After Friday’s Enduro epic, today (Saturday) saw the turn of the E-enduro athletes for the final time in the 2024 WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Challenging conditions meant that parts of the course were closer to mud baths than perfectly groomed trails, but with all eight stages given the green light, the field was faced with 47km of demanding riding and almost 2,900m of descent.
While the women’s overall title had already been decided – Florencia Espiñeira Herreros (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) claiming her hattrick of titles last time out in Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Switzerland in July – the men’s was closely contested between Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Manuel Soares José Borges (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team); the Australian going into the final race holding a 119-point lead.
STAGE 1: URGE
After a mechanical lift ride to the Peyragudes station, riders had a short downhill liaison before tackling the first stage of the day – a 1.52km trail with 360m descent.
Helen Weber (Rotwild Schwalbe Gravity Team) got off to a strong start, while Estelle Charles (Specialized Enduro Team) wasn’t letting the fatigue of competing 24 hours earlier affect her – the Frenchwoman hot on Weber’s tyre tracks with Raphaele Richter (Simplon Trailblazers) in third. Espiñeira Herreros was sixth on the stage, with one eye potentially already on next week’s first-ever UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E-enduro World Championships.
In the men’s field, Mathieu Ruffray (Commencal Enduro Project) gave the French fans who had braved the elements something to cheer by going fastest. Edgar Carballo González (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) was within 0.3 of a second of the Frenchman, with privateer Max Beaupre in third. In the battle for the title, Gilchrist already had a firm advantage in 13th – Borges falling to 31st on the stage, almost 24 seconds back.
STAGE 2: LAPADE
After a long liaison, it was time for the first power stage of the day. Espiñera Herreros’ closest rival in the title race, Laura Charles, laid down the watts, with George Swift (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) and Tracy Moseley in second and third respectively on the stage. Richter would find herself leading the overall, while Swift and Moseley’s performances were enough to bump them up onto the podium steps,
American Beaupre appeared to be on a charge, putting almost four seconds into Andrea Garibbo (Haibike) – his nearest competitor on the stage. It was enough to take the lead too, knocking Ruffray into second, with Garibbo up to third.
STAGE 3: COURTALETS
A tiring climbing liaison to the highest point of the day’s racing was rewarded with two back-to-back stages with minimal time for recovery. The first – Courtalets – was the longer of the pair and was a mirror of the first stage from yesterday’s UCI Enduro World Cup.
Richter showed that she had come to compete, blitzing the stage in 8:30. Estelle Charles was less than a second behind, with Moseley third almost 15 seconds back. The German was pulling away from the rest of the field in the overall, and was the early favourite to take the win.
In the men’s, Hugo Pigeon (Scott SR Suntour Enduro Team) absolutely flew down the course, putting more than seven seconds into Ruffray and firing himself up to third in the overall. In title watch, Gilchrist still had a 10-second lead over Borges, but the Portuguese rider had started to chip away at his deficit from the first stage.
STAGE 4: KERN
Moments on from catching their breath after Courtalets, it was time for Kern – a 2.25km rollercoaster with 520m descent.
Richter won her second consecutive stage, the German thriving in difficult conditions. Mistakes from Estelle Charles saw Richter’s lead grow to 23 seconds, while the UCI E-enduro World Cup overall winner Espiñeira Herreros was more than a minute down in sixth.
While Richter was solidifying her lead, Ruffray was doing the same with his, winning a second stage of the day to take first place. Pigeon and Kevin Marry (Lapierre Zipp Collective) made it a France 1-2-3.
STAGE 5: ZEBRE
Entering the second loop of the day, the field was tasked with a pedal up to the start of stage five, which had the same trailhead and finish line as stage one but was marginally longer.
Estelle Charles started the French fightback, reducing Richter’s lead in the overall to four seconds, while it was the first time Espiñeira Herreros had been in the top three of a stage all day, bumping the Chilean up to fourth.
In the men’s field, Pigeon won his second stage but couldn’t shake Ruffray, who retained the overall lead. Mistakes from Borges saw him throw away any advantages he’d gained on Gilchrist, with the Australian leading by almost 13 seconds with only three stages left.
STAGE 6: CAMPING
The second power stage of the day was a 250m uphill sprint, with only marginal gains expected on course.
Richter didn’t get that brief, finding 1.278 seconds on her nearest competitor on the stage Laura Charles and even more on Estelle Charles to push the German’s lead in the overall back over 11 seconds.
