the top of stage 1.
Joe Nation does his best to yoga on though the impossible corner at the bottom of stage 7.
After slipping and sliding around on this practice run, Wyn Masters switched to flat pedals to better deal with the endless maze of off camber switchbacks of stage 7.
Anita Gehrig is on the hunt for a second podium this weekend.
After some hefty thunderstorms Wednesday night, the riders were greeted with super slippery conditions. Mark Scott gets his slide on.
Classic Wyn Masters style. Full attack mode.
Nathalie Schneitter is back racing enduro weekend. The Swiss XC pro has racked up some impressive results at the EWS in the past and there's no doubt she's going to have the legs for a long race like this.
Damien Oton charging hard into the start of stage one.
Yoann Barelli is undoubtedly one of the fastest riders not to have yet won a round. He was born in this area and grew up riding this sort of terrain, so it would certainly be sweet satisfaction for the Whistler-transplant if he could break his duck here...
Not afraid to drift about a little, Martin Maes has been riding super aggressive in the muddy and slick conditions
One week after DH World Champs, junior racer Eliot Heap is here in Valberg perhaps to dodge another week of school.
Kilian Bron snakes through the local farm that makes up the bottom of stage 1.
Curtis Keene is having his best season ever and currently sits 7th in the overall with two rounds to go.
Lew Buchanan is back at the EWS! Unfortunately it's on a rather less downhill-friendly bike than he might have hoped, but it's good to see him recovering well and seemingly in good spirits.
Rene Wildhaber throws a knee out for balance on stage two.
The firemen were out taking practice today... Best rain kit ever award.
Meggie Bichard is making her second EWS appearance here in Valberg. After a summer of stage racing, it's fair to say she's recovered from her nasty crash last winter and could be an outside bet for a podium this weekend.
Nico Vouilloz fearing no weather on a cold and rainy Friday morning practice.
Classic style from Jerome Clementz in the wet. A Frenchman could win this one - could Jerome be that man?
Florian Golay was the king of Valberg for four years straight in the early years of the race. These days he has stepped away from full-time racing to run his own bike shop back home in Switzerland, but he still loves coming here to race.
Isabeau Courdurier looking to take another podium here in Valberg. Can she take the wind out of Cecile's sails?
Justin Leov takes a wet run on stage six as the rains recede.
Jared Graves started stage six later than most this morning to wait for the worst of the weather to pass and the ruts to have settled in somewhat.
Can this man continue his domination of long alpine enduro stages once again this weekend?
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Member since Feb 26, 2008
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Cheers, and keep up the amazing coverage, you're kind of teachers/guru for me when it comes to pixels. :-)
thanks man
But... yeah, it looks strange at first.
Moi je suis Raphaelois, pas très loin donc! Même si je suis parti, études obligé.
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