Photo Epic: Return to the Classic - Samoëns EWS
So here we are, round four of the Enduro World Series in 2015, the halfway point of the season. As the series heads to France we return to something close to the original format of enduro that the sport grew from in the early 2000s. It is not quite the same as the original races, as the sport has grown it has softened slightly - gone is the completely blind format where the first time you saw the track would be when you hit it at race pace. Today your first run is no longer against the clock, so you can hold back and get a feel for the lines before things get serious.
Without a doubt this format of racing is the rawest on the circuit, testing the riders' ability to learn quickly and read the terrain. As enduro searches to balance the needs of a growing sport this French style of racing has one big thing going for it: its accessibility for amateurs. Yes, the tracks are nastier than you will find in many countries - there are no 120mm travel 29ers or flow trails in sight this weekend, but the French aren't soft and have never shied away from steep, technical riding. Yet what the two day race format means is that regular people can finish work Friday afternoon, jump in the car for a couple of days of racing, then be back in the office by Monday morning. And while the search for the perfect format continues, this format that means racing can fit around everything else life is made up of, and is one that every enduro race organiser should come and try at least once.
Welcome to Samoens. Nestling about half an hour away from the better-known resort towns of Morzine and Les Gets, Samoens is a hidden gem in the Haute Savoie. With the town sitting at about 750m, the lifts stretch up over the 2,000m mark above the town, so there is plenty of mountain for us to play with this weekend.
 |
 Away from the hustle and bustle of the more tourist heavy regions of the Alps, the quiet village of Samoens will play host to this weekend's round of the EWS. |
 |
| A little down time in Morzine kicked off the week for many riders. Here Mark Scott takes advantage of the FOX Rude Lodge to relax between big mountain training rides in the Alps. |
 |
| In the best traditions of the media recce the shuttle up to stage one was not sketchy. Not even a little bit... |
 |
| Some media hitched a ride up by the truck and others went under their own power. This grind of a climb leads up to stage one |
 |
| Filmer JB Bazzarini drifts on stage one - it's seriously loose up there right now. |
 |
| Our very own Dave Trumpore holding loose as the track drops past a farmhouse on stage one. |
 |
| Staying cool was the biggest challenge today - a trackside spring was a godsend. |
 |
| The plan for today - recceing the stages before the riders get to see them for the first time tomorrow morning. |
There were some unexpected visitors at the top of the lift. Riders are going to need to watch where they stand when they get off...
 |
| The view out from the top of the course is stunning - and with 5,000 vertical metres to be tackled on Saturday alone that valley floor will feel a long way away come the end of the day. |
 |
| Producer of the EWS videos, Cunny, throwing it into the loose corners at the top of the hill. |
 |
| This is only the halfway point of the hill... |
 |
| The high alpine makes up such a small percentage of the stages here in Samoens and most of the riding takes place in the trees. |
 |
| Most of the tree sections are fresh cut as well and riders will be treated to lots of loam and loose rock as they navigate the countless number of switchbacks the snake their way back down to the valley. |
 |
| They do know how to stack a pile of wood in this part of the world |
 |
| A little bit of Rotorua high in the French alpine on stage one. |
 |
| The entire top of stage 5 is fresh cut, steep and extremely loose. |
 |
| Drifting for days while enjoying views for days at the top of stage five. |
 |
| The heat has been making things extremely difficult here and the media crews enjoyed an ice cream break at a tiny cafe nestled in the hillside on stage 6. |
 |
| After some steep climbing in the sun this trailside cafe was a pleasant surprise. Too bad the riders will not have time to stop as it is in the middle of their timed run of stage 6. |
 |
| Expect this supply to be depleted over the weekend. The tracks are long, loose, steep and rough with endless switchbacks. Brakes and arms are going to be on fire. |
 |
| Sadly, Damien Oton has not recovered from his ankle injury sustained last round in Scotland, and he will be watching from the sidelines this weekend. |
 |
| He's back, last year's EWS champion, Jared Graves, and he is hungrier than ever to leave his mark on this year's series. |
 |
| Quiet nights watching the sun set from the local cafe has been a great way to close out the day here in Samoens. |
About the Photographers
Matt Wragg • Age: 32 • Years Shooting: 3 Maybe best-known as a long-standing member of Pinkbike's European editorial team, Matt is also a successful commercial photographer. As the first English-speaking photographer to follow and document the nascent European enduro scene, he was shooting enduro well before it became a marketing buzzword or a shade of blue. Today he is still one of the few photographers to make his living following the discipline and has built up an enviable client list that includes many of the top teams and brands in the world.
Author Info:
Member since Oct 29, 2006
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Need: plane, money, and for the kids to be old enough to go with me.
conclusion: try in 15 years.