Since 2005 France has organized an enduro championship, the Enduro Series. Having organized the first ever enduro race in 2003 (Tribe 10000 – Val d’Allos), the amazing success of this new race format gave birth to a highly competitive and recognized championships in France, putting it on the MTB scene. The trails are rather wild and technical as the series takes place mostly in the French Alps with timed stages with around 1000m of vertical drop and more than 10’ long. Riders have to complete 10 stages like that over an Enduro Series weekend. These series were probably an incredible teaching class for the French riders who now dominate the international enduro scene. Absalon won in 2012, Clementz in 2011, but also Lau, Vouilloz, Chausson are all serious contenders in the Enduro Series. Well-known international riders also came to compete against the French, such as Weir, Lopes, Wildhaber, Atherton, Moseley, but not having such a championship series back home probably is what prevents them from excelling against the best French riders on the international competitions.
Watch the following videos and you will surely understand why at the moment enduro is dominated by the French:
The 2013 calendar (our 9th season) of the Enduro Series will be publish in October.Samoens round 1
Winners : Nicolas Vouilloz, Tracy Moseley
Val d’allos round 2
Winners : Jérome Clémentz, Tracy Moseley
Valloire round 3
Winners : Nicolas Lau, Sabrina Jonnier
Font Romeu round 4
Winners : Nicolas Lau, Isabeau Cordurier
Overall winners of the 2012 enduro series-coupe de france
Remy Absalon, Anaïs PajotPhotos by Art Reflex
Probably it's so good at home, they don't want to miss 1 sec of it ! ;-))
Anybody should think like this .... pissed off reading so much bashing on different Nations here & there ...
I was actually judging Americans and the English for this. I don't condone it, I just notice that it happens, so it's pure commentary that's not meant to offend anyone. To be honest I'd probably agree with anything the Chinese say about Americans - there's no doubt that we're spoiled and fat. I also speak fluent Mandarin so I actually would understand them.