Day One Photo Epic: Rough and Tough - EWS Madeira 2019
Photo Epic presented by ODI
In terms of time spent out racing today, it was a relatively short day with only three stages on offer. But those three stages were rough, fast and dusty as hell. They served up a fair amount of punishment with many a rider reaching the end of stage one wearing more of the dirt than they would have liked. Stage two was studded with small stones that punished the arms, and three was all speed up top and high-speed grass down below. Martin Maes sits in first after a powerful performance on day one. Adrien Dailly took second after putting a hole in his arm on stage two, Jose Borges sits in third. Sam Hill was back up to speed, but a crash on stage three cost him precious time. Isabeau Courdurier is in the lead for the women while Ella Conolly had a break out day and took second. Anita Gehrig sits in third after day one. Day two is going to be a big one with five stages to deal with and things start out on a very dusty and blown out Gamble track in the morning.
Isabeau and Bex head out on the climb to the start of stage one.
Poncha served trackside? Yes please, we will take three.
Dave, Matt, and Kiki enjoy a little morning Poncha before the racing gets hot and heavy.
Eddie Masters was on pace today taking fifth after the first three stages.
Cedric Ravanel has decided to race in masters this weekend and is currently sitting at the top of the result sheet.
Remi Absalon heading towards the ocean and the finish of stage one.
Stage one descended across a steep ridgeline just above Machico.
Dominant. It's the only word that comes to mind when speaking about Martin Maes right now.
Martha Gill weaves her way through the cactus at the bottom stage two.
What a day for Ella Conolly. Ella finished in second, her best result to date.
Jose Borges finishes day one in third place. The Portuguese champ hopes to be on the podium at days end tomorrow.
The climb out of stage two was more of a push.
Martha Gill on stage one.
Dimitri Tordo just inside the top 10 after day one.
A slow start in 20th for Remi Gauvin.
12th after a rough day for ALN.
Martin Maes was digging for the fuel after digging deep on stage two.
Anita Gehrig closes out day one in third place.
Morgane Charre sits in fourth place after day one.
7th for Rae Morrison.
Once again Isabeau Courdurier is out front and making the other women chase her down.
Not the happiest of birthdays for Mark Scott on stage one.
Sam Hill was back on form today, but an OTB on three cost him precious seconds. He sits in fourth place after day one.
Eddie Masters is once again mixing it up at the front of the EWS field. 5th after day one.
Wyn Masters. Always pinned.
7th and still in the mix for Jesse Melamed.
Remi Gauvin back in 20th and not the result he was hoping for after finishing just off the podium last round.
Matt Walker sits in twelfth place after day one.
11th after day one for Robin Wallner
Kevin Miquel rounds out the top 10.
Seriously, what kind of position is Martin Maes even in on his bike in this photo? Once again doing what others can't and making it look easy.
3rd after day one for Anita Gehrig.
It looks like Adrien Dailly is recovered from his elbow surgery that ended his 2018 season. Back up front and currently in 2nd for the young Frenchman.
Wyn Masters took 7th on stage one today. A mistake on two put him in 66th, and he closed out three in 15th.
Dave Trumpore's brother Lee got out from behind a camera and is racing in Masters this weekend.
Antonie Vidal takes the top spot in the U21 men after day one.
Day one ended down in the harbor just as it started.
Leigh Johnson on stage three and in 15th after the first day of racing.
Cody Kelley licking his lips over how good the tracks are in Madeira.
Jose Borges is making the home country proud after day one where he currently sits 3rd.
Isabeau Courdurier leads the women after day one.
Adrien Dailly sits in second place at the end of day one even after needing stitches in his elbow from stage two.
Florian Nicolai sits in sixth place after day one.
Duncan Mason is currently fighting it out for a podium spot in the U21 race.
Matt Koen struggles to grow facial hair so opted for the spray on version this weekend.
Florian Nicolai, gritting his teeth and pushing into 6th.
Hard work paying off once again for Martin Maes.
Keegan Wright shows off his war wound from the first day of practice.
Bex Baraona and Robin Wallner keeping the mood light before a big day of racing.
Time for a swim after a long day in the dust.
Wyn Masters sits in 24th after day one.
Robin Wallner and Duvert cool down in a very chilly Atlantic Ocean after a very hot day of racing.
All smile from youngster Ella Conolly after a day of mixing it up with the fastest women in the world.
A hand in a bag of ice sums up Mark Scott's birthday today.
Until tomorrow.
MENTIONS: @Odigrips / @EnduroWorldSeries / @davetrumpore / @mdelorme /
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He had one year to learn from his mistake, will be stupid to do it twice
Seems silly, to me, in an EWS where you are pushing the limits having only ridden the track once, to risk your whole season on the discomfort/fashion factors of wearing proper protection.
I think it is damn stupid to put riding bare elbows on "being cool" (unless you mean cool - not being hot in which case I agree! Highly likely!) It says a lot about how you make your life choices yourself. Like... were you really that stupid to not wear them, because it wouldn't be cool to wear them, so that you succumbed to peer pressure against your own judgement? That means you still do things in order to make you cool since that pattern of behavior of appealing to others is in your head. Maybe you now wear elbow pads to appear to other kind of people? To safet y first kind of folks, on their way to become old chaps? People who claim that bare elbows is a fashion thing, really need to do some psychoanalysis... feeling guilty much? Passing guilt driven anxiety on others?
Where does that end then? Why aren't they wearing neck braces then? are people not wearing neck braces stupid folks who want to look cool? Ankle protectors? Chest protectors? Maybe XCers should start wearing Fullface helmets - hye I assure you that there are thousands of people on mountian bikes who would like to wear a fullface and a back protector (and the elbow pads!!!) if they were about to hit a World Cup XC track. Where do you draw the line? Tell me, where does your elbow self righteousness end?
(I do wear elbow pads in the bike park and would wear them on enduro comp...)
I have a firebird 29 set up Mullet with the Geo chip in the high setting and it's only about 1/2 degree slacker and 1/4" lower. Golden!
29er of the future should have a Geo chip and tire clearance for both wheels.
And as an rubbish but enthusiastic amateur photographer, I'd love it if the photos had a little exif data embedded.
Then theres honest to goodness DH helmets, your fox rampage, d3, etc. These are much sturdier protection. Thats what everyone in ews are wearing
Helmets with removable chin like Super 3r or Parachute 2 are half lids with face scratch protection. Won’t work for racing at that level and I personally wouldn’t use them for any harder riding
Even in only 20C weather, it made such a big difference in my Stage.
Check it out
She knows that if she joined Open Women she’d feel pressure to push, perhaps in Master she knows she can place pretty far back relative to her usual class but still “win” her race.