2017 French Enduro Series Round 1, Levens - Day 1
Yesterday, late at night, the weather forecast for today fooled us. We would have been better to stick to the previous days' forecast. We woke up this morning and as we stuck our nose out of the window we noticed nothing but a clear sky. How could it be?! It's a frequent thing that French Riviera appears in the synonymous dictionaries as 'sunny'.
As we mentioned yesterday, riders were asked to do a recce ride over the first two stages and then riding the stages in race mode. The liaisons were long climbs, mainly for the stage 1, climbing a good portion of Col du Dragon, which is also on the menu for Sunday. Stage 3 was examined and raced separately.
Rocks and roots are the key words to describe the first two stages of the weekend. Gnarly and treacherous trail sections for the stage 1, taking its toll in form of crashes, flat tires and we spotted a couple of rims and derailleurs too. In the middle of the party of the rocks, riders could enjoy a gentle alpine woods trail, with a spongy soft soil. Stage 2 was about 40 seconds in average for most riders, including more pedaling but also some rocky sections.
We made our way down to Levens old town for the third stage. After a day out on the trails, it felt good enjoying the spectacle of the riders shredding the narrow streets of the ancient village.
Camille Servant (Urge BP) was the fastest rider on stage 1, and with two top 10 results in the other stages is sitting third in the scratch classification. Kevin Miquel (Commençal Vallnord Enduro Team) took the stage 2 and with a consistent journey stays second overall. The fastest rider in the overall today was Alex Cure (BH Miranda Racing), without partial wins but improving his performance on every stage.
The Portuguese rider José Borges (BH Miranda Racing) worked his win on stage 3, being a regular contender and winner at certain urban DH events in Portugal and Spain.
In the women field, Cecile Ravanel (Commençal Vallnord Enduro Team) won all the stages of the day, with Isabeau Courdurier (Sunn) placing second after her at every stage. Julie Duvert sits third and Morgane Such is fourth for now.
Tomorrow's weather forecast debates itself between cloudy and light showers. Who knows?, it's Côte D'Azur!. Locals say that even if it rains a bit, it shouldn't rise up the trails technical level too much.
Apparently there was a camp tent group purchase.
Breakfast time according to van's life.
Details on Borges bike.
This weekend we have Enduro World top level in the women category.
Jose Borges setting up his action cam before the race start.
Missing Barelli here, right?.
No relay mode on these liaisons. Share the ride.
Liaison done on a pickup truck.
Almost on the top of stage 1.
That one down there is his place. And this is his playground.
Well, just a wheelie with a Maritime Alps view.
Coffee time at the start of stage 1. The Frenchies know how to do it.
Cruising rocks with a big weapon.
This is the mood of a race leader before the start.
Baptiste Gaillot and the Mediterranean Sea at the bottom.
Your stage 1 winner, Camille Servant.
Because riding it a bit to his right it wouldn't be so funny.
No doubt about it, today we had plenty of light..
Show us how you corner. Tight corners blended with rocks and roots on stage 1.
How amazing are those villages up there!.
Riders on a liaison.
A view from the trails this morning.
Florian Nicolai opening the stage 1.
Mehdi Gabrillargues is 7th at the end of the day in the e-bike category.
A clear disadvantage of an e-bike is having to walk the bike when a mechanical occurs.
The soft section on stage 1.
Kevin Miquel corners in control to finish 4th on this stage.
Dimitri Tordo trying to balance on stage 1.
It happens every time in the Maritime Alps, a ride with a view.
Thomas Lapeyrie negotiates one of the several danger spots on stage 2.
Isabeau Courdurier is that sort of rider that never stops fighting. Here on stage 2.
Basically this was an aisle made of rocks.
Two exclamation marks might mean something.
Saying it is never enough. Races wouldn't be possible without these guys, races are made out of volunteers.
They do love a gathering to discuss lines.
Who dares to calculate the amount of money laying here?
Well... that's a plate number!
Kevin Miquel in a common figure to most riders on this spot.
The start of the stage 3 had these stairs that pretty much looked like the trails of the previous stages.
Just focus on the 'first' because this guy got that result at the end of this stage.
Pierre Real leaving Levens church behind.
It's not like every enduro race has this sort of trails, right?
Full results here.
MENTIONS: @kabelleira
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Member since Jul 20, 2016
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I'm no eBiker, but I really couldn't care less if others choose to ride them or any other bike.
Still want to enjoy being out with your mates, but not having the fitness to ride. You will probably buy one.
I think the average age of Pinkbike readers is quite low, of perhaps even imagining being middle aged is hard for most of them, never mind older.
What I would add is that we don't seem to suffer the same amount of trail access issues over here in Europe so that's another big barrier removed for us, whilst I understand completely why e-bikes could (and perhaps should) be fought elsewhere...
Either way, the motors are limited to 34km/h. That is about as fast as you go down the trail. If you are going to damage the trail, that's it.
Oh and did I mention they're all pedal assist? Because some people just need something to help them get to the top of the trail.
I don't want one, but that doesn't mean that nobody else should get one
However, pinkbike covering ebike races is the issue. Take your own example. Do you think people would want to see you riding your ebike at 65 on this site? Likely not. Ride mopeds, ebikes, razor scooters, whatever you want. But we don't want to see them covered here in races with real mountain bikes. For the same reasons we don't want to see road race coverage. I don't hate road bikes or cyclocross, or think they should be forbidden on roads trails or anything. But, nobody wants them covered on pinkbike. (Unless, of course, a very entertaining lunatic was to throw one down A line)
Buy an ebike, ride it, most people actually don't care what you chose to ride. But let's keep pinkbike for the bikes, and specifically the bikes we come here to see and drool over.
Kind of like racing a canoe with an electric motor .
Its just wrong.
Put e-bikes in a separate category and everybody loses his mind. What would you want? Them to be in the same race, with the same ranking?
I'm surprised by the lack of tolerance the community is displaying right now. And all this for only one single picture!