Finale Ligure: Probably the most epic city, setting and trails for enduro racing. So many historic EWS moments and memories have been made here in Italy, and this year the opener for the EDR World Cup was no different. Richie Rude (Yeti Cycles) is the reigning overall Elite Men’s Champion going into the 2024 season, and Finale Ligure was the perfect place to make a statement that he still is the man to beat.
Race day took place on Saturday with five stages and a course length of over 35 miles with 8,400 feet of descending on tap. Riders were shuttled up close to the first stage and then had to make tight liaisons via pedal power the rest of the day. Ella Conolly (Cannondale Bikes) started Maxxis’ 2024 EDR season with a podium, coming in third on the Elite Women’s podium. Rae Morrison (Liv Racing) was about 25 seconds behind her and finished fifth.
The Elite Men’s race was also tight after five stages with athletes constantly changing positions until the last stage. At the end of the day, it would be Richie Rude on top once again, reclaiming his leader’s jersey in the overall points race. Martin Maes (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) also started his year strong with third place on the podium. Richie’s teammate Slawomir Lukasik (Yeti Cycles) proved 2023 was not a fluke and continues to be a podium threat, slotting into fifth.
On Sunday, the E-EDR took place with nine stages on the day. Flo Espineira (Orbea Fox Enduro Team) powered through a long day on the bike to take first place in the Women’s race. The Orbea Wild equipped with the Maxxis Assegai and DHR II tires proved to be the winning combo, and Flo heads into the next round with the number one plate and the leader’s jersey.
The first round of the 2024 EDR World Cup proved to be a massive success for Maxxis, and we can’t wait to see everyone in Poland for Round two!