Racing the Enduro World Series: Italy, Colorado and B.C.
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| Mike on the top step of the EWS Masters Podium! Aspen, CO |
We made our way from Switzerland to the The EWS in Italy. The beautiful and quaint stone build village of La Thuile was set at the base of the ski lifts, which held some of the most incredibly demanding steep mountain tracks I have ever been on!
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| A lovely Stage 1 transfer in La Thuile, Italy |
It was a serious learning curve for me as I dove head first into the top level of this gravity style competition. I did a few enduros last year, but none with lift access and this was my first time back on my 'big bike' since last September. It was truly exciting, inspiring, and perhaps a little scary, to push my limits… but I focused on safety and trying to learn as much as I could. I was proud to just to make my way down each of the demanding stages, not without serious arm pump and sometimes choosing to run sections that seemed risky for me to ride… Learning what my enduro bike - the Intense Tracer 27.5 - is capable of has been a mind expanding experience! Fun, Fun!
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| Heading up the lift for training... |
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Here I am coming down the final chute! |
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| Stunning views atop La Thuile, Italy |
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| Great to catch up with the Intense Crew at the venue! |
Mike has been battling a thumb ligament injury and the EWS in La Thuile was his first race back after wearing a brace for 6 weeks. Even though it was not 100% he was able to hold on to be competitive with the top masters. His fitness, skills and sharp race tactics brought him to 5th overall and with this consistent performance throughout, he moved into 2nd position overall in the EWS series!!
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| Mechanic Mike Taking care of business... |
After 3 months of living in and competing from our little euro RV it was time to pack up and make our way back to North America… It is always a scramble to pack the bike bags and leave the comfort of our little house on wheels, but we were looking forward to the next leg of our journey following the EWS to North America.
We landed in Denver, direct from Munich, with all we would need for a month trip of Enduro racing… The travel and jet lag were exhausting, add in the high elevation of Colorado and we were physically challenged to the max! I got a dumb cold for a few days, but it seemed to go away as Mike and I rested, recovered from the travel, trained and raced our way through round 5 of the EWS in Snowmass/Aspen.
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| My Intense Tracer 275 with the fantastic new Kenda Honey Badger DH Pro Tire on front and Nevegal in the rear |
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| Walking the tracks in Snowmass, CO |
We both really enjoyed being back in the USA and it was great to reconnect with many friends we have not seen in a while. But the fantastic aspen filled single tracks, long descents and big mountain scenery were truly a reminder of the amazing off road adventures to be found in our homeland.
The highlight of the weekend was watching Mike dig deep, winning 4 of the 6 stages and moving into the overall series lead in the Masters 40+ category!
Thanks to Jason Sumner for the nice write up on MTBR.com !! :-)
The highlight of the weekend was watching Mike dig deep, winning 4 of the 6 stages and moving into the overall series lead in the Masters 40+ category!
Thanks to Jason Sumner for the nice write up on MTBR.com !! :-)
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| Mike and his Intense Carbine 29, Kenda Tires Nevegals, Bravo wheels by Stans, NoTubes |
We were pretty exhausted after the weekend and needed a quiet week of recovery as we made our way to the west coast of Canada with the next stop of the EWS this weekend in Whistler. It has been 10 years since we visited Whistler and back then we had 26 inch hard tails… Yes, a new experience for sure - and the tracks are as legendary as everyone says - old school rooty, rocky slabs and chutes, tight burly single as well as new school bermed bike park riding with jumps. We were treated to a grand day of racing and long transfers, getting to know some of the secrets of the area, each of the 5 stages showcasing the amazing variety Whistler has to offer.
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| Top of the World, Whistler, BC |
Turns out Mike's day was pretty dramatic as he managed some crazy mechanical problems, got a little lost, but pushed through and succeeded to finish 2nd on the weekend, maintaining his lead in the overall series!
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| Mike was honored to share the podium in Whistler with these two legends! Brian Lopes (1st) and Woody Hole (3rd). |
We both appreciated the epic experience of pushing our limits, and riding such amazing equipment! Racing from the "top of the world" - 3 lifts up to the craggy top and riding high mountain ribbon single track and bike park single track trails to the bottom of the mountain on stage 5 - a 30 minute downhill!! Glad our endurance and fitness could help ease the long day in the saddle allowing for a very enjoyable race expereience. Huge THANKS to our great friends who hosted us and all of our partners for making this experience possible! We are seeing the bright future of mountain biking expanding and are truly honored to represent out there!
Hope you are having a great summer!
Ride on!
Mary and Mike
Team KENDA - Intense
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| Above La Thuile.... |
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