Enduro World Series Round 3, Madeira – Race Day 1 Photo Epic

We had fog, we had wind, we had sun, and a lot of dark clouds. But the one thing that we didn't have was rain to kick of the first day of competition here at the Enduro World Series in Madeira. That may not seem like a huge deal, but given the conditions seen at every EWS & WC round this year, it's worth mentioning that we finally got a chance to see everyone race on a level playing field.

For the women it was Cecile back to her dominant ways, with last round's winner Isabeau Courdurier in tow nearly a minute back. Hot on Isabel's heals though is Noga Korem, who's looking on form to take her first podium appearance if she keeps things together on Sunday's five stages. However, the slick and rocky nature of the tracks here means just about anything can happen, and there is still potential for riders to make up or lose a ton of time. Keep an eye on Ines Thoma, Caro Gehrig, and Casey Brown who are still very much in touch with the race.

For the men it was a battle of attrition at the front early in the day and a race that rewarded consistency rather than brute speed and stage wins. The early leader was a bit of a surprise, with Thomas Lapeyrie putting seconds into the whole field by the end of Stage 2, but then disaster struck. A flat tire on the treacherous and rock infested Stage 3 would send him to the back, his dreams of an overall win literally deflated in an instant. Stage 3 would also claim the likes of Jerome Clementz and Jared Graves who also suffered punctures in the sharp rocks. Jared, however, was running a foam insert between the rim and tire which allowed him to keep it pinned without destroying his wheel. He would lose quite a bit of time but still sits in 11th going into day two. Richie Rude had tire issues early in the day and rolled into the final stages of the day with four plugs in his rear tire. The series leader Adrien Dailly started slow in 18th but would then grab back to back stage wins to make up some ground and claw his way back to 2nd. But it was Jesse Melamed who would keep it consistent early in the day combined with a 2nd on Stage 3 (which took quite a few people out) to end the day with the fastest time. He has four seconds on Dailly and another 15 to Greg Callaghan who sits third, which is comfortable but by no means safe.

While the opening two rounds in New Zealand and Tasmania were all one day affairs, this round in Madeira marks the first time this year that the race is spread over two days, and as we have seen in previous multi-day enduros, pressure, and fatigue will play a huge role in the top riders abilities to hold on to their spots.