Results: Enduro World Series Round 3 Valloire

 after so many injuries, so happy for his 4th :-)

 I can't comprehend the pressure these guys must feel when they see that there is stuff all between them after close to an hour and a half of racing. Just think what three seconds is? screwing up a few turns, a small crash, just not pedalling that tiny bit more.

 It's probably not even that. Incredible!

 LONG LIVE BIKE RIDING!!

 does anyone know what happened in his 5th stage?

 Skill. Preperation.

 Yeah... definitely a coincidence that one of the only dudes on 26 wheels won...

 Leov was running away with it.

 Good grief, and it was because it was bigger wheels that he was running away with it, and it was just luck for Graves. All of these guys have on and off days, good and bad luck. Graves has destroyed Leov on some past stages in the EWS, and Leov was on a flyer here. Unfortunately being good-average and consistent won this time. IT'S STAGE RACING IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, LOL!

 and luck that a 26 won the series last year. Luck. That's how they can market the 26 again, the luckiest wheel size!

 Yeah Keene! Cool to see two Americans in the top 10, especially on a course as tough as this one.

 yeah dude and CRUZ!!! say what!!!! that guy is probably already drunk

 A puncture and 149th place on the second to last stage.

 Interesting idea, but ultimately I think it is fair the way it is, besides, racing aggressively and then having/getting mechanicals as a result is one of the risks that you take!

 As you said, that's racing.
But one of the main princip in enduro is to choose the strongest components because you're bike need strong enough to "endure" the race. So both Leov and Lau underwent consequences of their parts choice.
That said, i find your idea of bonus point interesting, it could award a dominating rider who won 5/6 stage (for example) but who crashed or had a mechanical in one stage

 I don't think bonus points should be awarded, particularly when the top riders are so close. Imagine coming 2nd by less than a second and the bloke who just inched you out in that stage gets extra points. Enduro = bike must be able to endure the race not just the rider. If the bike fails thats just racing and ultimately it's the essence of enduro riding.

 I don't think the overall should be done by time but by points. 1st =100 2nd=95 and so on. That way if you do have a mechanical or what not you aren't killed in results.

 I have to agree with Tiber66 and FletchAus on this one. Yes, it does suck to be the fastest and lose because of a mechanical or a crash, but like the old auto racing saying goes "to finish first, you must first finish". It's part of the nature of racing in general. I remember the 2010 World Cup at Fort Willliam when Aaron Gwin looked to be on course to his first win, he was easily fastest through all the splits but he faded just before line and finished 4th. I can't remember which announcer said this but it was something to the effect of, "you don't win anything for being fastest for 3/4 of the track". In any form of mountain bike racing you have to find the balance between going fast and going too fast. Ride too conservatively and you leave time on the course, too aggressively and you risk making mistakes and losing time, at best, having a mechanical or a crash at worst. Look at round one in Chile, Jerome Clementz took first without ever winning a single stage. Ultimately it's who spends the least time between the start line and the finish line that gets to climb up on the top step of the podium, and sometimes a little slower is actually faster.

 I hate it in XC,DH, or Enduro when someone has a mechanical and it is called "bad luck". If you choose to run light weight tires that roll really fast and then you get a flat. It is your fault. No different then not drinking enough water. Your equipment is your choice. You buy it or choose the sponsor. It is not bad luck, It is experience and racing.

 He had a puncture on stage one, finishing in 300th place. He rode strong after that, but had already lost way too much time to have a decent overall placing.

 He finished stage 3 in 249th place after a tire problem. www.pinkbike.com/photo/11093559
I'm not certain what happened to him on the final stage, probably another mechanical, but he finished 238th on that one.
It's a shame as he was riding very strongly and had good finishes on the other stages.

 What a bummer... looking forward to the next round, though. Thanks for the info!

 When he got that flat in the picture above he rode out the stage Gwin style on the rim and completely wrecked the wheel, so he had to get a new one, which incurred a 5 minute time penalty for changing components

 He pulled out!

 He did have some sort of problem on stage 3, finishing that one in 77th place. Was riding pretty decently before that considering it's his first race back after a knee injury. He did not finish however, dropping out on day 2. Have not yet heard why he did though.

 Looking at the times Leov was way quicker than everyone again but lost 3 minutes on stage 5. Yeah he had a flat while 40 seconds up.

 dartmoor-shine, he won the final stage, that's what you are probably reading.

 Such is racing. Consistency wins at the end of the day. leov had bad luck today, Graves had bad luck in Scotland. The times are so close, one crash or a flat really takes you down the leaderboard, that's for sure.