Photo Epic: Derby Enduro World Cup 2023
Bex Baraona and Richie Rude took three stages apiece to emerge as victors in Derby, Tasmania at the second round of the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup.
The pair were pushed hard on the granite slabs and boulders of Derby but their consistency and strength set them apart from the rest of the field on a day when riders pedalled every millimetre of a 44km course high up above this former tin-mining town.
Torrential rain during practice earlier in the week had left Derby’s trademark slabs muddy, slick and unpredictable and in the women’s race, it was the Brits that this seemed to suit best. Harriet Harnden took first blood on stage one but Baraona was just two seconds behind with Ella Conolly in fourth and looking to be on the pace. In the end, every stage would see a British one, two with Harnden and Baraona sharing the honors on three occasions. The pair would go into the final stage with less than a second between them and two stage wins apiece. The final stage - Kamma-Gutza - would be decisive though with Baraona grinding out the win on the day’s longest stage and taking the series lead. Scotland’s Conolly would also take a stage and her consistency would be rewarded with third on the day. France’s Isabeau Courdurier struggled to match her Maydena-winning pace at round one after suffering a leg injury in a practice crash earlier in the week but she dug deep and did enough for fourth. Morgane Charre was fifth.
In the men’s race, Yeti/Fox Racing teammates Richie Rude and Slawomir Lukasik traded blows all day in front of a hugely-appreciative crowd. The pair would be one and two in four of the day’s six stages with the Rude dropping below second place on one stage all day. Only 2022 champ Jesse Melamed managed to wrest a stage from the pair. In the end, Rude would drop last and go fastest on the rapidly-drying final stage of the day to take the race win and series lead going into the European rounds in June. Lukasik’s two stage wins were enough for second on the day and Melamed rounded out the podium. Jack Moir and Martin Maes both improved on their round-one results taking fourth and fifth at Derby.
In the women’s U21 race, it was a clean sweep for Kiwi Erice Van Leuven who won all six stages. The second-place finisher at round one finished the day more than a minute and a half up on Canadian Elly Hoskin. Aussie Lia Ladbrook was third.
In the men’s U21 race, round-one winner Tasmanian Sascha Kim came out on top again after winning three stages. His compatriot Cooper Lowe was second and France’s Lisandru Bertini was third.
The UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup heads to Europe for round three, when the world’s best will be back in action in Finale Ligure, Italy (June 02 - 04).
Team of the day were Yeti/Fox Racing, who along with Rude and Baraona, now leads the World Cup Series
It's not so sunny this week
Wet rocks and roots in the pouring rain greeted racers for training in Derby
Stage 5 was named Cuddles, but in reality it was anything but
Marco Osborne would have one of his best results with 23rd
Slipping and sliding down Stage 3
An off weekend and big crash in training saw Isabeau Courdurier off the pace and in 4th
Stage 3 is a racer favorite in any conditions
Some of the rock work Derby is famous for. The use of the natural terrain and boulders here is some of the best in the world
Not dusty this week
On a charge in the mud and all the way through race day, Richie Rude always looked the one to beat in Derby
Eddie Masters shoots the crack
Greg Callaghan rarely complains about course conditions, and certainly never in the mud. The Irishman had a great weekend to finish in 12th
fun in the mud
Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau checking bar width through the crack on Stage 4
Last weeks second place finisher Dan Booker on Stage 3
Morgane Charre practicing Stage 4. She would finish 5th in the race
A downpour at the end of practice made some stages nearly unrideable
Derby's finest sand and grit wet sanded into all bearings, drivetrains and brake pads
Brutal would be an understatement
Greg Callaghan helping Evan Wall with the cleanup process
The sandy dirt in Derby shredded fresh pads in just one day, leaving lots of riders and mechanics scrambling before the race day
At the end of the rain there's a rainbow
That's more like it
A welcome day off in the sun after the muddy practice day was a blessing for riders and mechanics alike
Tire inserts were a hot commodity here in Derby to do battle with the massive rocks
Eventual winners Bex Baraona and Richie Rude keep the mood light and playful the evening before the big race
All that grit and water kept the mechanics extra busy on the day off between practice and racing
Race day and the sun was shining. The tracks started a bit slick but by days end were in perfect condition for racing
A huge slam on Stage 1 would end Remi Gauvin's day
10th for Eddie Masters
4th for Jack Moir as he builds up speed following a recently broken hand
Mind the Tassie bush
Kate Weatherly in 10th
A dominant day of physical tracks and in changing conditions. This win should give Bex Baraona a huge boost of confidence heading into the next block of racing
Not nearly as steep as the last round in Maydena, riders had to lay down the power here in Derby
Hattie en route to 2nd place
Party Boy riding right past the party on Stage 3
A consistent 3rd for the second week in a row for Ella Conolly
Matt Walker in 9th just a half second ahead of his teammate Eddie Masters
Connor Fearon was on the podium one week ago, but couldn't quite find the pace on the physical Derby trails
After bad luck last week in Maydena, Jesse Melamed rebounded onto the podium in 3rd here in Derby
12th for Rae Morrison
Lots of rock slabs on the menu in Derby
Rhys had an off day to finish in 13th
7th for up-and-comer Leanna Curtis
Charlie Murray returned to form to take 7th
Hattie Harnden threw down all she had on the final stage but it wasn't enough to catch Bex Baraona
Stage 6 was brutal and the top 3 women left it all out on track
Bex Baraona took her second win in her World Enduro Career, but it would be her first time being able to say she was a World Cup winner... Congrats Bex
In a battle of the big rigs, Slawomir Lukasik traded blows with Richie Rude all day. Winning 2 of the 6 stages and taking 2nd overall
Never before has a team finished with all of their riders in the highest possible positions. A win in the women's race and a one-two in the men's for the three-person Yeti squad
An all-British lockout of the women's podium with Bex Barona on top flanked by Hattie Harnden and Ella Conolly
Bex Baraona gives the Aussie fans the podium celebration they came to see
Teammates Richie Rude and Slawomir Lukasick took the top two steps with Jesse Melamed in 3rd
It would be Rude not to
Team of the day went to Yeti Cycles, while Richie Rude and Bex Baraona now lead the overall World Cup standings.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Mairiporã XC World Cup 2024
41886 views
41886 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
The gum trees drop a lot of branches and the tend to have lots of pointy bits on them.
Also in that pic with Gauvin crashing:
The spectator's bike gloves probably saved his hand from getting shredded by the brake rotor
About 20 minutes before that, we had discussed that we were in the firing line if someone crashed…….