Let’s Go! Round 2 of the 2021 Enduro World Series in Canazei, Italy

by | Jun 25, 2021 | Bike, Bike Events & Racing, Bike Racing News

Wednesday was Round 1 of the 2021 Enduro World Series season and now Round 2 of the MET Val Di Fassa EWS Trentino is about to get underway! The format for Round 2 is slightly different with a single Stage being raced today (Friday) as the “Pro Stage” and then a repeat of Wednesday’s 4 Stage course being raced on Saturday (course details below). Let’s recap Round 1 quick. (Click here for more info on the Enduro World Series format and how the stages work)

Isabeau Courdurier Enduro World Series Val Di Fassa
Isabeau Courdurier is back in winning form but facing tough competition! Photo: Enduro World Series

What Happened at Round 1

The Val Di Fassa Round 1 saw recurring victories for Richie Rude and Isabeau Courdurier who won races here in 2019 but with very much reduced winning margins! Isabeau saw close competition from fellow French riders Morgane Charre and Melanie Pugin and we even had a Stage win from 1st year elite rider Harriet Harnden. The 13 second winning margin was convincing but less than half of of her 2019 margin. It could be switched up at Round 2, we’ll have to wait and see.

The men’s race was one of the closest results in the history of the sport with Jack Moir finishing less than half a second off of Richie Rude! Jesse Melamed rounded out the men’s top 3, 15 seconds back and hungry for more. Charles Murray of New Zealand snuck a Stage win off of the top 2 riders and will be a man to keep an eye on in future! Here is the Race Highlights to give a watch and see how intense the racing was out there.

Enduro World Series Val Di Fassa Round 1 Race Highlights

For the breakdown of Round 1 Stage results and Top 5 overall finishers click here.

What to Expect at Round 2

There is a spot of rain on the horizon for Friday and Saturday which could shake up the conditions. With plenty of roots to catch riders out, moisture on the trail would be dangerous.

We have learned that Stage 3 packs a whopper of a climb which is putting even the fittest riders to the test! This is where Murray and Harnden got their Stage wins! Check it out in the video below (2:50-4:08).

Jesse Melamed on Stage 3 at Round 1

2019 Series Champion Sam Hill didn’t appear to have the legs at Round 1. He struggled to stay on pace after a second place on Stage 1 and dropped back to around 20th. The jury is out on whether or not he will be able to feature on the podium at Round 2.

Racing kicks off on the Pro Stage on Friday at 2:30pm. They will race Titans (2.71km / 636m drop). The 6.55km Tutti Frutti will be the Queen Stage again and likely the podium decider at the end of Saturday!

It will be very interesting to compare results from Round 1 and 2. Some riders may perform better as they learn the trails better and endurance will certainly play a big roll. Will Ella Conolly, Noga Korem, or ALN be able to break apart the top 3 French ladies? How will the Richie vs Jack battle unfold in Round 2? We feel a win coming for Moir but we will have to wait and see!

The Course

Total Course: 41 km / 3148m descent (several chairlift assisted climbs)

Pro Stage (Friday) – Titans: 2.71km / 636m D

Stage 1 – Titans: 2.71km / 636m D 

Stage 2 – Ciastes : 1.24km / 218m D

Stage 3 – Animal House : 3.41km / 473m D

Stage 4 – Tutti Frutti : 6.55km / 980m D (Queen Stage) (Winning run at bottom of page)

How to Follow the Action

Live Timing

EWS TV for video highlights

Enduro World Series Website for more info

Jack Moir’s Queen Stage winning run from Round 1

Event Coverage