Race report E-Enduro WC Canazei

The impressive Dolomites in Canazei promised challenging and varied routes. The sudden onset of winter, with over 15cm of snow and temperatures below zero, not only disrupted the schedule, but also the route. Training and races were postponed by one day each and the stages that started above the tree line were shortened as they became unreasonable due to the weather. Nevertheless, the snow, wet conditions and freezing temperatures posed challenges for all riders.

In contrast to a normal World Cup, the World Championships, which take place once a year, crown the world champion, who is allowed to wear the rainbow jersey for a year. The athletes do not officially compete for their team, but for their home nation and compete in the national jersey. The course of the race is basically no different from a normal World Cup, but there were 3 power days for the e-bike category.

All the snow and rain, combined with the thaw, turned the trails, as so often this year, into real mud deserts over slippery roots and stone passages in many places. However, Kelan, Torben and Helen all felt comfortable and came out of training with a good feeling. As the race started the very next day at 8:30 am, the evening before the race was tightly timed. The bikes were made ready while our riders memorized the course with the help of the Gopro recordings and thought about a clothing strategy so as not to cool down between the stages. From shoe warmers and small rucksacks to bin bags, nobody was left uncreative.

Torben had developed a back blockage during training, which caused him great concern. In the race, he tried to compensate for his blockage by riding cleanly, but was ultimately so limited that he was unable to perform to the best of his ability. A bitter end for him after his foot injury and his defect in the World Cup beforehand, but that is also part of competitive sport.

Kelan had also expected more from his last big competition this year, but looks back on the big event with pride and joy:

„What a pleasure to be a part of the first Enduro World Championships. This was one of the biggest highlights of my career. I’ve been racing Enduro professional since 2018 and it was always a dream for the sport to progress to world championship level. Being a championship round the organisers out on a physically demanding course made even harder with the cold weather conditions. Despite the cold, the snow made for some amazing pictures and videos throughout the race. For me after picking up a shoulder injury during the mid season break I was just happy to take the start line. Representing my country, Ireland is always an honour and I appreciate every cheer from the sideline. Unfortunately I suffered a small mechanical on course making it hard to ride at my full potential. I finished the race with a smile and proud to be a part of the first UCI Enduro World Championships!“

In the end, the two finished 25th and 26th.

For Helen, like so many others, the day was characterized by a few ups and downs. After a crash right after the start of the first stage, she tried to fight her way back to the front. In stage five, a rider she had caught up with crashed directly in front of her and she lost more time. “I just couldn't really get into my race mode. I was hitting all my lines, but it was hard for me to really attack and get on pace. But there are also a lot of positives to take away: I liked the technically demanding conditions, my two best stages were the power days and it's just an honor to ride in the national jersey. I'm looking forward to next year.”

Race results

Helen Weber, 6th place WOMEN