Maes and Courdurier double up at Derby EWS
Kasper Woolley finds podium in U21, while Rocky Mountain / Race Face all make top-10 in Tasmania
The second round of Enduro World Series racing saw repeat winners in elite, and Canadian’s squeeze on to the final step of the podium in Under-21 and masters events.
All three Rocky Mountain / Race Face riders made the top-10, with Whistler’s Jesse Melamed becoming the first rider to finish even a single stage faster than a flying Martin Maes. Squamish’s Remi Gauvin nearly made the podium for the overall, while Andréanne Lanthier Nadeau and Miranda Miller both landed in the top-10 in Tasmania.
Courdurier corners the top-step of the women’s podium
Isabeau Courdurier (Intense-Mavic Collective) started her domination in Derby right from Stage 1, winning the opening “Queen Stage” and earning bonus points that for her efforts. The French rider would go on to win three of the six stages, and win with a comanding 22 second lead for her second consecutive EWS win.
Jill Kintner, the multiple-time Queen of Crankworx, made a strong impression in Derby, taking stage wins in two of the six stages. Kintner has announced she’ll be switching her focus from the Crankworx series to the Enduro World Series this season.
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The two Canadian women racing in Tasmania both landed inside the top-10. Andréanne Lanthier Nadeau (Rocky Mountain / Race Face) moved up one spot from her finish a week earlier in Rotorua to take fifth in Derby. Miranda Miller stayed steady in 10th for her new home at Kona Factory Racing.
Maes makes it two in a row
Like Courdurier, Martin Maes (GT Factory Racing) started his weekend with a win on the “Queen Stage” and didn’t look back. The Belgian, who has been moving between EWS and World Cup downhill podium appearances with ease, won four of the six stages in Tasmania. After racing to a perfect stage sweep a week earlier in Rotorua, New Zealand, Maes looked in control all weekend on his 29″/27.7″ mis-matched GT.
Whistler’s Jesse Melamed (Rocky Mountain / Race Face) was the first rider in 2019 to beat Maes out for a stage win, laying down the fastest time on Stage 5. While Melamed landed the one stage win, he would finish his weekend in eighth. His teammate, Squamish’s Remi Gauvin would turn a consistent weekend into a fourth overall. Gauvin was third on three of six stages, putting him just two second off Connor Fearon’s (Kona Factory Team) third place time.
McKay Vezina (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) rode out an injury in practice to finish 42nd in Derby, while upcoming B.C. rider Max Leyen finished 46th. Squamish’s Rhys Verner (Kona Factory Racing) ended up 50th.
Podiums in Under-21 and Masters Men
Kasper Woolley started his EWS season with a ninth in New Zealand. A week later, the under-21 rider was on the podium, taking third in Tasmania. While France’s Antoine Vidal would win all but one stage, Woolley was just 2.48 seconds off second place finisher Roly Kyme, and 18 seconds behind Vidal. Jacob Tooke (NCES Development Team) finished 18th.
Jeff Beeston, owner of Courtenay, B.C.’s Trail Bicycles, was third in the Masters 40+ Men’s race, behind France’s Lionel Sequera and Karim Amour. Combined with his fourth last week in Rotorua, Beeston is now second in the series overall.
