Finals Photo Epic: Checkers or Wreckers - EWS Val di Fassa 2019
Photo Epic presented by ODI
It's been a wild week here in Canazei for the Enduro World Series. Five incredible stages, blistering heat, and some intense racing. Temps today topped out in the 90s (30s if you hate freedom), and despite the amount of lift access this round, the heat took its toll. Stage one started the day off with a bang. Adrien Dailly suffered a mechanical, and Jose Borges flatted, ruining his chance for a result on tracks that suited the Portuguese rider. Richie Rude was out to make a strong showing right off the bat and laid down a winning run that would set the tone for the day. Rude would go on to win four stages and take the overall win. It was good to see Rude back. Jesse Melamed had a bad off that would end his day. Melamed suffered a broken ankle and hand injury, we wish him a speedy recovery. Sam Hill was back on form and took second place, winning stage three. Ed Masters once again showed how quick he is going this season with a fourth finish. Florian Nicolai took third place for the men. Dimitri Tordo took fifth place for the men. Italian Marcello Pesenti was having what looked like to be a top ten day until disaster struck on stage five.
For the women's field, Isabeau Courdurier once again showed her dominance taking another win in 2019 Andreane Lanthier Nadeau was charging hard today and took third place, taking the win on stage four from Isabeau. Noga Korem would come just behind in third. Melanie Pugin rode to a fourth place and Morgane Charre took fifth place. Bex Baraona crashed on stage five and is reported to have sustained two broken ribs. It has been an incredible week of riding and racing here in Canazei surrounded by the astounding beauty that is the Dolomites. We can't thank the people of this town for their kindness and generosity. With the season heating up in more ways than one, we can't wait to see how Les Orres plays out next week. For now, it's time to rehydrate and recover from a massive day of racing.
Not a bad place to race your bike at all.
The view still hasn't gotten old
All smiles from Richie Rude to kick off what would be a dominating day.
Andreane Lanthier Nadeau joked that her wrist has been held together by tape for what seems like years now. If so that tape is strong enough to smash out a 2nd place finish.
Keegan Wright keeping the mood chill as always before the start.
Final preparations to Isabeau's new Intense 29'er.
Greg Callaghan was all smiles to be back at it.
Limber up. It's going to be a long day.
Heat from the start of the day, the views are amazing, but they are quickly going to become a blur.
Sofia Wiedenroth drops into the first stage of the day.
Isabeau Courdurier continued her clean sweep of the season and extended her lead even further in the overall.
The two-time defending champ returned to form this weekend to take 2nd in Canazei.
Florian Nicolai was on the move today he took third place.
Remi Gauvin hucks it to the finish.
Dimitri gritted it out to take his best result of the year in 5th.
Disaster on stage one for Jose Borges.
Stage 2 was a brutal one. Super physical and with some intense heat, Anita Gehrig wasn't the only one wearing a pain face at the finish line.
Ines Thoma had a great start to her day before a puncture would put her out of the running.
Double horns today for ALN
Melanie Pugin gets her chin below the bar on stage one. Pugin took fourth.
Noga Korem tucked for speed.
Ella Conolly would come 6th after a rough day in the heat and altitude.
Once again Eddie Masters showed that he is one of the best bike racers out there. Fourth, just a handful of seconds off the podium.
Richie Rude picking up right where he left off at the end of last season.
8th on the day and a strong performance from Robin Wallner.
Sam Hill is back on pace, it's only a matter of time before he takes his first win of the season.
Richie Rude is back! Rude won four of the five stages.
Matt Walker had a hell of a ride today, taking seventh place.
12th for Max Chapuis
Matt Walker checks in after stage three.
Stage one had a couple of brutal climbs.
Antoine Vidal on his way to another win in Val di Fassa.
Isabeau Courdurier on her way to yet another win in what has been a stellar season.
Leigh Johnson just outside the top ten.
Stage five ended on the narrow streets of Canazei.
A drag race to the finish.
Through the old village.
Reflecting on some amazing views and trails.
Stage five saw a lot of passing near the finish.
Marcello Pesenti was sitting in the top ten until disaster struck on stage 5.
Today took it out of the riders. High temps and long stages left everyone gassed.
Richie Rude back in the game and with plenty to smile about after a dominant performance in Italy.
Hard work saw defending champ Sam Hill back on the podium.
Rough day at the office for Jesse Melamed, and a premature end to what had been an amazing season.
Riders wait their turn at doping control before the podium celebration.
The fastest three women in Canazei.
Isabeau Courdurier, Andreane Lanthier Nadeau and Noga Korem making it rain.
