Photo Epic: First Practice of the Season - EWS Val di Fassa 2021 Race 1
After an abbreviated 2020 season that saw only a small number of events and no champions crowned, the Enduro World Series makes a strong return in Canzei, Italy with a double header spread over five days. Racers will tackle 4 stages on Wednesday for Round 1, and will then race those same stages again on Saturday for round 2 (plus an additional long stage on Friday evening). While organizers were hoping for more variety over the two rounds, the mix of Covid shutdowns, heavy snowpack on many trails, and recent damaging wind storms that left fallen trees and debris throughout the woods, made that nearly impossible. So instead, both rounds will essentially mirror each other with the only difference being that round 2 will run one of the four stages once on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday for a total of 5 race stages. What Canazei may be lacking in quantity, it certainly is not lacking on quality with each of the stages being some of the best we have seen anywhere. And as one of the most picturesque venues on the EWS, the views are not hard on the eyes either.
Who should you put your money on? While that's really anyone's guess after such a long off season and strange 2020 that saw many of the favorites like Sam Hill choosing to stay home. So who's hot and who's not will certainly remain an unknown until the clock starts ticking tomorrow morning.
Rachel Pageau
Antoine Vidal with all the style at the top of stage 3
Track testing with the TV crew. Who says the media can't have a little fun too
Despite the epic views up high, most of the stages in Canazei take place in the woods and offer a wide variety of terrain.
Always the one to beat, Isabeau Courdurier
Jank master, Jesse
Damion Oton
Adrien Dailly on stage 1
Andreane Lathier Nadeau on the gas
Anita Gehrig
Dimitri Tordo on stage 2
Matt Walker laying in flat
Greg Callaghan at the start of stage 3
Estelle Charles focused on the trails rather than the views
Richie Rude won here in 2019 by a convincing margin and has been looking very fast and confident
Youn Deniaud drops in
Remi Gauvin pushing at the bottom of stage 4
Rae Morrison navigates the roots on an off camber inside line on stage 1
Eddie Masters getting caught out by some hidden roots on stage 2
Jack Moir made the trek over from Australia
Sam Hill was doing his own thing and practicing stages out of order. Keeping lines a secret and his true speed hidden
Bex Baraona sporting the new Ibis team colors
Chloe Gallean on stage 2
A tiny rider just to give a sense of scale
Wyn Masters
Miranda Miller a long way from Canada
Kasper Wooley with a long way to go until the bottom of stage 4
Jesse Melamed looking to pick up where he left of in 2020
Richie Rude and Shawn Neer getting dialed with Jordi after the close of practice
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61 Comments
I bet he took a plain, brought his Canyon and definitely ITS NOT HIM ON THE PICTURE.
Its José Broges, the Portuguese rider.
N° 1 troll-ey in the game ! LoL !
If you notice which companies are promoting and which are ditching, you may understand !?
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