Women and Men Highlights | 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Championships

I think it's been quite a dream for a lot of us to have this first world champs. This is it, this is what you've been waiting for. I think it'll be a little bit of a different mindset just doing the one day event. I've been chasing a rainbow jersey for over 10 years, it's been a long time coming. I think it's really good for the sport. There will be an extra motivation. You're not only doing it for you then, you are doing it for your country. It's really an honor. I am riding for France. For Great Britain. United States. For France. For Poland. For Great Britain. For France. The rainbow jersey is like very special. Pretty insane to win. I really, really want one. I'd be lying if I said anything else. I have two world titles with the French team in trial. There's a lot of competition. Winning the rainbow jersey will be everything. Everyone is going to be extra motivated, anyone could be on top. I haven't been off the podium before so definitely a bit of pressure on myself. Send it a little more than usual, take some more risks. It would be amazing to win both the World Cup Series and the World Championships in the same year. I'll be kind of wanting to push it this year knowing that I probably have the speed. I want things to click here for me. I know I can go well here. Each stage is pretty different. It's something special, it's unique. Val di Fassa, I love this place. For me it's like proper enduro. What I love here is the diversity of the trails. Nice dirt and wood. The other side of the valley is a lot more bumpy. So some very technical sections. Definitely going to give it everything I got. Probably the most important race of the year. Welcome to the first ever UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships. Proudly hosted by the Val di Fassa Trentino region here in Italy, you could not pick a more special and iconic location for the first ever champs. We will crown our very first ever rainbow jerseys in Enduro and E-Enduro. There is so much weather on the cards with rain and snow for the next couple of days, which has forced some mandatory schedule changes. Regardless, the occasion is going to be spectacular. Let's check out the course that our riders have in store. Our course here in Val di Fassa will have five stages. Our first liaison of the day gets to our first gondola of the day to stage one. Our first stage, Titans, has been slightly modified. It will start lower down in the trees. A short liaison back up the hill to stage two, Glühwein. It will be wild and wet in there with so many technical corners. One of the shortest stages we have, but by far one of the most technical considering the conditions. Riders now liaise to stage three, Tutti Frutti, the famous. It now begins in the woods a little lower, but it will not be any easier. From stage three to stage four, Infinity SE. It is now starting below the upper start section in the Refugio. Technical, long, natural. It is our longest and most technical stage of the weekend. Our fifth and final stage, Chassettes. It's natural, it's loamy, it's rooty, and it will arrive our riders to the finish pole to wrap up our five stage. 33 kilometer, 1,950 meters of vertical descending course for the very first ever 2024 UCI Enduro World Championships. It's incredible to see 32 nations, 32 countries here in the Piazza in Valdefassa, over 200 riders. This weekend, we'll go down in the history books. There is only one first ever, and in Valdefassa this weekend, we will have the first ever official UCI World Championships of Enduro, and that's truly incredible. It's a true honor to officially declare the first ever, the 2024 UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Championship officially open. What a monumentous occasion. Pretty stoked. It's always a proud moment to put on the Silver Fern for New Zealand. Yeah, a bit nervous. I really hope to stay on the bike, but yeah, also really excited. It's going to be my last one. It's going to be a tough day, but just try and stay smooth and execute, and yeah, give it my all. Really excited for this race. There it goes. As the sun broke through the stormy clouds, the first time for tyres to meet dirt would be on the famous Titans. Fresh cut tracks mixed with plenty of rocks and roots. This would separate the best from the rest. UCI Enduro World Cup season overall winner, was surely a favorite to gain the beloved Rainbow Stripes. Feeling the pressure, she comes down in seventh place on stage one after a huge crash. Feeling the fire of an all-out one-day race, took fourth place on the first stage. But it was the French that dominated, with Morgane Shah in third