Jose Borges + Maaris Meier Win Spanish Open Endurance #3 in Morella
The Portuguese rider Jose Borges from BH Gravity Team and Estonia’s Maaris Meier have been declared winners in Morella and consolidate their lead in the Big Ride Spanish Open Endurance Powered by Rotor with just one stage left to go in Castejon de Sos on the 30th and 31st of July.
It was a weekend of intense endurance competition in the Castelon town of Morella. We have seen the best in national and international BTT specialists in this increasingly popular sport.
Saturday saw the first timed track with Jose Borges and Eva Garrido getting the fastest times in the steep descent through the streets of the town of Morella. The competition was fought over 4 timed tracks and was marked by high emotion and close combative skill challenge in a race that was undecided until the final moments.
The day began at 8 am from the paddock and at 8.45 am the riders began the first stretch of the race. Borges got off to a bad start experiencing a fall causing problems with his protective glasses causing him to lose the lead he had gained on the previous day and putting France’s Dimitri Tordo ahead.
Borges fought back and managed best time on 2 out of 4 of the day’s tracks, making a spectacular return on track 4, resulting in him finishing as Leader in his classification and maintaining the position he has held throughout the competition. Alongside Borges on the Big Ride Winner’s Podium was France’s Dimitri Tordo from BH Gravity Team, at 9 seconds behind Borges. Jacobo Santana from Alicante and the current Spanish Open Endurance Champion came home for Mondraker finishing at 18 seconds.
Throughout this third round of the Spanish Open Endurance the general classification has continued to be led by Borges with 1,700 points followed by Catalan Pol Romero with 1,455 points and Gabriel Torralba from Spain’s Aragon region and in the Under 23’s category, with 1,395 points.
There was continuous excitement in the Women’s Section throughout the competition. Eva Garrido finished with a difference of 9 seconds over Miriam Alcantara and with 18 seconds over Maaris Meier.
Maaris Meier had the best track times and like Borges performed well on track 4 which allowed her to achieve a considerable time difference which she made use of on the last track of the race.
The result was a guaranteed win for Meier and her lead in the Spanish Endurance Open with 1,725 points, followed closely by Miriam Alcantara with 1,650 points with Marketa Michalkova with 1,610 points.
This is the first time Morella has played host to the excitement of the Spanish Open Endurance. It now has a guaranteed position as a BTT destination in the Morella Singletracks project.
The next, and final stop for the Big Ride Spanish Open Endurance Team is Castejon de Sos, in Spain’s Huesca region on 30th and 31st of July. It will be here, in the dramatic setting of the high Pyrenees, that we will see the final outcome of the Spanish Open Endurance 2016.
For more information visit bigrideenduroseries.com
Did you enjoy this article? If so, we would be stoked if you decide to support us with a monthly contribution. By becoming a supporter of ENDURO, you will help secure a sustainable future for high-quality mountain bike journalism. Click here to learn more.
Words & Photos: Big Ride Enduro Series
