Race Preview: Zermatterhorn - EWS Zermatt 2019
It’s the first time the series has crowned its World Champions somewhere other than Finale Ligure in Italy – and where better than in the shadow of one of Europe’s most famous mountains, the Matterhorn? With a growing reputation for its expanding trail network and flanked by incredible mountain scenery, Zermatt is the perfect location for this historic race. From what we have seen so far it has more than lived up to the hype. The trails are long and rough, the views simply mind-blowing from every angle, and the auto-free town offers a change of pace from the usual bustle of car traffic that we accept as normal everywhere else.
With five stages being raced in one day and with over 3000m of descending, this race is going to be brutal on bikes and bodies. Add in the altitude and any physical effort will just be that much more draining. And with the amount of rock on some stages or switchbacks on others, things are as tricky and as technical as they come.
On the racing side of things, Isabeau Courdurier has the women's title locked up, so she can have a little fun out there this weekend. Will she let her guard down a bit, or will she finish out with a perfect season? Only time will tell. The men's race is quite the opposite as Florian Nicolai just barely holds the lead over Sam Hill. Sam has the momentum of good results from the previous rounds in his favor and if he wins this weekend, Florian will have to be within just a few spots. That is, of course, before you count the final stage of the year which will be Zermatt's Queen Stage, and with it, an added points haul. If either Florian or Sam was to win that final stage, the points get even more complicated. You can be sure the team managers have all the variables worked out and will be at the finish line Saturday with their calculators to see just what their riders will need to do.
Check back in tomorrow as riders will put tires to the dirt on the race stages for the first time, taking their obligatory one practice run. As always, we will be there to bring you all the action and, in this case, all the epic views from the final EWS race of the 2019 season.
The Matterhorn in all its glory. Expect to see a lot of pics through the weekend of this famous mountain peak.
Touristing 101.
Big peaks surround Zermatt. It's hard not to find an amazing view anywhere you look.
Stage three is the highest of the weekend and sits just under a glacier.
Some of the quiet villages above Zermatt run parallel to stage one.
The views above town are spectacular, but if you look closely there is plenty of beauty in town as well.
Lots of history in the old mountain town.
Fall is coming, you can feel it in the morning air and see it in the colors up high.
Chris Ball and Ric McLaughlin look forward to a big day of riding bikes.
Squids were chomping at the bit to get going this morning.
The morning started high in the mountains and in a heavy fog. Thankfully, after the completion of stage one, clouds began to burn off and epic views became more apparent.
Stage one had epic views of the Matterhorn, but with all of the fog, we will just have to wait another day or two to see it.
Middle, stage one. A little ribbon of single track studded with rock.
Stage one spills out onto a small lake at the finish.
Just casually tweaking it through a mountain Village.
Matt Delorme taking the scenic route through a mountain village on the liaison between stages one and two.
The inversion broke up just enough to let us peek down into Zermatt from the top of stage three.
Rocking out above the clouds on stage three.
There are a few patches of dirt on the third stage, but for the most part, it's really just one massive rock from top to bottom.
The Matterhorn goes in and out of cloud cover through the day - a very present backdrop to many of the stages.
Damn, Zermatt, you have some epic trails. This one will be good.
Dave Trumpore dives into stage three while the Matterhorn looms in the distance.
Now matter where you look on stage three, the views are epic.
Big views at the top of stage four. But really there are big views just about everywhere in Zermatt.
Place a big boulder in a trail and Jesse Melamed will find a way to huck himself off of it.
Four starts off with some massive rock gardens, followed by steep and tight switchbacks.
Series leader Florian Nicolai sampling some of the local trails away from the race stages. He's in the lead up for this weekend's big race.
There are a few corners up high to make shapes on.
The Mad Dog takes the inside line on one of the many slabs on stage three.
Louis Para getting rowdy on stage three.
Robin Wallner testing out his nose manual skills on some tight switchbacks. The race stages are closed until Friday but most riders have been sampling the other trails in Zermatt to get a bit more familiar with the terrain.
Stage two is the only stage that is primarily below the tree line. With lots of roots opposed to rock, it is very much unlike the other four stages this week.
James Parkin enjoying a bit of root action on stage two.
Dave gets to the root of it on stage two.
Awaiting our ride to the top of stage three.
Carved by ice.
A lone Refugio in the backcountry overlooking Monte Rosa.
Water always finds a way. Twisting and turning through ages-old ice.
The textures are like abstract paintings.
Another Matterhorn shot. Just because.
Josh Carlson shreds one of the open public trails ahead of tomorrows official practice session.
It may have been gloomy-looking down in town, but high up on the mountain it was a beautiful day.
Can you spot the rider?
First few hours on the ground and it was impossible not to fall in love with this place.
The light shows are pretty good around here too.
The final sunset over the Matterhorn before practice gets underway tomorrow for the final round of the 2019 Enduro World Series.
Cheers to what is going to be an amazing final round.
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hotelcollina.ch/pauschalen
I'm here too, randomly on holiday(girlfriend doesn't think it's random), and it really is this beautiful.
Sweet cabin.
Funny how multiple words mean the same thing... But someone will still complain ;-)
Take a look here: bit.ly/2ktzZNZ
#shackgate
Monte-Rosa-Hütte is a true Zermatt Swiss mountain Hütte.
www.sac-cas.ch/en/huts-and-tours/sac-route-portal/2147000182
What I meant is "German speaking".
(not Italian, what "rifugio" would be)
Historical: first record of the name Zermatt is around 1495 but the old settlement might have been there in the 12th century already. While you can find many wooden buildings from the 15th and 16th century in the upper parts of the Valais/Wallis valley, i'm not sure the hamlet pictured here is that old. Maybe at least older than your country?
TLDR: "But hey this looks pretty!"
Also reread article a few times and still can't see where we wrote "hey this looks pretty"
Glad you used the resources at your fingertips to look up some facts to copy and paste though :-)