Race Report: European Enduro Series #1 Punta Ala
In 2013 after the Enduro World Series dust had settled, worn racing lines were washed away by rain and wind and a quiet calm settled over Punta Ala. However, at 9am this morning, Punta Ala was again the host for the first round of an exciting new series, the European Enduro Series presented by XS Power Drink. Excited riders lined up on the start ramp to battle it out in the red dust and rock of the challenging trails of the Maremma Bandite Trails.
The race was a big one with a 52km circuit, starting from the sea and taking in more than 1700m of climbing and descending, it was a challenging day that tested body and mind! The Bandite trail had been groomed and perfected for the race, and the racing was fierce. The area has been attracting visiting enduro riders for years, and with long unbroken technical trails, it is the perfect venue for an international enduro!
Yesterday riders raced it out on the prologue stage, a pedaly ribbon of singletrack that was all about power and speed. The top spots were a clean sweep for UK and Ireland, with Sam Shucksmith taking the podium, Robert Williams in second and Irelands Daniel Wolfe in third. In the Women’s category Chiara Pastore dominated the stage.
Racers arrived this morning to a perfect Sunday here in Punta Ala, with bright sunshine and vibrant blue sky. The wind, initially quite invigorating, calmed down a bit and the temperature was perfect for a days racing. The soil was not dusty nor wet, just grippy and fast – all is all, not a bad day to out on bike.
This morning as riders lined up to start, everyone was wondering if the Italian superstars, Marco Milivinti, Davide Sottocornola and the young gun Denny Lupato, would challenge the Brits for the podium. Stage One, “Tre Dita / 3 Fingers“ is a long ribbon of perfect but technical singletrack with a short but punchy climb in the middle. A true racers favourite, this trail is a joy to ride. From the beginning the British and Irish guys set remarkable times, they went fast through the transfers to enter the stages first. It looked initially that Sam Shucksmith would maintain his lead when he set a blistering time but the Italians had an answer, 2014 Super Enduro Champ Davide Sottocornolo came flying down the hill to what we all thought was an unbeatable time. It wasn’t to be so easy for Davide though, Denny Lupato came through to snatch a 10 second lead and an early victory from his fellow countryman.
Denny’s tactics on the course were different from the British and Irish riders, he choose to take the time to catch his breath between stages. 20 Year old Vittorio Gambirasio helped maintain the Italian dominance coming in third.
Stage 3 was a stage that all riders feared, the longest and hardest section of technical single track on the Italian coast, well known as „Rock’Oh“, a long and sinuous rocky gully, where line choice is everything and mistakes are punished hard! Again the Italians kept on the pressure and took the victories on this stage. After a long day in the saddle, there was plenty of high fives and excited voices at the end of the final stage „La Torretta“! After a full day out in the hills and under the forest canopy, riders cruised their way down to the ocean, with sweeping views above the coastline and their final destination, the beach!
Both winning riders came from behind, but used the long and demanding course to overtake the XS Power Ride Prolog winners Samuel Shucksmith and Chiara Pastore.
Again Punta Ala was a perfect place to host an opening round, for both spectators and racers. Everybody loves the Bandite Trail Area and the beach. European Enduro Series presented by XS Power Drink heads to the high mountains of Flims in Switzerland for the next race. Save the date in your diary – July 3rd to 5th.
Here are all the results at a glance:
All details and results you will find on the official website www.enduroseries.eu
Words: Trevor Worsey Fotos: Axel Brunst
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