Garibbo went one better than in the earlier power stage in the men’s, piloting his Haibike to the stage win. It did little to change the overall standings though, with Ruffray still leading from Pigeon and Marry.
STAGE 7: NABIAS
The penultimate stage of the day was also the longest, packing in 700m of descent into 3.7km. Opportunities for issues were plentiful, while fatigue would be a factor in riders staying upright.
In the women’s field, Espiñeira Herreros showed why she is a three-time series winner, and was only one of three riders to edge under the 10-minute barrier. The other two were Estelle Charles and Richter; the latter going into the final stage with an 8.175-second advantage.
Pigeon, meanwhile, made it three stage wins on the day, putting more than 10 seconds into Ruffray to edge into the overall lead with just one stage to go. Further down the timing sheet, a mistake-strewn stage from Gilchrist saw Borges leapfrog his title rival for the first time in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes. Just like in the women’s Enduro the day before, the overall series would go down to the final stage, although the Portuguese rider would ultimately need the Australian to DNF to have the best chance of seizing the series.
STAGE 8: TOURTERES
The final stage of the UCI E-enduro World Cup in Loudenvielle - Peyragudes was similar to stage four, albeit with a different top section. Could those who performed well on the terrain earlier in the day make it two from two?
In the women’s race, the answer was no. Despite winning two stages and leading the overall from stage two, it was one trail too far for Richter, who crashed out on the mountain and couldn’t finish the stage. Instead, it was Espiñeira Herreros who claimed the stage, bumping her up to second behind Estelle Charles, who won her second UCI E-enduro World Cup of the 2024 series from two attempts.
Speaking after the race, Estelle Charles said: “It was quite sketchy. It was a bit harder than yesterday, but it was a real race. It was really hard to stay on the bike – there was a lot of crashing. I’m really pleased with the way I’m riding. It was a bit of a shame for Raphaela [Richter]. I’m happy, but a bit confused with the win.”
2024 UCI E-enduro World Cup overall series winner Florencia Espiñeira Herreros said: “It was tricky conditions, a pretty tough race. It was fun. I’m happy for it to be over. I’m feeling very good. The overall was secured but I still pushed hard to win the day. I couldn’t, I came second. I think pushed too much maybe for the first stages for the conditions, but that’s racing, so I’m happy with the season. [UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E-enduro World Championships] is the main goal and hopefully I can take the win. It’s not going to be easy.
Pigeon clearly thrives in the hills of Val Louron, the Frenchman taking his fourth stage of the day and the overall win. Ruffray held onto second, three seconds back, while third went to Marry. The real interest though was the battle between Gilchrist and Borges. Despite a difficult day at the office, it was the Australian who ultimately came out on top on the day and in the overall series. Both will look to put Loudenvielle - Peyragudes behind them though as they turn their attention to next week’s UCI Mountain Bike Enduro & E-enduro World Championships.
Speaking after the race, Hugo Pigeon said: “It was super hard. I did my best. It was so tight with Mathieu [Ruffray], so I’m very happy about my weekend. Fifth yesterday, first today, it’s amazing. It was a bit faster than yesterday, a bit better, and it was cool. I enjoyed it a lot. It’s good to end my season like this and now I am just focused on the world champs.”
2024 UCI E-enduro World Cup overall series winner Ryan Gilchrist said: “It’s been a very special season. Finishing it off with the lead is the icing on the cake. It’s been a very special year, a very special programme that the Yeti Shimano EP Racing Team has been very heavily invested from the beginning. It’s been a four-year programme and finally amounting to a win is absolutely massive, especially considering how Shimano has performed historically – to be able to be on top finally is really special for the company. It’s taking a little bit to sink in. I think it’s just so much hard work has all accumulated to one day of racing. I think that’s my mindset whenever I have races like this – I’ve already done the hard work and now it’s time to execute. We executed today and we put the bike on the top step – I’m very proud. The conditions were treacherous. It was a pretty nasty race to finish on. I was very happy that I was going into it with a lead. It would have been very stressful to have to make back the points to achieve the overall. I’ve had some pretty rough times in Loudenvielle in the past, but I think I’ve crushed those demons a little bit. I think I’ve been riding really well even though the mud is super thick. I did what I had to today. The overall was the goal and we got it. World Championships next week – I’m very excited.”
Tomorrow sees the final of the penultimate UCI Downhill World Cup of the season, with current series leaders Loïc Bruni (Specialized Gravity) and Vali Höll (YT Mob) looking to cement their place ahead of the season finale in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada at the start of October.
