[Press release] The Enduro World Series continues on its quest to uncover the world’s best trails and unite the world’s best communities – as it increases to eight rounds and adds five new venues, three new countries and one new continent to its 2015 calendar.
New Zealand, Ireland and Spain will all make their Enduro World Series debut in 2015, as the series expands to eight rounds for the first time. The addition of new venues in France and the USA mean 2015 is shaping up to be the most comprehensive and exciting race season to date.
Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand’s North Island kick starts the season in March. It’s the first time the festival has visited the Southern Hemisphere and also the EWS’s first foray into Australasia.
Neil Gellatly, of Dare to Sweat Events, is the enduro event director.
“Rotorua has an extensive trail network in a rich geothermal landscape of native bush and exotic forest, offering riders a mix of rooted and well-draining flowing trails – making the region the renowned mountain biking centre of New Zealand. Visiting riders can enjoy a post ride soak in the mineral pools and be spoilt by great local hospitality.”
In May the season heads north to another new venue, County Wicklow in Ireland. This stunning location in the east of the country will see riders take on the area’s natural singletrack amongst some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes.
Niall Davis of biking.ie, promoters of the Emerald Enduro, is the event organiser.
“The trails here are natural and there’s no uplift, which should make for some incredible racing as riders have to be technically strong as well as very physically fit. But the reward for all that hard work will be getting to ride through Ireland’s famously beautiful scenery, not to mention sample some of the country’s world renowned hospitality.”
From here it’s just a short hop to round three in Scotland and a welcome return to TweedLove, the UK’s biggest cycling festival. This is another venue where there is no uplift, so riders will once more be tackling the hills of the iconic Tweed Valley under their own steam over two long days of racing.
Round four remains in Europe, as the series heads to Tribe Event’s race in Samoens, France. Nestled high in the mountains, this ancient village promises to offer racers a true alpine experience – steep, technical tracks accessed by chairlifts amongst the dramatic backdrop of Europe’s biggest mountains.
It’s over the Atlantic for round five in August, as the series travels to another new venue – Crested Butte in Colorado. Sitting at over 9,000 feet, riders will be contending with altitude as they make their way through the area’s famous mountain passes and wildflower meadows.
Race organiser Brandon Ontiveros of Big Mountain Enduro said:
“Crested Butte is one of the birthplaces of mountain biking and the history behind this place is what makes it so appealing. The riding will speak for itself, but that mixed with the diversity and quality of trails, big descents, surreal-looking mountains, endless valleys and hundreds of miles of singletrack is what makes it one of the best places in North America to hold a true point-to-point Enduro race and EWS stop.”
Colorado will be followed by a trip to Canada for Crankworx Whistler. This will be the third time the series visits the world’s biggest mountain biking festival, and expectations will be running high after this year’s epic event which was dubbed ‘Crankzilla.’
It’s another new venue for round seven, this time high in the Spanish Pyrenees. The penultimate race of the season will take place in Zona Zero Ainsa-Sobrarbe in September. This tiny village is the gateway to a network of trails that stretches for over 1000km across the surrounding hills.
Event organiser Jorge Ruiz de Eguilaz Solanilla says the race will prove an unforgettable experience for the riders.
“The trails we have are very special, riders will find themselves riding through lots of different terrain from forests to open, rocky hillsides. The tracks also pass through lots of abandoned villages – some of which are up to 500 years old. We have been cleaning and rebuilding these trails since 2005 and we can’t wait for the best riders in the world to come and try them.”
The season will conclude in style with a Superenduro organised event on Finale Ligure’s iconic trails. There’s a reason Finale is featuring for a third year – riders simply can’t get enough of the area’s huge network of world class trails. So it seems fitting the 2015 World Champions will be crowned against the backdrop of the beachside town on the Italian Riviera.
Chris Ball, Managing Director of the Enduro World Series said: “It’s a real pleasure to announce our 2015 calendar and our third year of international enduro racing.
“Working once again with Tweedlove, Crankworx Whistler and Superenduro Finale Ligure is a real pleasure but adding five new venues is also eye-wateringly exciting. From the heartlands of mountain biking and backcountry big mountains of Crested Butte, USA, to our first visit to New Zealand, with Rotorua, to ancient, beautiful trails in Zona Zero, Spain, the high alps of Samoens, France and of course the rolling perfection of Ireland’s County Wicklow, we really will sample the world’s best trails with the world’s best riding communities. I can’t wait for 2015 to begin!”
Event entry for all rounds will open in January.
2015 calendar
Round 1 – March 28 – Rotorua, New Zealand – Crankworx
Round 2 – May 23/24 – County Wicklow, Ireland – Emerald Enduro
Round 3 – May 30/31 – Tweed Valley, Scotland – TweedLove
Round 4 – July 18/19 – Sameons, France – Tribe Events
Round 5 – August 1/2 – Crested Butte, USA – Big Mountain Enduro
Round 6 – August 8/9 – Whistler, Canada – Crankworx
Round 7 – September 26/27 – Zona Zero Ainsa-Sobrarbe, Spain – Enduro Festival Zona Zero
Round 8 – October 3/4 – Finale Ligure, Italy – Superenduro
