Race Day Photo Epic: Just As Things Were Heating Up - EWS Finale Ligure 2020
It's taken some time to get used to this new world of racing. All parties involved have had to be quick to adapt to rapidly changing rules regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's not be subtle in this case- yes, it's good to be back to racing, but to all parties involved it's been nerve-wracking. To say that we are sad it's come to an abrupt end for the EWS just as we felt we all might be hitting our stride in this brave new world we live in is an understatement. It's also a f*$king relief it's over.
The stresses of orchestrating all the parts of such a race are taxing in regular circumstances. Much less in the age of COVID. The EWS crew deserves a bow here. They worked their asses off for this. Was it perfect? No. Could it have been? Not a chance. They did the best they possibly could given the hand they were dealt and did it with grace and commitment to rider, staff, and community. To have had to make the call to pull the plug early on the final two rounds must have been heartbreaking, but it was a wise decision.
So here we are at the end of a really short season. Truth be told there was some spectacular racing. We could speculate on what would have happened if the series continued, but let's assume it would have ended knee-deep in snow at this point. Anyone watching the forecast in Austria will understand. Four stages in the fabled Finale Ligure awaited us this morning, and the sun was shining, even though yesterdays front brought some rather chilly temps behind it.
With Isabeau Courdurier out with torn ligaments in her ankle, the race came down to Morgane Charre and Melanie Pugin. Charre took stages one and two and the day was hers. Estelle Charles took her first podium in third place. It was all France for the top three women. Katy Winton came back to take fourth, and Anita Gehrig took fifth. In the Men's race, Jesse Melamed ran away with stage one and never looked back. The bombastic Canadian would finish the day with his second win of the season. Florian Nicolai would take second, and Theo Galy would take third.
Now as the temperatures cool down some of us will head on over to Austria for a bit of Whiteout Whip Offs, and whatever else this screwed up season throws at us. To be honest, maybe they should just make a snow DS course, put some screws through some mud spikes and then call it all good for 2020. Whatever they are smoking that makes them think this next bit of racing will all go off as planned, we wish they would share.
Welcome to the final round of the Enduro World Series.
Temps this morning were less than summer-like.
ALN checks her pressures before a long day on the bike.
Morgane Jonnier suits up for the final in Finale.
Florian Nicolai smashing rocks on his way to second place.
While it wasn't brutally hot, water was still in high demand. Jack Moir refills in Calice Ligure.
Estelle Charles charging hard to third place.
Morgane Charre took the top step of the podium and helped drive her team to the top step in the overall.
Melanie Pugin took the win on the final two stages, but it wasn't enough to defeat Charre.
Morgane Charre takes her first EWS win here in Finale.
Here it is - your Jose Borges moment. 7th for the day. You're welcome, Portugal.
Theo Galy takes third for the day.
Hattie Harnden continues to crush it in the U21 women class. 1st today with a time that would have put her second in the pro-women.
Jesse Melamed took control on stage one and never looked back.
Pedro Burns was having a solid day and finished stage 2 in 11th place, but clipped a pedal and went over the bars. Burns finished 22nd.
Katy Winton took fourth place today. Given another couple of rounds, and she would have surely found her way back on the podium.
Huge day for Charlie Murray. Sixth place, right behind Eddie Masters.
Theo Galy slaying switchbacks on the steeps of stage two. The dirt was phenomenal on those turns.
Anita Gehrig on her way to fifth place in the pro-women.
Jack Moir took the boosty route to stage four.
Jesse Melamed brings it home on a pedaly stage four.
Florian Nicolai was happy to finish the season with a strong result after a rough start in Zermatt. Plenty of testing on the new setup helped to get him there.
A break out weekend for Charlie Murray.
Jesse Melamed tosses back a well-deserved beer after a brilliant day on the bike.
Top U21 men - Brady Stone, Luke Meier- Smith, Jamie Edmondson.
Top teams in Finale Ligure, Pivot Factory, Trek Factory, and Canyon Collective.
Women's Podium - Morgane Charre, Melanie Pugin, and Estelle Charles.
Men's podium - Jesse Melamed, Florian Nicolai, Jack Moir.
U21 Women podium - Hattie Harnden, Sophie Riva.
Useless outdated garbage. Rode hard and put out to pasture.
See you next week, from Hoth.
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The rider is actually Dimitri Tordo.