Richie Rude, Sam Hill, and Florian Nicolai popping bottles on the podium.
Richie Rude enjoyed the victory champagne after a return to racing and a return to the top of the podium, all on the same weekend.
We are going to miss these views.
This round played host to some of the most beautiful trails we have ever seen
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I expect all altitude changes in fathoms from here on out.
Why fathoms? i say go straight to Barleycorns!
But, again, to point out the irony - i dont think discussing standardized units makes much sense on a website that's dedicated to the one industry on earth that is most obtuse to the meaning of the word "standard"
We also use a lot of the metric system in general.
Its annoying in some respects because our machine shop wants inches and I'm forced to go back and forth. Which means I can't just make the change and go full metric.
My wife on the otherhand is an architect and they are full imperial, no metric, ever. She got a drawing set in metric and had to send it back.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0U-XEmKPKg&t=833s
If I ever meet you you get a free beer!
Thanks.
Really guys?
Although 90 days from then is 10th of August, the day *before* Whistler, so who really knows?
And you're right, in the wet he's not nearly as good. Personally I don't care about that - I'm in California, we usually have pretty dry/desert weather and don't ride in the wet anyway (trail care and all that). But any race that Rude is in, except if it's pouring rain, he has to be a favorite. And for crazy riding skills and pulling it out of that, check out Rude's run in the Whistler 2016 Enduro on the last stage Top of The World, where he beat the field by some 15-20 seconds to beat Jesse M in he overall by 7 seconds...
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=8zUrjXgZWvg
Climbing ,DH and a bit of street. Cool.
All those mentioned often have their non-nickname names used on this site. It is only ALN that does not.
My name is Andréane Lanthier Nadeau
If you can remember/read/pronounce that better than ALN, feel free to do so.
Alan works too @silentbutdeadly
Blenki, bulldog, brendog , those are actual nicknames.
Pinkbike started this cause they couldnt pronounce or spell out her name correctly and it IS freakin lazyness.Do you seriously believe André-Anne presents herself that way ?? Ill give you an example: ANNE-CAROLINE CHAUSSON....Ever heard anyone called her ACC ? Its just a serious lack of professionalism, period.
Typical anglo attitude, lets butcher her name and make an englishism to make it easy for us to say her name rather than learn the correct spelling.
Now, she has seems to have adopted it which is cool , french people are use to stuff like that and we dont let it bother us but at the end of the day, its still not right.Trying to cover the facts makes it worst...Its simply laziness, and thats it.
See above posts, about it being a nickname for many years, name in Jersey, in team videos, by other riders, etc etc etc... Pinkbike didn't start anything and we wouldn't make up an abreviation out of the blue or a nickname unless the riders themselves both uses it and was okay with us using it as well... thanks for the concern.
Typical Anglo attitude??? Be careful your Quebec is showing ;-)
We seem to write Isabeau Courdurier, Cecile Ravanel, Yoann Barelli, Thomas Estaque, Hugo Frixtalon, thomas Lapeyrie, and Thibaut Daprela, counless other French riders names just fine so...
I may be wrong but to me , that is not something a frenchie would do instinctively.I doubt AndréAnne has been using it and ask her people back home to call her ALN for years.
I didnt mean anglo in a bad ,pissed off way, I get that it comes from a good intention but it is something anglophones have a tendency to do and Im sure I probably do it as well! :-)
Yes, Im from Quebec, but 100% of the time when I tell people where im from they go , oh so youre french! Hell no , Im Québecois but I speak french.If thats so hard to spell, at least French Canadian would be better... ! Lol How often do you get called an “english” Dave? ;-)
I dont mean to start a debate, its all good but trust me, after 42 years of being a frenchie , Ive seen this type of stuff a billion times, its a lovely way of ....being lazy... From a journalistic point of view, its wrong and PB should address this...again, Anne Caroline Chausson, no one would remember who ACC is, someone hadn’t made an effort to learn how to spell out her name in her early days, same should be done for AndréAnne
As her teams photographer, a staff photographer for PB and someone who has been covering the EWS for years from inside and behind the scenes perhaps a little benefit of the doubt that myself and others have done our home work here based on actual personal relationships and conversation???
How about you guys all take the energy you've out into criticism and actually congratulate ALN and an amazing 2nd place at one of the hardest forms of mtb racing !!!
P.S. you spelled her name wrong
I’m not saying it’s wrong, but it probably is too soon.
There we go someone will hate me for this
There is a degree of placebo effect too. You could argue that if the person gets pain relief/reduced DOMS/less fatigue etc then it worked.
My physiotherapist isn't a fan, but he said that if it works for you, then use it. It won't do harm.