Race Report: Guillaume Larbeyou & Melanie Pugin Win Round 3 of the 2022 French Enduro Series - Risoul by richardbord

Riders didn t have time to enjoy the landscape while riding on stage 5. It was dry and sleepery steep long and technical so you had to be focus at every moment.

As France suffers an historical warm summer with high temperatures and very dry weather, it was good to escape a bit from the valley to go up at 1850m high in the South Alps. Despite the altitude, the riders had to deal with hot temperatures and very dry ground making each and every bit of the trails a challenge for the tires to grip on the dust. A contrast with last year where we had wind, rain and cold temperatures.

Five different stages, 11 categories, an E-Bike race, one very long blind stage on Saturday (1500m down and 11km long) where the fastest time was 16'32.88 minutes, a mix of pedalling sections and chairlift for the liaisons, 1900m up and 6100m down over the week-end. Here is what you need to know about this 3rd round of the French Enduro Cup. It was not an easy one for the riders!

In the E-Bike category, Nicolas Quere takes the lead on his Giant Reign E+ bike after being consistent all the week-end. But the fight was intense with Levy Batista who takes the 2nd place with only a 7.87 seconds gap. Diego Giordanengo takes the 3rd place but he fought with a man from a flat country, Maxime Lichtken from Belgian, who impressed everyone on Saturday whith 3 stage wins!

In the Women category, Melanie Pugin, who competes all the EWS races this season, was untouchable. Risoul was a good way to stay on form before her Canada bound for Whistler. Charlotte Rey had an agressive riding during all the week-end to secure a 2nd spot far from the other women. Laura Simonin managed to be on the podium dispite a lot of scratches on Saturday, but she rode consistently on Sunday and passed in front of Sarah Chamaillard for the 3rd spot. The Junior Woman Lily Planquart takes the 1st place and would have been 3rd in the Woman category.

As usual, young prodige Raphael Giambi is above his young fellas in the Cadet category and takes the 9th spot in the Men category. Impressive. Men's leader was without any doubt Guillaume Larbeyou and his Commencal Prototype. As Melanie, he also rides all the EWS races so he'll take a flight to BC soon for his very 1st time. The fight was intense just behind with Albin Cambos and Eliott Baud.

The next Enduro Series race will be in Pesey-Vallandry (next to Les Arcs) on the 3rd and 4th of September. It will be an EWS Qualifier.

Friday is the day you pick up your race plates and the maps with stages details.

Best speaker around, Phil Joint-Lambert found a way to challenge himself by reaching every event he speaks by bicycle.

Two chairlifts were open this week-end for the race.

Levy Batista opening Stage 1 with a view.

Nico Quere on his way to the top spot.

Winning 2 stages didn't help to be on the podium after a disaster 8th timed stage for Kenny Muller.

Tongue is out for the Belgian rider Maxime Lichtken who won 4 stages over the week-end.

Nico Quere is chased by Kenny Muller in the long, technical and physical stage 5.

End of the race check with Kenny Muller, Levy Batista and Nico Quere.

Main goal of the week-end : stay on the bike. Oh, wait, well...

Junior Woman Claire Chabbert looking good on this techy spot on stage 1.

Charlotte Rey had an agressive riding style on every stages to take a solid 2nd place behind the untouchable Melanie Pugin but whith 2.30''in front of 3rd place Laura Simonin.

Despite a crash like this, Junior Woman Melina Damestoy managed to keep her 2nd place.

6 stages raced, 6 wins. Melanie Pugin was clearly on a higher level this week-end. She should be on form for the Canada and USA EWS races in August.

Riders cheering riders.

Young, fast and... always coming with stupid ideas! Junior guys on top of their form between stages.

Young prodige Raphael Giambi always have clean lines. 1st Cadet and 9th place scratch of the week-end.

Young prodigy Raphael Giambi always have clean lines. 1st Cadet and 9th place scratch of the week-end.

Not sure it's the fastest way to be fast, but we quite like dust explosions!

You better find energy to guiddy up like this on a race run!

Do you think this kid on the left will be a future champion?

Guillaume Larbeyou didn't give a chance to the other riders after winning 5 of 6 stages.

Some liaisons were steeper than others. #notEbike

The intouchable rider of the Masters category since many years : Camille Lepley won once again here in Risoul.

The only river to cross was on stage 3 this week-end, and probably the only water the tires saw.

New feature this year with this wooden bridge.

Young supporters along the track were watching both French Cup riders in Risoul and World Cup riders in Andorra! Thank you technology.

Thanks for the e-ride Rossignol bikes I couldn t do this race report without this king of bike.

Thanks for the e-ride Rossignol bikes! I couldn't do this race report without this kind of bike.

Denis from mavic was here to help on any mechanic problem.

Liaison with a 360° view.

Epic riding on stage 3.

Eliott Baud attacking on Stage 3 to secure a 3rd place this week-end.

A bloody elbow couldn't stop this rider to engage in the dusty trails.

The Alpine views along the week-end showed how much some stages were physically and technically hard.

Master 1 Gregory Gaspard took the 1st spot by only 5.29 seconds.

Hiking the bike to get on top of stage 5 after taking the chairlift.

Riders meeting waiting for the most beautiful view of the week-end at 2575m high. Grand Ma and Grand Pa on the left were certainly surprised!

Stage 5 start with a 360 view. Last year was windy and cold, this year was sunny and hot.

Albin Cambos won 1 stage over 6 and managed to get the second spot of the week-end. For a guy who didn't think about racing a whole season, it's not bad!

Hot natural water baths seen at the end of stage 3 on Saturday.

Alpine summer mood.

Last turn before the finish area.

Albin Cambos in the finish area. He'll take the 2nd spot, 23.13 seconds behing Larbeyou after 40 minutes of race runs over the week-end.

Girl power! They were not so many in Risoul, but the level of the girls riding in France is higher than ever, and the ones here proved it well.

Guillaume Larbeyou is a tired but happy man after winning his 1st national Enduro race of the year. Next stop for him : Whistler for the EWS.

Scratch winner of the week-end : Guillaume Larbeyou of the Commencal Enduro Project.

Fastest woman of the week-end : Melanie Pugin of the BH Enduro Racing Team.

Guillaume Larbeyou poses with his Commencal Meta prototype he rode with.

Results

Men

1st. LARBEYOU Guillaume — 40'30.78
2nd. CAMBOS Albin — 40'53.91
3rd. BAUD Eliott — 41'00.72
4th.MILLE Thimoté — 41'04.74
5th. ICARDO Alexis — 41'19.55

Women

1st. PUGIN Mélanie — 47'44.95
2nd. REY Charlotte — 49'19.97
3rd. SIMONIN Laura — 51'48.58
4th. CHAMAILLARD Sarah — 51'59.55
5th. MACINOT Laurine — 52'15.29

E-BIKE

1st. QUERE Nicolas — 1h06'01.07
2nd. BATISTA Levy — 1h06'08.94
3rd. GIORDANENGO Diego — 1h07'10.58
4th.LICHTKEN Maxime — 1h07'40.97
5th. SULPY Leon — 1h08'53.23

Full Results

E-MTB podium (L-R) : Levy Batista (2nd), Nicolas Quere (1st), Diego Giordanengo (3rd)

Women podium (L-R) : Charlotte Rey (2nd), Melanie Pugin (1st), Laura Simonin (3rd). And some Olympic champions for Risoul!

Men podium (L-R) : Thimote Mille (4th), Albin Cambos (2nd), Guillaume Larbeyou (1st), Elliot Baud (3rd), Alexis Icardo (5th)

Author Info:

richardbord

Member since Jun 21, 2011
16 articles