The 2024 UCI Enduro and E-enduro World Cup overall series are approaching their pointy end as riders ready themselves to compete in the fifth, and penultimate, round of the season.
And what a weekend it’s set to be – Switzerland’s Aletsch Arena - Bellwald, Valais hosting its first ever UCI World Cup. The venue sees a return to the alpine settings that are part of the enduro’s roots, and athletes will be pitted against long, tough stages with an eyewatering amount of vertical descent.
One rider who’s looking forward to racing in the foothills of the Aletsch glacier is Ella Conolly (Cannondale Factory Racing). The British rider has had something of a breakout season and sits in fourth in the overall standings, although thinks there’s still time to be found before she’s contesting for the top spot.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Conolly said:
I’m really happy to be back in such an alpine, adventurous location because for me that’s what enduro is. I think it’s an amazing venue and I hope it stays.
The goal this year is to be up there competing for the win. I feel like I’ve got a little bit of extra pace to find. I’m in the mix but not right at the top at the moment. I’m looking forward to pushing on this weekend and seeing what I can do.
For me, the mental side of things is a huge thing – that’s something I’m working on a lot at the moment. I think there’s time to be made there.
For Richie Rude (Yeti/Fox Racing Team), this weekend’s UCI Enduro World Cup is more about consolidating his place at the top of the men’s overall standings. The reigning overall champion of the discipline is in pole position to retain his title, but if the previous round in Combloux, Haute-Savoie (France) is anything to go by – where just 0.05 seconds separated him and Alex Rudeau (Commencal Enduro Project) going into the final stage – he’s going to be pushed all the way.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Rude said:
Sometimes, when you’re that close, you’ve got to battle for it. That can feel good, but it’s definitely stressful when you’re going into a big last stage. There’s a lot of time that can be made or lost, and you definitely have to enter it in the right mindset and try and have a solid performance. Even the short stages can be quite difficult too because you have to go at full out intensity.
[The lead] is definitely in my mind. I raced [the UCI Downhill World Cup in] Les Gets last weekend and the Enduro overall was in the back of my head when going down the track – at times it was stressing me out a little bit. Having that lead is nice but you always want it to be a bit more and I want the last round to hopefully be a bit chill.
There’s a bit of pressure on myself this weekend to keep the gap the same or build on it. Especially here, it’s fast, it’s rocky, I think I’ll have to be careful out there. It comes down to line choice and being mindful. Even stage one, at the top, there are some sharp rocks that could end your weekend very quickly.
While Rude has a buffer of 387 points with two rounds to go, teammate Ryan Gilchrist (Yeti/Fox Racing Team) holds just a 24-point advantage over Manuel Soares José Borges (Canyon CLLCTV Factory Enduro Team) in the UCI E-enduro World Cup overall standings. The pair exchanged some friendly fighting talk at the pre-race press conference, with Gilchrist confident he will go on to win his first overall UCI E-enduro World Cup title.
Speaking at the pre-race press conference, Gilchrist said:
Being able to start the season with the number one plate, hold onto the number one plate, lose it and then regain it… that’s three different validating factors that means that I deserve to be where I am, which plays well into my own head and my own preparation for the race.
I’ll just race the season how I’ve done so far – that’s put me in the lead. I’m really looking forward to this race – there are big, long physical stages. My best stage performances this year have been on long, physical stages. I’m feeling fit, feeling strong, and the team is putting a lot of work into making everything click, so it’s going to be about finishing the races as high in positioning as possible and trying to win that overall.
In response, Borges said:
My goal is to take the number one at the finish of the end of the season. The focus [this weekend] is the overall. After I’ll focus on the world champs because I want to bring the jersey home. But the goal is to take the overall from Ryan.
Due to the weather forecasts from multiple sources predicting several storms and persistent rainfall on Friday, the schedule for the UCI Enduro World Cup in Aletsch Arena - Bellwald has been revised.
The Open races originally scheduled for Friday, July 12, 2024, have been postponed to Saturday, July 13. The UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Cup races will both be held on Sunday, July 14, 2024. This safety decisions have been made by the UCI, WBD Sports, and the local organizers to ensure the welfare of athletes, teams, marshals, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved in the event.
Extreme weather means that the schedule for the UCI Enduro World Cup and UCI E-Enduro World Cup are still to be confirmed. Keep up to date with the latest announcements on this weekend’s racing here.
