Race Report: EWS Continental Qualifier - Windrock Bike Park
This year the Tennessee Enduro became an EWS Continental round giving the opportunity to quality for an Enduro World Series event. Last year it drew some familar names like Wyn Masters, Yoann Barelli, and Rachel Strait. This year was no different with Jubal Davis and the Yeti squad, Isabella Naughton, McKay Vezina, Shane Leslie and a handful of others coming from around the country to give the Tennessee Enduro a whirl.
If you're looking for terrain that not only is a challenge for most to simply ride, but even more so difficult to race - Windrock Bike Park should be on your short list. The mountain on which Windrock is situated is not what one would typically think of if your're not from the Southeast and this five stage enduro is a pretty good sampler of what the bike park has to offer with two stages starting at the top of the mountain with the full pull off the top was the fifth and final stage - 2300' ft top to bottom.
First thing in the morning - a shuttle to the mid way point to pedal up to stage one
With chilly morning temps and views like that, no one minded a little warm up...
Stage one - Rollin' Coal, wasted no time getting into the thick of it right off the top Rider - Lindsey Carpenter
Frida
Jakob Snow
Pretty steep as when you look at it from the side and straight up
To give you a little perspective...
Windrock trail builder, Damon Sedivy - low & fast
The transfer to stages 3 & 4 wasn't too bad - conversation pace
There were snacks and drinks at the aid station - some chose to hang out for a second and some kept it moving
Caroline Washam - coming fresh off of shoulder recovery was all smiles to just be riding
David Kahn coming around this corner at mach turkey
Dillon Santos proving that loose is fast - and pays off
Jubal Davis smashing rocks
Dugan Merrill holdin' it wide
Frida checking 'em off, section by section
Rachel Pageau through the trees
Ben Hobbs making the ground shake as he came down this chute
Fun was clearly had going back up to the final stage - Jakob Snow
Shane Leslie letting it all hang out at the top of stage five - even took fastest on the day down Windmill
Complete and utter moto badass, Russell Bobbit, getting in the mix
Salsa rider, Sam Skidmore
By mid-day, this was the scene
I think it's safe to say there was a fair bit of exposure, despite being wooded...
From this point on, after dropping back in off a short gravel section to "recover" - it's alllll downhill
Warren Kniss hauling the mail in...
McKay rocketing out
Rachel Pageau calling the pass and makin' moves
About 1/3 of the way down now...
Keeping riders on their toes, the Stage 2 start was the final 1/3 of the final track
Tyler Weyman leaning into it
Steep turns galore
Isabella Naughton making light work of the super steep switchbacks
Toward the end of the day, that cool shadow-ey light came in
Results were posted as soon as the last rider turned in their chip
U21 Podiums
Pro women's podium with Windrock local, Frida Ronning, taking the top spot, Rachel Pageau in second, and Lindsey Carpenter in third.
Tight racing all day saw Shane Leslie take a close win by just 3 seconds over Dillon Santos, followed closely by McKay Vezina. Shane had to catch a flight back to Arizona so he couldn't make podiums, but they made due without him
HUGE Thank You to Windrock Bike Park, Sean Leader, Cory Rimmer, Adam Craig and everyone involved for making this event happen and go off without a hitch!
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20 Comments
- 48 2
B-Rizzo
(Mar 12, 2020 at 7:17)
Great event apart from the sport class riders getting shafted. We had less time to complete the event than the pro's, and aid stations were wiped clean when we got there. Worked out asses off to get to stage five before the cutoff, then were told its canceled... Had to argue with the organizers to let us run the final stage. And our photos were not posted. Awesome
- 11 0
BranGoe
(Mar 12, 2020 at 10:20)
Should have staggered the first stages. I got stuck behind sport class riders on stage.
- 18 0
jwdenver
(Mar 12, 2020 at 10:26)
Sounds like nearly every race my friends and I have been to. Promoters need to get their shit together and start focusing on the amateurs. We're the ones paying for the event. It REALLY SUCKS to be 5 hours into your day with zero energy left and get to an empty aid station or a botched stage.
- 4 0
Murraybmx
(Mar 12, 2020 at 11:43)
I thought the sport riders only had to do 4 stages? Agree that amateurs get shafted on coverage. Even Cat 1 winners.
- 2 0
B-Rizzo
(Mar 12, 2020 at 12:25)
@BranGoe: For sure, sport should have started & finished later
- 3 0
kirny6
(Mar 12, 2020 at 14:29)
You must have been on the shuttle with me when the guy tried to tell us they were cancelling 5 lol. I was the guy who flatted and had to peddle the transitions like an XC mad man.
- 1 0
nickgarrison
(Mar 12, 2020 at 16:04)
My buddy raced the enduro and it seemed like we couldn’t find any actual information about what stages sport men were racing the whole weekend. Asked multiple people working at the event and no one knew.
- 3 4
durangobikemechanic
(Mar 12, 2020 at 20:33)
Sport Class Woes
- 1 1
ewikpark
(Mar 12, 2020 at 21:24)
@Jason93428: do you think ur good or something
- 1 0
kirny6
(Mar 13, 2020 at 7:14)
@nickgarrison: I did not race last year but had two buddies that did and they said it was very unorganized and didn't seem to care about the enduro too much. They said this year was MUCH better, I think they are starting to realize they need to put more into the enduro. In my opinion that is where you are going to get the most revenue and hopefully they are starting to realize that.
- 2 0
honda50r
(Mar 13, 2020 at 10:35)
@kirny6: valuable thirdhand information you have provided. Gossip
- 1 0
kirny6
(Mar 13, 2020 at 10:42)
@honda50r: Not gossip my buddy got first in the enduro last year and they didnt even have a podium. It took a bunch of locals tagging them in multiple instagram posts for them to even send a first place price.
- 5 0
tadgercat
(Mar 11, 2020 at 6:37)
Great report ! why is this article so hard to find? Had to use the link to it off FB WIndrock group to find it? Seemed impossible to find on PB website directly?
- 1 0
ryansimonovich
(Mar 12, 2020 at 14:34)
That may be because the article it self was posted by the author but the article was not yet displayed on the homepage. It's on the home page now--that's how I found it.
- 4 0
pioterski
(Mar 12, 2020 at 11:14)
Interesting gps mounting location in www.pinkbike.com/photo/18377690
- 4 0
alaskaskier
(Mar 10, 2020 at 12:24)
Wicked summary of what was an unreal event!
- 5 1
Jimmy0
FL (Mar 12, 2020 at 15:01)
Skidmore is my new favorite bike name
- 3 0
BStaf12
FL (Mar 12, 2020 at 10:23)
I'm fairly certain that's the wrong U21 men photo.
- 1 0
btreglia
(Mar 13, 2020 at 16:38)
Great article Burke! The stages were really good. This is the way enduro stages should be! The race was run somewhat poorly for a $150 entry fee.
- 2 0
kirny6
(Mar 12, 2020 at 14:30)
This was event was awesome. Some of the sickest trails I have ridden.
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