
The Enduro World Series will take place in 2013, thanks to the efforts of Chris Ball, formerly of the UCI, and the unified event organizing powers of the Enduro Series (Coupe de France), SuperEnduro and Crankworx. As a seven-stop tour taking place over the course of the entire 2013 mountain bike season, including the Enduro des Nations, the Enduro World Series aims to build a lasting event series for riders, teams and the mountain bike industry.
“I've heard the demand for this type of series for quite some time. Along with SuperEnduro, the Enduro Series and Crankworx, we want to develop the sport of Enduro mountain bike racing so it can grow as a sustainable worldwide discipline,” says Chris Ball, managing director of the Enduro World Series. “The execution of this tour for 2013 has been of the utmost importance to the organizing teams at Crankworx, the Enduro Series and SuperEnduro. We aim for its existence under our collective umbrella to cater to the needs of athletes, the mountain biking public and the bike industry.”
While the racing calendar for 2013 will be released on Tuesday, December 4, the Enduro World Series will be the official global race series of the newly formed Enduro Mountain Bike Association. Made up of a board of directors including Chris Ball, Fred Glo of the Enduro Series, Enrico Guala of the SuperEnduro Series and Darren Kinnaird of Crankworx Events Inc., the Enduro Mountain Bike Association will look to support from the riders, teams and industry.
More information regarding supporter and membership packages will be released soon, including the launch of the Enduro Mountain Bike Association website.
About the Enduro World SeriesThe Enduro World Series was created in October 2012 with the aim of uniting the world's mountain bike enduro racing community. The Enduro World Series links the largest mountain bike enduro events in the world with the best trails possible and exists to deliver the best racing, most relaxed atmosphere and rider-focused organization possible. The team behind the Enduro World Series has one goal - to globally develop and progress the discipline of enduro for the riders, the sport and the industry. With the shared experience of Italian Super Enduro, French Enduro Series, Crankworx and World Cup racing, the Enduro World Series will offer international competitions unlike any before it.
For more information join the conversation on our Facebook page or email Chris Ball, Managing Director: chris@enduroworldseries.com
131 Comments
Thank you Chris Ball! For those of you who aren't UK based or aware he has been a major influence on the UK riding scene and competitions. Whilst I've not met him he clearly puts massive amounts of time, love and dedication into the sport. Best of luck Chris!
The best scenario would probably be for the UCI to include all gravity orientated disciplines; 4x, dh and enduro
We don't need the UCI but their there and have influence. They should use this new discipline for a revamp of the MTB UCI.
So instead of setting up events in countries that have top riders next year they are planning on going to China. What sense does that make?
"Don't get me wrong, I'm all for this new series, I just think a change in procedure from the UCI would be better with them listening to riders more rather than seperating MTBing from the major gouverning body of all cycling. I think it's probably better for MTBing to be included in the whole range of cucling rather than it being margenalised."
Well sir, in the sense of that scenario you aren't wrong, that would be better. Were it possible that is. The only problem with it is that the UCI has proven time and again that they are not going to listen to the riders, and that they are not going to change their procedures. The UCI is only interested in the future of the UCI, regardless of how their efforts effect the future of cycling. Therein lies the basis of the beef that so many people have with the UCI.
Australia is making baby steps, and with our current downhill infrastructure, it's all we can do.
Er, a billion people with money coming out of their every orifice? A tiny riding population? Massive growth potential for business and standard of riding, geographical growth for the sport?
The question should be, why aren't they having three races a year in China, two in India and two in Indonesia?
A 7-round "world cup" season is a joke after all. Races on two continents is hardly a world cup, is it?
A world cup should have rounds in a number of continents. There should be a home round for the overall champ from the year before. Can you imagine F1 calling itself the world championship with 7 rounds in Europe and Canada only?
Ditch the short sighted UCI and push a format similar to the FMB is my wish. 20-30 events qualifying for the overall, varying points dependent on how hard it is. The Aussies and Kiwis are giving the championship a lot of depth and deserve a home round each. I believe there have been rounds in Brazil and Hawaii before. Japan has a couple of bike parks too. I know there isn't much money in our sport and no one wants to pay riders and teams to travel the globe. There should be a compromise. As it stands, the world cup just isn't.
