Finale Ligure has only a few hours to wait before the big event of the 4th and 5th of October, the weekend that will close the Enduro World Series 2014. This Liguria destination, that many people consider the mountain-bike Mecca, reaffirms its importance for the Enduro Series, which will be back here in 2015 for the third time: three times as only Whistler, the Canadian one, has been able to do.
The staff of Superenduro Powered By SRAM and the team of Finale Outdoor Resort worked together non stop during last weekend to mark the course of the six Special Stages before the practice days scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Six unique trails, never used as race course, prepared by the local staff to offer a competition, something never seen, a killer combination of spectacle and impressive technical challenge. The idea at the base of the Finale Outdoor Resort, which gathers the eight councils of the area, had as major aims those of maintaining the existing network of trails and creating new ones, in order to keep Finale among those destinations able to write the history of mountain-biking.
Thursday the spotlight will move onto the real stars of the weekend, more than five hundred riders – and more than twenty nationalities – ready to go on the start line. The list of participants includes all the categories of bikers happy to share the Enduro spirit: from the Pro to the enthusiasts that reached Finale driven by their passion and ready to sleep in vans or in tents only to be part of this big event.
A number of important names are going to be present at Finale but the media will certainly focus on two of the best athletes, back to the competition after a long period of inactivity. The 2013 leaders Jerome Clementz and Fabien Barel, respectively stopped by a shoulder and a back injury. Time for the two to test their level of preparation facing a stellar group of contenders.
The attention will be also on the Italian top riders that will try to do their best to get a great result here as well. For a few Finale will represent the last chance to redeem a deceiving season. Others will try instead to confirm their performance as in the recently concluded Superenduro Series. Among those riders, we are sure to find Marco Milivinti and Louise Paulin, totally local here at Finale, as they are the new Superenduro champions, crowned at Sauze d’Oulx after the last round of the Series.
We should keep a close eye on Davide Sottocornola, who will be on his new bike and on Denny Lupato, who next season will be in a different team from his brother Alex, who instead has just been confirmed by the old team. Denny will change bike and in 2015 will be part of a dream team together with Marco Milivinti. Manuel Ducci will be in search of redemption here in Liguria, his home trails, after the long year ruined by the ankle injury. Among the Italian riders, the race of Nicola Casadei will also be interesting, as he ended in the third position during the 2014 Series.
Finale is getting busy with bikers and Thursday the main square, Piazza Garibaldi, will offer one of the most exciting paddock area seen in the Enduro World Series. The public will be able to hang around the stands of a number of brands, happy to be at Finale to show their new products after the seasonal Cycle shows. For the riders, it will be recon-time on the Special Stage courses. Saturday and Sunday will be a climax of emotions, until the final party of the award ceremony, the all night blowout!
For more information, visit www.superenduromtb.com
Words: Superenduro PR | Pictures: Matteo Cappe
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