Courdurier, Rude, Lan and Kim lead the charge as enduro heads back to Italy

With four of seven UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup rounds (EDR) already raced, the fight for the overall is hotting up.

Last year’s champ Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) leads the pro-series standings going into round five as does the USA’s Richie Rude (Yeti / Fox Factory Team).

In the pro men, the battle for the title has been ferocious with the lead changing hands at every round but with Rude emerging as the most consistent so far.

The American goes into the Val Di Fassa Trentino, Italy round wearing the green and white leader’s jersey having also worn it at Finale after coming out of the Tasmanian opening rounds in front.

Last year’s champ Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) was the leader coming into round four at Leogang but a crash on one stage and a broken chain on another cost him precious time and left him in 10th on the day.

Rude on the other hand finished the Austrian race in second only bettered by Melamed’s countryman Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis).

In the overall that meant that Melamed was leapfrogged by both riders to end up in third as the series heads due south to the Dolomites. Rude and Verner though are separated currently by just 33 points.

After his strong showing on home soil at rounds one and two, Nukeproof Sram Factory Racing’s Dan Booker is still in fourth and France’s flat-pedal charger Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) is in fifth.

Pro Men’s ranking after round four - Leogang Salzburgerland

1. Richie Rude         1485

2. Rhys Verner         1452

3. Jesse Melamed    1308

4. Daniel Booker       1145

5. Alex Rudeau         1130

The pro women’s jersey has followed a similar trajectory, swapping shoulders at every round. Again, only one rider has worn it twice. Courdurier’s win at round one in Maydena, Tasmania meant she was leading going into the second of the back-to-back rounds in Tasmania. Now, she’s back in green for Val di Fassa Trentino after her convincing win In Leogang. In fact, Courdurier shared the top points tally going into round four with compatriot Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) but Charre wore the jersey in Leogang having won in Finale Outdoor Region.

Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Team) is still in third after her strong showing in Tasmania which included the round two win in Derby.

Harriet Harnden (Trek Factory Racing) is in fourth after a ninth place finish in Finale Outdoor Region pulled her tally down despite not being outside the top five at any of the other rounds. After two second-place finishes at the last two rounds, Italy’s Gloria Scarsi (Canyon CLLCTV Dainese) heads back to round five on home soil in fifth place.

Pro Women’s ranking after round four - Leogang Salzburgerland

1. Isabeau Courdurier    1723

2. Morgane Charre         1640

3. Bex Baraona               1344

4. Harriet Harnden          1322

5. Gloria Scarsi               1226

In the U21 women’s field, three women have battled it out through the first four rounds and Canada’s Emmy Lan (Forbidden Synthesis) will wear the leader’s jersey for a third time in Val Di Fassa.

Her compatriot Elly Hoskin is second in the rankings after not being outside the top five all season. New Zealand’s Erice Van Leuven is in third after missing the last two rounds to concentrate on downhill having notched up a win and a second in Tasmania.

U21 Women’s ranking after round four - Leogang Salzburgerland

1. Emmy Lan                839

2. Elly Hoskin               537

3. Erice Van Leuven     462

Australian Sascha Kim has dominated the U21 men’s standings in 2023. Having taken the green jersey at the first round he’s held on to it despite a strong challenge from Frenchman Lisandru Bertini (Lapierre Zipp Collective) who currently lies in second. Canada’s Johnathan Helly is in third.

Kim started the season with two wins and backed it up with a second in Leogang. Bertini, on the other hand, had a slower start with a third and fourth in Tasmania and a seventh in Finale but has momentum after taking the win in Austria.

U21 Men’s ranking after round four - Leogang Salzburgerland

1. Sascha Kim           814

2. Lisandru Bertini     712

3. Johnathan Helly    555

So, all to race for in the 2023 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup season, as the fastest riders in the world set their sights on Italy and the Val Di Fassa Trentino round, the fifth stop on the calendar next weekend: June 24 - 25.

Keep up with the action via our social channels and check out enduro race day highlights on the UCI Mountain Bike World Series YouTube channel, alongside in-depth bike checks, course previews and exclusive behind the scenes content.