Speaker: There have been some riders in the history of gravity mountain biking that do
it like no one else.
When they're in their full flow, it looks so good.
Someone like Nicolas Vouilloz or Anne-Caroline Chausson, that pursuit of perfection and pure
speed or the brutish power and skill of someone like Chris Kovarik or Nathan Rennie, great
mountain bikers come in all different shapes and sizes and styles, dynamic or composed.
In this video, we’re going to look at some of the rider styles of the Enduro World Series,
why they look so different and why they can be so effective.
[music] Richie Rude, this guy is built like a brick
[inaudible 00:01:17] house and strong as an ox.
He pretty much just bulldozes anything that’s put in front of him.
You might think that being a bulkier rider might throttle him back on some of those longer
endurance stages, but it's just not so.
After he came second at Winter Park Colorado 2014 in his debut EWS season.
He's been a force to be reckoned with and subsequently on the 2015 and 16 EWS overall.
Richie has proved his style works, while others may back off in certain sections so he can
get through, he just goes hell for leather and charges as hard as he can.
However, this can be his downfall.
For example, last season 2019 Les Orres, one of the tightest races in EWS history.
He lost out to Eddie Masters, with a margin of 0.94 seconds.
Richie had two big over the bars moments on stage two and three, although he did still
win stage two.
However, it is that lost time that cost him that race win.
Hey, that's racing, you've got to stay on your bike, but Richie does have plenty of
wins to his name, 12 in fact.
[music] Isabeau, maybe one of the smallest racers
on the circuit but boy does she make up for it with speed.
Last year in 2019, she made a clean sweep, winning all races.
The second woman to do that in as many years.
Apparently, Isabeau looks into every single detail of bike setup to make sure it's working
as well as it possibly can to be the smoothest ride for her.
She's aggressive with her riding, pedaling where she needs to and attacking the rough
sections, leaning off the back, and letting go of the brakes.
At the Madeira round of 2019, there was a wide variety of trails from [unintelligible
00:02:50] gamble line to fast technical downhills, she didn't bat an eyelid and went full gas.
Again, like all the others, there’s an underlying trait of Isabeau's riding.
Her ruthlessness when it comes to racing, she's a super committed and driven rider.
[music] Calm and collected in manner off the bike,
economical but deadly on it.
Watching Sam Hill ride in slow motion, and you could be mistaken for it looking a bit,
well, undramatic, until that is you notice the earth shredding to bits underneath his
red hot tire that's begging for mercy.
Movement might be kept to a minimum but that is because Sam Hill is precisely on the right
piece of dirt, all the time.
Why would he bother twisting his hips or angling his elbow if he was exactly on the inch of
deep precise he meant to be on.
That's for try hards and for losers.
Interestingly, Sam Hill approaches practice much more cautiously and actually spends his
time looking for the lines that when it comes to race day we'll get him the points.
Over the years of racing downhill at Enduro World Series, his instincts have become red
hot.
Often there are Sam Hill only lines, his signature moves are inside lines, and making the unrideable
rideable.
How he picks and remembers all those lines from all those stages after just one run of
practice is probably his biggest skill.
Once race day rolls around his years of honing that racecraft takeover.
He's conservative when he needs to be and deadly when it matters the most.
His three downhill World Championships and three EWS overalls tell you everything you
need to know about the man.
He’s as fast as they come.
Whilst we didn't get to see Cecile in 2019, due to an injury.
She is one of the most consistent riders on the circuit, having not been out of the top
five in every race she’s done since 2013.
Having won the overalls back in 2016 and 17 narrowly missing out on perfect seasons with
just one second-place both years.
2018 she finally did it winning every single round, pure dominance.
She's won a few races to come to Enduro from a successful cross country career, actually
having three podium places at XC Eliminator, where four riders went bar to bar on a short
course.
Don't let Cecil's consistency fool you into thinking she's a steady rider.
Her commitment to speed is impressive and it really shines in natural tack terrain.
She never slows down, hurtling to stage after stage win, and ultimately race wins.
Hard-charging is name of the game.
[music] Martin is a rider that has no chill.
His smooth style and effortless precision means he's one of the top riders of the EWS.
While some riders go slow to checkout lines, Martin hits most tracks are race pace.
This may help him come race day so that he knows this speed for corners and sections
and helps him gauge where not to overcook sections.
It's safe to say that the 23-year-old has some serious talent and speed and will remain
one of the riders to watch in the next few years.
Wild loose, a never scared, go big this, Canadian rider is always full gas.
Jesse has a very aggressive compact style hanging off the back but still very precise
in his lines.
Winner of the 2017 Whistler EWS, he's proven his speed.
A more committed rider it's hard to find.
Pure speed and technical ability are apparent.
Consistency, it's not quite there.
You won't find a quicker rider to pick the bike back up off the ground and fully commit.
Crashes and injuries are unfortunately part of the game, but if Jesse minimizes these,
he'll be a threat at any ride of the EWS. [music]
The 26-year-old Frenchman narrowly missed out on the 2019 EWS overall by the tightest
of margins.
Consistency is this guy's middle name.
What's it take to be consistent?
Commitment to fitness, technical riding ability, mechanical sympathy, the list goes on.
The tall rangy Frenchman hails from a small town in the south of France, just outside
of Nice.
This area of France has produced some of the greats over the years: Fabien Burrell, Nicolas
Vouilloz, Loïc Bruni are names that come to mind.
Maybe it's just me, but I think you can see some of that influence in Florian's style.
Some of that aggression of Fabian over the years and some of that agility of Nico.
His tall frame helps him soak up the terrain, pumping, ducking, and diving his way down.
France is home to some of the most technical race stages in the world and when the tracks
get tight and twisty, Florian still looks just as good.
Watch out for this man when racing rolls around again.
[music] Now, from an EWS regular to a part-timer,
Sam Blenkinsop is a downhill racer by trade but has been dabbling at Enduro.
It doesn't matter what bike this guy is on.
He has his unique style.
Since racing the first-ever EWS at Punta Ala back in 2013, he's raced a number of times
and never dropped out of the top 20.
In fact, he's had a few podiums.
His flicky racy style makes Blenki one of the most interesting racers to watch, and
it obviously works for him as the results prove.
While some racers almost look economical with their style to save some energy, Blenki throws
everything at the wall, peddling, pumping, and moving the bike around to get every single
ounce of speed from his bike and the trail.
[music] There you go.
There's a few of the most amazing and actually most effective styles on the EWS circuit.
I guess, other notables to mention people like Cody Kelly, Lago Garay, Wyn Masters,
super stylish riders as well.
Don't forget to check out some more of our EWS videos on the channel and hopefully, we'll
get to see these guys and girls racing later on in the year.
Bye.
Catch you soon.
[00:08:36] [END OF AUDIO]