Race Report: French Enduro Series Round 5 2022 - île Rousse - Corsica

It is not often that a season ends so late in France. This year, the French Cup Enduro Series finished on Halloween in a new venue outside the main continent, in Corsica. What better place to race whilst also taking time to enjoy the surroundings with the family. This was the plan for the new Corsica Bike Festival, which for its first event was remarkably successful. The start list was full in the men's field, and everybody was excited to discover the region of l’Île Rousse from a mountain biker's perspective.

The race follows a rally format with almost 100km and 3200m D+ on two days, and 160km 5500m D+ for the eBike field. The stages were mainly a mix of long rocky and gnarly sections, intersected by some street race segments in picturesque Corsican villages.

With Cece Camoin limited by brain trauma protocol, it is Nathan Secondi and Lisandru Bertini who were responsible for representing Corsica. And they did really well. Nathan wins the scratch, and Lisandru wins the junior category with a 3rd scratch.

Being the last race of the season, the champs were crowned. Thee suspense was really high in the Men's and Junior Male categories. In the Men's race, Eliott Baud had 24 points to catch up to Albin Cambos, and in the Juniors just 25 points separated the top6 riders. It is near 0.

In the end, Eliott Baud took the overall by only two points with a second place, while Albin Cambos was really impressive, catching up the 4th place after being sick all weekend long. He must be really disappointed, but they showed us a really tight and exciting race. In the Junior field, it is finally Géraud Heine that takes the win for 1 point over Maël Feron.

The eBike category was really full of champs coming from many corners of the mountain bike world. Specifically: Thibaut Daprela, Yannick Pontal, Adrien Dailly, Damien Oton, Kevin Marry, Remy Absalon and even JP Bruni, Loïc’s dad. It was Levy Batista who was competing with Diego Giordanengo for the title. After 2 days of battling, Thibaut Daprela stole the show by winning many stages, and by a good margin in the downhill segments. Second was Kevin Marry, and Levy Batista in third. Damien Oton and Yannick Pontal had good speed, but suffered from mechanic issues. Levy Batista takes the overall the two Moustache boys, Diego Giordanengo and Kenny Muller.

The off season peaceful place of Ile Rousse soon invaded by riders.

The Corsica bike festival takes place just in front of the sea

The cow is curious about the new animals displacing with wheels

Typical Corsian villages in the middle of nowhere are wonderfull

Many really good riders here!

Family time for the Otons

Same holidays for the Absalons

Hot summer for the Garrigue

Lets start the race

Southern countryside

Lily Planquart balancing on the rocks

We call this vegetation : The maquis

Lucas Monetti happy to be back on pace with a 5th place

Nico Quere back on "acoustic" bike

Levy Batista gave everything in the long stage 1 as we can see

Laura Charles smiling at the 160km on those two days of eBike racing

Speloncato Place, the end of stage 1, the start of stage 2

Thiebaut Daprela likes to ride his eBike, but it is the first time he has to pedal it over the 25km/h limits

Baptiste Bachelet misses the overall podium in Junior for 3 points

Diego Giordanengo 4th in eBike category for 2nd on overall ranking

Eliott Baud was fast and consistent all year long to win the overall ranking

Axel Fresquet reach the 3rd place overall ranking

Trying to find the grip in the powder

Albin Cambos gave it all despite being really sick

Thanks Alex Balaud for your investigations in new places. Corsica rocks!

eBikes are fun

Dark

Bright

Some street section at the menu

Adapt to this new texture for the next braking part

Tracks is mainly composed by rocks

Remy Absalon caring his rear wheel foam protection on the back as it is not allowed to drop it

Olivier Giordanengo had a battery connexion issue because of that terrain that shakes it hardly

While Yannick Pontal broke his rear wheel axle

Raphaël Giambi fastest cadet is 5th overall scratch

Corsica products

Corsica products again

L'ile rousse is the new Farwest

Riding in the desert

Look at Camille Lepley's wheel after stage 5, it is a good illustration of how gnarly the stages were for the mechanic. He still manages to take the win

Present and past

A little bit of rest and fun before the last stage

Antoine Didierjean 3rd in Master 1

Some more efforts and soon to the beach

Nathan Secondi wins on his island

Lisandru 3rd scratch as a junior on his island too

Eliott Baud 2nd this week-end wins the overall ranking

See you next year

Results

Scratch Men

1. SECONDI Nathan 33'27,04 (Alpana)
2. BAUD Eliott 33'39,55 (Passe Partout VTT Macon)
3. BERTINI Lisandru 33'47,79 (Lapierre Zip Collective)
4. CAMBOS Albin 33'56,35 (Vélo Club du Thoré)
5. MONETTI Lucas 34'02,60 (vtt rando 04 Digne les Bains)

Scratch Women

1. CHABBERT Claire 39'11,45 (JPA Enduro Team)
2. LASSUS Alizés 39'24,08 (Commencal les orres / Frejus gravity)
3. BOULADOU Lisa 39'28,80 (X1 racing)
4. PLANQUART Lily 40'33,08 (Tribal Sport Gémenos)
5. REY Charlotte 40'59,03 (Tribe Pyrenees Gravity)

Overall Ranking

Scratch Men

1. BAUD Eliott 1689pt
2. CAMBOS Albin 1687pt
3. FRESQUET Axel 1469pt
4. MILLE Thimoté 1326pt
5. GIAMBI Raphaël 1281pt

Senior Women

1. REY Charlotte 1110pt
2. CHAMAILLARD Sarah 918pt
3. MURIGNEUX Axelle 874pt
4. SIMONIN Laura 733pt
5. HENRY Justines 648pt

Scratch Podium

Junior Women were the fastest girls

Overall Men

Overall Women

Ebike Results

Scratch

1. DAPRELA Thibaut 51'51,43 (ommencal mucoff by Riding addiction)
2. MARRY Kevin 52'25,81 (Lapierre Overvolt Team)
3. BATISTA Levy 53'26,09 (VTT Fun Club / Tribe Pyrenees Gravity)
4. GIORDANENGO Diego 54'16,93 (E-Team Moustache)
5. DAILLY Adrien 54'20,72 (Lapierre Zipp Collective)

Overall Ranking

1. BATISTA Levy 432pt
2. GIORDANENGO Diego 390pt
3. MULLER Kenny 334pt
4. MARRY Kevin 230pt
5. QUERE Nicolas 221pt