Practice Photo Epic: Amongst Giants - EWS Zermatt 2019
We knew it was going to be a long and hard day. With lengthy tracks, big liaisons, and more switchbacks than you can throw a stick at, this final round of the Enduro World Series is nothing to brush off for a one day round. It's rough, rocky, and it never seems to let up. With so much at stake here for Sam Hill and Florian Nicolai, along with Martin Maes and Richie Rude coming on strong, it's anyone's guess what could happen. That said, it was hard to tell who was looking best in practice. Lines were pondered and speeds seemed a little more subdued than normal. All being done to ensure it goes just right tomorrow, or as close as possible.
The Matterhorn is everywhere you look.
Richie Rude has been on a tear lately and these long and rough stages should certainly suit him.
ALN navigates the loose and rocky stage 5.
Katy Winton has had a rough go of this season but is looking to wrap things up inside the top ten if she can. Katy will be wanting to come back charging next year.
Stage one will be a painful sprint off the start. That view will be a blur.
The Commencal team rolls up to the start of stage one.
Kasper Wolley leaning into it on stage 3.
Spencer Rathcamp taking the high line as the Matterhorn keeps watching the distanc.e
Can you spot Cecile Ravanel? No, she is not racing, just here training with her team.
Pedro Burns will be looking to finish the season inside the top 20.
Stage one starts slow and picks up speed as the riders race to the valley floor. The big question is, can Florian Nicolai hold onto his points lead for the overall?
Damien Oton
Damien Oton is healed up from some big injuries and racing his first EWS of the season.
Kevin Miquel is looking to hold onto the number three spot in the overall this weekend.
Always bring the locals something to eat when you take a shortcut through their yard.
Katy Winton flexes for a big day of riding bikes.
Kevin Miquel sorts out the rough stuff on stage three.
Sam Hill is the chaser with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Matt Walker on stage 1.
First in points, Florian Nicolai has all the pressure on his shoulders this weekend.
Unrelenting roughness. It's going to be a hard last day of racing.
Cecile Ravanel gets in a full day of practice. She will have to sit out this round of racing, unfortunately.
ALN rolling some big slabs. Will she take one last podium?
Bex Baraona around one of what feels like a few hundred rocky switchbacks.
Isabeau Courdurier can relax this weekend as she has the overall locked up.
Jesse Melamed drifting in the dust of stage one.
Can Richie Rude take one last win this season?
Stage three may be almost over here, but there are still 1000 meters of descending to do when it's done.
T Lap finding enough flow to make shapes.
Martin Maes was one of the last riders on track today. Taking his time and making sure he has all his lines dialed.
It's not all rocks out there. Stage 2 is below the tree line and full of big roots.
The rugged glacier that sits just above stage 4.
Joe Barnes carving turns on the steeps of stage 5.
Ines Thoma on the home stretch of stage 5.
Florian Nicolai pushes through the final switchbacks of practice.
Ella Conolly is racing for the first time after a broken elbow took her out back in Les Orres.
Jesse Melamed on the gas near the bottom of stage 3.
The tram to stage 3 full of riders and bikes.
After two seasons of yelling "BEEEEER!!!" at Mark Maurissen when he rides past in practice, today on stage 5 was the day he pulled one over and I had one waiting for him.
Because two Matterhorns are better than one.
Ines Thoma has been on form at the close of the season and is a threat for the podium once again.
The final race of the season starts tomorrow. We can't wait to see how it unfolds.
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30 Comments
- 24 2
jheene
(Sep 20, 2019 at 14:46)
@davetrumpmore is so good at cameras. Almost as good as Zermatt is at gorgeous.
- 8 0
davetrumpore
(Sep 22, 2019 at 0:46)
Matt Delorme too
- 3 0
jheene
(Sep 22, 2019 at 5:17)
@davetrumpore: for sure! Credit to both of you!! Thanks for the pics!
- 10 1
cypress-mtb-club
(Sep 20, 2019 at 15:14)
Sam Hill for the win!!!!! Get it on and bring it on home.
- 7 1
Speeder01
(Sep 20, 2019 at 15:18)
If there is still another 1000m of descending after the finish line on S3, why not race it?
- 4 0
miles-e
(Sep 20, 2019 at 19:17)
There must be a reason, but that's crazy that they literally have more vert than they know what to do with.
- 2 0
pensamtb
(Sep 21, 2019 at 13:28)
It’s basically a ski run down or a gravel road. We raced the ski run in the Conti series last year. It was decidedly un-fun.
- 5 0
jorgeposada
(Sep 20, 2019 at 16:56)
How do you even ride out there, I would be stopping every 2 minutes to take pictures. We have great scenery from east to B.C. but that is crazy.
- 3 0
SleepingAwake
(Sep 22, 2019 at 0:15)
You wouldn't believe how many guys fly over the pond to visit the (admittedly gorgeous) national parks in the states and hardly even process what they have in front of their doorstep...
- 5 0
blackandwhite
(Sep 20, 2019 at 16:03)
"Remi Gauvin drifting in the dust of stage one." - That's Jesse Melamed
- 4 0
AndrewMacNaughton
(Sep 20, 2019 at 15:18)
Great content as always! (ps. you got Jesse and Remi mixed up in one of the shots)
- 4 0
bermtownusa
(Sep 20, 2019 at 20:48)
Is that a new Ibis that Box is railing?
- 1 0
scferg
(Sep 20, 2019 at 23:58)
Must be, at least the cable routing is different than the current HD4.
- 1 0
Crossmaxx
(Sep 21, 2019 at 2:32)
For sure. Different lower link (similar/same as the Ripmo and Ripley) gives it away.
- 3 0
CycloGoss
(Sep 21, 2019 at 8:50)
Richie on a fork with black stanchions? Could it be a 38?!
- 1 0
seidla
(Sep 21, 2019 at 11:59)
Yep, lookslikeit. Other sources stated it ran the 38mm stanchions plus they spotted an air pressure valve as seen on the Fox 40s... wow!
- 1 0
brianpark
FL Editor
(Sep 22, 2019 at 9:21)
www.pinkbike.com/news/spotted-new-fox-36-38-ews-zermatt-2019.html
- 1 0
chachmonkey
(Sep 21, 2019 at 15:14)
I love how these photos capture not only the beauty of the scenery, but also the mood of the end of the season. They all feel like fall, shorter days, and the end of racing.
- 3 1
fneuf
(Sep 20, 2019 at 16:16)
Genuine question, is "blind racing" still a thing at EWS?
- 1 0
pAzk
(Sep 20, 2019 at 23:08)
no and i think it never was?
- 4 0
davetrumpore
(Sep 20, 2019 at 23:27)
@pAzk: never was... They get 1 practice run
- 2 0
RupeFiasco
(Sep 20, 2019 at 18:10)
These photos should come with a content warning. Outrageous!
- 1 0
pioterski
(Sep 21, 2019 at 1:03)
Did you mean outgorgeous?
- 1 0
LagunaSunrise
(Sep 20, 2019 at 21:48)
This venue is beautiful! Holy shit
- 1 0
Lokirides
FL (Sep 20, 2019 at 14:39)
That shot of Pedro is POY. Inspiring!
- 1 0
fedfox
(Sep 20, 2019 at 20:08)
Stunning photos!!! thank you!! will it be a Rude ending??
- 1 0
DoisforDonuts
(Sep 20, 2019 at 20:36)
This place is unreaaaaal!!
- 3 0
thesharkman
(Sep 21, 2019 at 7:15)
Actually it's a real place
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