and Melanie Pujan in second. Isabeau Couturier claiming this to be her last race, rode with her usual passion and commitment, and takes the first stage win. After a technical and slippery stage start, our elite women's field was led by French woman Isabeau Couturier, by over 12 seconds ahead of Pujan. Great Britain's Handan would have some time to find as she sits 30 seconds behind in seventh. Junior downhill world champion, takes on her first Enduro World Championship and rounds out the top 10 on the first stage of the day. Louis Jandel starts out with a top five on stage one, ahead of Callaghan in sixth. Great Britain's Corey Watson seemed to feel right at home with the slippery and muddy tracks, taking third at the first stage of the day. Ahead of Watson was a more familiar face, but despite illness throughout the week, Rude was charging and unfalted to claim second. The only one to provide an answer to Rude's reign is Frenchman Alex Rudeau, who takes the first stage win of the day. Just as our elite women's field struggled in the slippery conditions, our elite men's category was wide open. Alex Rudeau sits 3.5 seconds ahead of Richie Rude, but a surprise face. Great Britain's Corey Watson takes third, just 7.5 seconds behind Rude. Australia's Dan Booker comes home in fourth, just a second behind Watson. I had two big slams. Like smoke, my shoulders were pretty sore, but I mean, it was all right. A bit rough, but it's hard for everyone. Pretty hard, but it's pretty slick in places, a bit blown out in places, but it's good. Just a physical one to start the day. Gluwein would almost be the most technical test for our athletes today. The slippery conditions, the snow, and the roots would wreak havoc on our elite men's and elite women's field, and focus would be key. It was the shortest stage of the day, but by far the most technical. Shah seemed to struggle on this short and punchy stage and finishes eighth, losing almost 26 seconds. Great Britain's Ella Connolly and Harriet Harndon seem to be the only answer for the French reign, as Connolly takes fourth and Harndon in third. Taking second place is Melanie Pujan and Isabeau Corduria lays her claim to the throne with another stage win. Andriane Lanthier-Nadeau and Harriet Harndon switch places as Lanthier-Nadeau drops down to seventh and Harndon finds the speed and now sits in fourth, but she is still 43 seconds behind. The top three remain unchanged, with Shah and Pujan taking third and second respectively, and Corduria extending her lead to 18 seconds. Like Shah, Roode seemed to struggle on Gluwein, just managing eighth place. Just under eight seconds off the pace, Dan Booker beats his result on stage one and takes third. Corey Watson takes another impressive result on Gluwein with a second place, loving the slippery conditions. Alex Rudeau's skillset would shine through as he takes yet another stage victory. Continuing his great form, Ireland's Greg Callaghan now sits in fifth. Rudeau extends his lead by a further 10 seconds ahead of Rude and it was Watson in third, just two seconds behind. So slippery and so hard to keep a flow. Yeah, those two have been pretty messy, have to clean it up and find a bit more fun next year. Oh man, it's just ice everywhere. Really, really hard. Try to understand your bike for sure. You have to be careful on what you are riding and choose the right line. And it's also super physical. And with the cold, you don't know how to manage it. It's good. It's slippery everywhere. I'm just trying to hold on to it. With high winds and epic amounts of snow, they had to shorten Tutti Frutti. The new stage start would favour riders' technical ability. At just 1.7 kilometres long, they would have to step on the gas from the get-go. After a dominant stage one and two, Corduria would falter on the third stage of the day and takes fifth, losing eight seconds. Shah maintains her consistency, taking fourth. And in third place, we have Ella Connolly. Another Brit in the top three. Handan, determined to keep her name in the battle, takes second. But taming the Tutti Frutti beast would be Melanie Pujan. With a stage win, Melanie Pujan gains eight seconds over Isabeau Corduria, with her lead being tested. They just sit 10 seconds apart. Shah holds on to third, almost 40 seconds behind Corduria. Handan and Connolly round out the top five. After spectacular stage two results for Watson and Booker, they would seem to struggle on stage three, taking 10th and 11th, respectively. Yet, to find his pace for a stage win in the harsh conditions, Rude battles home for fifth. On the other side of the coin, Callaghan would thrive, feeling right at home, taking fourth. Louis Jandel quietly keeps his consistency, taking