Jack Moir and Morgane Charre claim the win, while Italy’s Gaia Tormena and Martino Fruet take the top step in the Under 21 and Master 35+ category respectively.
The most highly anticipated enduro event of the season – the one that every year brings together the whole of the mountain bike community to enjoy the region around Finale Ligure – has once again left its mark at this 2021 edition.
The combined event – EWS-E dedicated to the e-bike world followed by today’s EWS for traditional mountain bikes – has gone far and wide throughout the Finale Outdoor Region, fully involving the local community and offering all participants a really unique journey into this part of the Ligurian region: from Finale Ligure to Pietra Ligure and into Val Maremola up to the inland municipalities of Calice Ligure and Orco Feglino.
More than 300 participants in today’s EWS have left piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Finale Ligure heading out, up the hill, towards the woods of Base Nato, before descending some great classics of the Finale Outdoor Region down to the finish line in Finalborgo.
Here, in one of the most beautiful villages in Italy – between Castel Gavone and Fortezza San Giovanni – took place the last spectacular special stage of the day, perhaps the most treacherous 700 metres in the whole of the race course, with a narrow and tortuous finish in full Finale-style.
In the men’s race, Australia’s rider Jack Moir (Canyon Collective) is the fastest by the end of the day, despite his recent shoulder injury, stopping the clock on 24:36.51, fourteen seconds before second classified Jesse Melamed (Rocky Mountain Race Face). Kevin Miquel (Specialized Racing) is third.
In the same category, the fastest Italian rider is Mirco Vendemmia (FastLight-Abetone Team), thirteenth overall, thanks to a solid race that proves him to be the most inspired Italian rider this season.
In the Women’s field, French rider Morgane Charre (Pivot Factory Racing) takes the win with a time of 28:40.60; Isabeau Courdurier (Lapierre Zipp Collective) is second, while the third step on the podium is taken by British rider Rebecca Baraona (Ibis Enduro Team).
In the Under 21 Women category, Italy scores a historic double result today, thanks to the victory of Gaia Tormena, who is the fastest in every single stage, and the second place of Sophie Riva, 56 seconds behind Gaia. Third on the podium is British rider Polly Henderson.
In the Master 35+ category, timeless champion Martino Fruet returns to win in Finale Ligure with a time of 27:15.25, besting the very fast rider from France Karim Amour, second, and Britain’s James Hughes, who is third.
“As organizer and Race Director I am really satisfied. Every year the standards set for this type of events keep raising and teamwork is essential. Living up to expectations, those the whole industry and the cycling community have towards our region, is a challenge we have dealt with successfully this year too” declares Riccardo Negro.
Special shout-out to all our sponsors – Bluegrass, Vittoria, Dainese and Northwave, to partners Exept and Wi-Me and to our regional partners Finale Outdoor Region, Pietra Ligure Outdoor and Museo Archeologico del Finale. Also, we would like to thank all volunteers, who have once again worked hard to make this event as special and unique as always.