New EWS Rulebook Released - Top Men & Women Get Equal Points, Addition of Queen Stage, Stage Champion & More

From the Enduro World Series website: The 2019 season is just around the corner and the excitement is palpable - we can't wait to see who tames the trails in Rotorua this year. However, before we get down to the serious business of racing, there's a bit of housekeeping to attend to. Each year the EWS updates and refines its Rulebook, and this year is no different - we've summarisd the big changes below, but if you're racing any of our events this year (including Qualifier and Continental level races) then we strongly suggest you read the full Rulebook before you take to the start line - it's the rider's responsibilty to make sure they're up to date on all the rules and regulations.

EWS80 & EWS100 Races
The main EWS races are now pre-qualification only - only riders that have earned enough points the previous season through Qualifier, Continental and EWS races qualify to race these. The EWS100 race will see riders tackle 100% of the course as the main EWS race, but you don't need to pre-qualify to enter. You need a lower level federation licence and you can choose your start time so you self-seed, avoiding traffic issues in the past in amateur categories. The EWS80 (previously known as the Challenger) offers up 80 per cent of the full EWS course, with the same rule format as the EWS100. Both the EWS80 and EWS100 take place on the same weekend as the main EWS race and are designed to make sure that as the pros get more pro, everyone can still get to race with the best on EWS weekend.

Trophy of Nations
The Trophy of Nations (TON) is back for 2019. The biggest team competition in mountain biking, the Nations will see teams of three compete for their nation rather than individual glory in the hope of winning the elusive UCI rainbow jersey. Privateers and Industry teams can also take part in different races for Privateer Team and Industry Team titles. Imagine racing an EWS in Finale, now imagine doing it with two of your closest buddies. This is set to be one of the biggest weekends of the year in mountainbiking. The full rules of the Nations are now published.

Series and Global Ranking Points
The points structure has been updated for this season, with the top three men and women now receiving equal ranking points. Following surveying and discussing different options regarding the balancing of the women's championship with the men's, we have now matched the top 3 positions in point across women and men. Simulations on previous seasons found this to provide the best balance of a tightly contested championship with recognising the large difference in volume between male and female categories.


Anti-Doping and CADF
Following the start of the UCI and EWS partnership in January 2019, we are a registered partner of the Cycling Anti-Doping foundation. EWS will also follow and expects all athletes and teams to follow the UCI Anti-Doping rules (Part XIV). All information on Anti-Doping and CADF can be found on www.cadf.ch. All rules (EWS, UCI, CADF), documents and links are hosted on the new page;


Queen Stage
Introduced this year, one Special Stage per EWS event will be nominated as the Queen Stage. The winner (per category) of the Queen Stage will be awarded bonus EWS series points. The points are as follows Men: 50 Point Bonus, Women: 50 Point Bonus U21/Master Men: 30 Point Bonus U21/Master Women: 15 Points Bonus.

The aim of the Queen stage is to provide a target for riders who need extra series points, and to provide an exciting focus on the longest, hardest or crux stage of every race. Expect some hard fought Queen Stage victories this season.

Stage Champion
Also new for this year is the Stage Champion. The winner of the most Special Stages (per category) in the EWS season will be awarded the Stage Champion title and trophy at the final round in Zermatt

Athlete Ethos
The Enduro World Series aims to run a series that pushes the level of athleticism, and sporting endeavour, while also firmly promoting the correct ethos for all. The newly published Athlete Ethos is designed to provide guidelines for the vallues that we believe to be close the soul of enduro racing.

Licensing and Federations
Following the work to align enduro racing with national fedrations the world over, the UCi and anti-doping procedures, we've had to instal the same licencing requirements globally. For racers who are used to racing in Finale every year, or France and Spain, nothing changes here, as you've always need a racing licence. Check out all the details in the rulebook.

Start Order
Start Order at EWS Events will be seeded in the following order (seeded highest rank last): -

Master Men 40+
U21 Women
Women (outside top 15)
Master Women 35+
U21 Men
Men (outside top 30)
Women – Top 15 plus Team Riders
Men Top 30 EWS ranked
Start Intervals - Start intervals between riders in the EWS must be a minimum of 30 seconds, except during EWS80 and EWS100 races.

Event Grading
New for 2019, in order to best signpost riders to the best event for their level, the EWS has developed a system for grading all enduro events the world over. The simple icons are an easy way to reference both the technicality and physicality of race, so it’s easy for riders to enter events suited to their ability. We urge all organisers, of all levels to adopt this system to help grow the sport from the bottom, while still pointing the most experienced racers to events that will challenge them at the very top. Full details on the new Event Grading page here;

Rules and Resources Page
As UCI registered events, EWS races follow the basic UCI General Rules ,UCI Mountain Bike Rules and the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation. All rules (EWS, UCI, CADF), documents and links are hosted on www.enduroworldseries.com/ews-general/rules-and-resources/ - a list of Red and Yellow cards issued in the season will also be hosted on this page to add new levels of transparency to the penalty system.