A brand-new downhill track awaits racers alongside the Pyrenean venue’s world-class network of enduro trails.
Loudenvielle - Peyragudes is the main village in the Louron Valley, in the heart of the French Pyrénées. The area’s mountain bike community has grown significantly in the last six years, building some 500 km of trails across the steep valley sides and beyond.
Hot on the heels of the Pal Arinsal UCI World Cup action in Andorra, elite racing will kick off with the UCI Mountain Bike Enduro and E-Enduro World Cups on Friday. No stranger to enduro races, the venue hosted two Enduro World Series (EWS) rounds in 2021 and 2022.
Heading into the penultimate UCI Enduro World Cup rounds of 2023, Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) leads the pack with 1,862 points, but Canada’s Rhys Verner (Forbidden Synthesis Team) is hot on his heels with 1,689.
Last year’s EWS Champion Jesse Melamed (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) will also be focused on maximum points this weekend sitting just 79 points adrift of his compatriot. But last year’s Loudenvielle winner Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) will also be hoping to conjure up his 2022 form, sitting in fourth in the overall after five rounds.
In the women’s competition, it’s the 2022 EWS Champ Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) who remains the rider to beat wearing the UCI Enduro World Cup leader’s jersey with 2,210 points. Her fellow French rider and last year’s Loudenvielle winner Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) is close with some 2,066 and Great Britain’s Bex Baraona (Yeti/Fox Factory Race Team) is in third.
On Saturday morning, the junior downhill riders will start the fifth round of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup, going against the clock for the first time on the brand-new Loudenvielle course. The semi-finals and finals for the elites will take place on Sunday afternoon.
Series leader Finn Iles (Specialized Gravity) will be aiming to take his first win of the 2023 season to consolidate his grip on the points jersey. The Canadian currently leads the way with 969 points and his countryman Jackson Goldstone (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is lying in second with 816. Pal Arinsal winner Thibaut Dapréla (Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction) is in third just nine points further back.
In the Women Elite, UCI World Champion Valentina Höll (Rockshox Trek Race Team) will be aiming to get back to winning ways after having to settle for the second spot in Andorra. Höll leads the series with 1,242 points ahead of Camille Balanche (Dorval AM Commencal) who is on 1,020. Pal Arinsal winner Nina Hoffmann (Santa Cruz Syndicate) is in third.
To follow all the racing live from Loudenvielle, be sure to tune into GCN+. More information about the event is available here.