China is unofficially the world's largest economy. They have the most people and the infrastructure to hold a WC event. All they need to get is a some decent restaurants and they'll be all set!
Admittedly the Chinese rounds of the F1 and MotoGP calendar are empty but it takes time and patience to build a fan base.
Down with McQuaid!
I love golf, but most golfers are wankers. They are what spoils golf, ironically. Rather like America (wonderful country) being spoiled by the people who live there (not exactly wonderful people for the most part in my experience, no offence anyone).
I wish DH1 would go ahead. Politics ruin sport. From what I can see, the only good the UCI bring to MTB is the official world championship sanction. Without them, we could end up with parallel world champion claimants like boxing, and what a joke that is.
Your insight will be appreciated
Amen to that.
I will try to think more on what I want to say and why to raise the quality and minimize egocentric shit which Iam often guilty of. Maybe PB should put a harsher limit on word count in single post.
So from my side: thanks @Angryham! Don't you ever shut up if you feel you want to say something you believe in, even if its a stupid matter like this forum
"@Dan_Atherton
Had a few wins this year,ready to go get last again in Downhill...purely so I can travel with @SluggerBeaumont "
Pretty sure he's not saying he's actually doing DH again..
Agreeing with Jamesb15uk I bet he is pretty stoked for this !!
The only question for me is whether they plan to televise the events somehow, and how they plan to overcome the hurdle that is a massive course? They would suffer if they tried to use cameras set at static locations. Can a helmet cam be set up to wirelessly transmit footage for example?
Brilliant news for Enduro Worldwide, this discipline is true MTB racing, 1 rider, 1 bike, no assistance, just get out and ride.
In the UK, British Cycling is adopting the discipline in 2013, so these 2 bits of news are brilliant for the sport
"the futures bright, the futures Gravity enduro"
Sourse: www.pinkbike.com/news/Bluegrass-Enduro-Tour-Series-2013-video.html
Is this statement still true? I assume that the Enduro World Series will be the first truly international series.
The real spirit of mountainbiking won!!!
Given the early stages of organised Enduro racing outside of France (and Italy?) and lack of connections to the UCI (i.e. you will probably not have to have achieved x competition points to enter this event) I would hope it is done by open qualifier, similar to Megavalanche although not mass-start. That would give opportunities to skilled local riders to achieve and boost support for the riders and events in the local areas...
www.emtb.pl
I hold my hands up that I know nothing of the Polish enduro scene though, so I might be wrong!
don t worry, it is perfect just the way you try! congratulations
@Ploutre
ben ouais t'sais, y a un age ou on joue plus qu avec nos doigts....
faut bien qu'on s'occupe...
but why is it a bad thing that UCI rules DH world cups? I'm new to this!
"WC XC has turned into little more than dirt road biking."
What a load of rubbish. WC XC is, if anything, placing greater emphasis than ever before on technical ability. If you had ever raced an XC World Cup, I guarantee your opinion would change dramtically. On what basis exactly are you claiming XC to be "little more than road biking?" Perhaps the fact that Nino Schurter and Julien Absalon have both podiumed at numerous Megavalanche series races over the past few years tells you all you need to know about their technical ability.
Granted, courses such as the London Olympic course would support your viewpoint, but entirely man made, tame courses are a rarity on the World Cup circuit. Of course XC will never look as technically demanding as DH on camera (it fundamentally isn't), but until you race or at least ride a World Cup XC course I think you should reserve judgement.
I'm not saying you fall into this category, but as someone who races downhill myself, there is nothing more frustrating than downhillers who claim that XC courses (especially World Cups) are tame and easy; anyone who does is simply wrong.
I like Enduro series to a big degree, it's not exactly in the form what I was expecting, but who am I to judge, who gives a shit (and for a good cause) if a large group of people wants to get involved in an activity of such a particular shape. they simply became so good in what they do, defo better than us, that they wanted to check themselves, how good they are.
Still in most cases, the badges, names and clubs like XC, DH, 4X are mostly redundant. Just ride your bike with your friends and have fun, as long as you feel in peace with yourself - whoever asks say you do mountain biking, cycling in the nature, whatever. Specify if you truly are a racer in one of the disciplines or forget it, as you are just making a douche out of yourself.
As Woody Allen says: "I don't want to be in a club that would allow a person like me to be a member"
Ride ON!