The EWS released its 2022 teams today, and the release included a few pieces of information that we weren't expecting. While the team rosters aren't 100% complete - it seems Specialized and perhaps some other teams have strategically left riders off to keep their secrets - we could glean a few ideas of what to expect this season, and some of those team registrations have piqued our curiosity.Vali Höll to Race Two EWS RacesThis is one we weren't expecting. The RockShox Trek Race Team doesn't shy away from EWS racing, evidenced by Jamie Edmondson's three U21 wins at the four EWS events he raced last season, but Vali has historically focused exclusively on downhill. Still, she's obviously an incredibly capable rider, and downhill crossover racers of her caliber have previously found success at enduro races. The first EWS race she's registered for - EWS Val di Fassa - will take place in late June between the Leogang and Lenzerheide World Cups. The other, EWS Crans-Montana, is scheduled for September, after all the World Cup races are over. Both will likely give Vali some diversity in her training and could break up the season nicely. We look forward to seeing what she can achieve.
Estelle Charles to SpecializedThis cat is out of the bag... kind of. Specialized Racing currently only lists Charlie Murray, Kevin Miquel, Francescu "Cece" Camoin, and Sofia Wiedenroth on the roster, but the team's Instagram bio hints at a third Frenchie with a "[French flag emoji] ??" on the rider list. From looking at the
UCI downhill teams release and putting two and two together, it appears that Estelle Charles has signed with Specialized and will mainly race enduros, but is registered with the UCI on the new Gen-S team in case she takes part in some downhill races, too.
Pole to Focus Exclusively on EWS-EThe Pole Enduro Race Team has gone fully electric for 2022, with Joe Nation and Leigh Johnson taking on the EWS-E series. What bike will they ride? At the moment, Pole's existing eMTB is the 190mm Voima, and while the team could certainly ride that one, there's a good chance the riders will work with Pole on expanding its eMTB range.
Team CRC-Nukeproof Renamed to Nukeproof SRAM Factory RacingIt's unclear what the change might mean for the team and its former title sponsor, Chain Reaction Cycles, but it appears the team - which has added Corey Watson and Dan Booker for 2022 - will be known as Nukeproof SRAM Factory Racing going forward. This doesn't suggest a parts change, as the team has historically run SRAM parts, but it's nonetheless interesting that the prominence of each of those sponsors has shifted.
SRAM Introduces the Blackbox Test Pilot Program EWS-E TeamThe Blackbox Test Pilot Program intrigues me. It's a new EWS-E team with just one registered rider - Yannick Pontal - and it appears that it has been registered specifically so that Yannick can test unreleased parts in EWS-E races. I suspect that riders will be added to the roster as we progress a bit farther past the rumor season, but the singular test rider on the current roster is... confusing. What does SRAM have in the works? We have no idea, but it will no doubt be interesting.
Quite different from my impression of Pole vibe…
why man
FYP.
As for your comparison between lift assisted and engine assisted, I can see both have their advantages. The advantage of pedal assisted transfer sections seems to me that you need less infrastructure on site. So this would open up more options of where these races can be held. No need for cable cars or lorries driving up too narrow service roads. Just people riding their bikes up, I can see that be less disturbing to the site. On the other hand, requiring a competitive bike with pedal assist can be extra tough for participants to get into. It is expensive stuff that ages quickly. It will be a show that only the rich or well supported can get into, not the privateer living on a shoestring.
Ideally I'd say why not appreciate enduro racing the way it was intended to be. Race the timed section, pedal the transfer sections. If the timed sections are too hard for people to pedal the transfer sections, ease back on the timed sections. Downhill racing already exists. If there is too little time for the transfer sections, just allow for more time. If that implies fewer stages at a certain EWS stop, so be it. It seems to me both pedal assist as well as lift assist are mere patches for a problem that the enduro races as they are now are too demanding. It may be an unpopular call as it would make the sport less spectacular but then again, it is a sport first and foremost. Allow riders to show what they can actually do.
However I think we are looking at it through a variety of "puristic" persepctives. No matter what you do, you will find people disagreeing with each other how the format should look like and I am not just talking about Pinkbike commenters. There are surely racers and race organizers who will disagree with each other on that.
To me, the combination of descending skills and endurance is what makes it interesting (and the battery dulls down the endurance bit). With Enduro going downhill, and then e-DH, who will answer the ever-so-popular question of "who is the most well-rounded athlete, the XC racer, or the DH racer?" (similar to the bike-vs-horse race in the UK, or every kid's question: who will win, Batman or Spiderman?)
An EWS race should have at least 1300m of elevation gain without lifts for each day of racing, similar to what Finale EWS used to be back in the day.
If privateers can't keep up the pace, then they should train more or ride lower category enduro races, like EWS qualifiers. EWS should not be there to boost the ego of the average rider so they can brag about racing the EWS, it should be a world class league with the fittest people only taking part on it and lift assisted racing is not doing a favor to it.
For the record DH racers are strong as fk and don’t lag much behind XCers on Enduro comps. There was a local Enduro in my hometown and first stage was a 400-500vertical meters climb. Lukasick won it by a minute or something and I assure you there were many folks with XC background
The fact is that there are some fit DH riders, but you count them with the fingers of one hand.
I agree that doing several 5m descents is tiring but only when you have to gain the elevation by your own means, if you remove the climbing aspect, then it's not really that much endurance in it.
Considering the frenchies, I'd say "we are the center of the a*shole of the Universe anyway", so it's like having a third arm: it's not convenient but you can live with it.
Santé Bonheur!
I may be wrong on some of that as I have zero interest in EWS-E, but that's my (limited) understanding of it.
@Malky79 it's time to switch to your other account. For good.
@Malky79 before Cecile came Tracey Moseley and before Anne Caroline Chausson
Jan 2019 - Jan 2022 · 3 yrs 1 mo listed. Most folks put "Present" after the start date to indicate they are still in the job.
but no i guess it's too-long scripts for dumb mtb skits probably buoyed by those canadian cultural preservation laws that allowed nelly furtado
Or he's just burned out and has plans for a different direction but I like my fantasy canon more...
Chapeau, mon ami. Chapeau.
Any moped racing, who cares?!
Marketing wise it makes absolute sense for Trek to have 2 of the best U23's racing both disciplines.
Trek are following in the footsteps of GT and Pivot with multi discipline riders.
If you are fast at Dh, then you are fast at Dh2 (I mean Enduro)
Vali has never raced EWS and is arguably the best DH rider in the world.
Jamie (excluding two standout results) is a top 30 DHer and podiumed at all U21 EWS in 2020 prior to joining Trek.
There's only a handful of multi discipline riders, and none are in contention for World Cup wins.
I'd expect Vali to step straight into elites if she does actually appear at an EWS. She'd wipe the floor with u21s.
Martin Maes has entered the chat.
They kinda missed out on the whole eMTB thing