Mountain bikers in the northern hemisphere may only just be coming out of their winter hibernation, but last week over on the other side of the world in New Zealand it was all kicking off in the small city of Rotorua: Crankworx was in town. The first Round of the 2015 Enduro World Series on Saturday saw the Canyon Factory Enduro Team back in action to take on seven special stages in a punishing one-day format.
A combination of wicked trails, quality dirt and a strong local scene meant anticipation was sky high for the first major event on the 2015 calendar. It didn’t disappoint.
Featuring more off-camber root sections than you could count, the terrain played its part in catching out the world’s best riders. In the end Fabien Barel pulled together all his experience to stay upright and ride consistently to an impressive 2nd spot overall. Ines Thoma carried over her consistency from last season to place 6th in the women’s race. Joe Barnes struggled to find pace fter hitting the ground hard early on but coming home in 20th place still made the CFET the number one ranked team after the first round!
For more info on the team & riders: Facebook | Android | Apple
Words: Canyon Factory Enduro Team Photos: Marcus Greber, Matt Wragg
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