third place ahead of Canada's Jack Menzies, with his best stage results so far in second. But making it three from three stage victories would be Alex Rudeau, with his eyes firmly set on that world champion's jersey. A falter on stage three would prove costly for Watson as he drops down to sixth place, leaving the door open for Callaghan and Jandel to take fourth and third, respectively. Rude remains in second, almost 20 seconds, behind the so far dominant Alex Rudeau. It's hard to, like, ride well when you're so tired, but, yeah, not my best work, but good enough. I feel like I got cooked on this one. So physical, so much pedalling. I was, like, almost tired, but maybe a little too conservative on the pedal. I had a couple big mistakes, but I'm just trying to survive right now. Like, yeah, struggling to stay in the mix a little bit. Yeah, this one was better. I really messed up stage two, so it's a bit annoying. I went off track a few times. Stage four is our longest stage of the day, and with the dramatic weather conditions, the mud and the slippery routes would wreak havoc throughout our field. Handan would unusually falter on the longest stage of the day, In fourth, Ella Connelly is still fighting hard to get on that podium. Shah takes another third place, and Codurier relents to fellow Frenchwoman Melanie Pujan. Melanie steps on the gas hard on stage four, knowing how important it is to take the stage win, putting her toe-to-toe with Codurier. Just one stage remains. The unicorn Isabeau Codurier leads by just 7.5 seconds. Pujan follows closely behind in second, with Shah leaving a lengthy gap over 30 seconds behind. Connelly and Handan rounding out the top five, separated by 0.1 of a second. Stage four would claim Corey Watson as he manages 16th place, leaving in his wake a powerful Louis Jandel. Determined to join his fellow countrymen in the podium, he takes fourth. Richie Rude, not weakened by the battle or the illness, holds on to third. Just four seconds behind the lead, Dan Booker crosses the line on infinity SE with second. Rudeau would go on to make it four from four, with yet another victory on stage four. As we head into the final stage, the results look like this. Callaghan moves down to fifth place, overtaken by Dan Booker. Louis Jandel holds fast and remains in third, and Richie Rude would have some time to find on the final stage. He sits almost 25 seconds behind an unrelenting Rudeau, who claims four from four victories so far. The final stage here in Val di Fassa Trentino would be Chassettis. Plenty of routes, plenty of physical pedalling sections. This would determine our first ever UCI Enduro World Champions. I'm stoked with how the day's been going so far. I just kind of want to get through this one nice and smooth and finish well. I'm ready. I'm not too tired so far, so I'm ready to push hard in that one. Yeah, trying to give my all, and it's been hard to kind of push and feel fast. A bit nervous and excited at the same time because it's going to be my last stage for a while. So I just want to give my best and have some good riding, some good smooth line and yeah. After a long physical day in the mountains, Connelly would take home seventh on the final stage with fellow countryman Handen in fifth. Shah would succumb to the pressure, pushing after crash after crash, claiming eighth on the final stage of the day. Rudeau rides with confidence, arriving in third, spreading her from the lead, pushes. She crosses the line with a second place on Chassettes. With the pressure mounting, Cordurier would be the last rider to drop. No stranger to having all eyes on her, she rides smoothly and confidently, crossing the line in the town of Canizet to take the last stage win of the day and with it, the victory. And a true fairytale ending for the incredible Isabeau Cordurier. Ten years after her first enduro race, she takes home the inaugural Rainbow Stripes at the first ever UCI Enduro World Championships. Fellow Frenchwoman Melanie Pujan and Morgane Shah join her on the podium in second and third respectively. Feels really good, especially to share the podium with Melanie and Isa, like the French girls, yeah. Feels amazing and yeah, I'm really happy. An amazing day for me. Everything was perfect, it was so nice to see Isa and Morgane with the same t-shirt, it was so, so cool. So it's an amazing day, so I'm so happy. I really like worked super hard on my mental this week to really deliver a performance that I can be proud of here and it was a true fight with the conditions, the snow, everything. And I just kept, you know, like focusing on just ride, stay true to yourself, just ride like you know you can and it paid off and I mean, how could I finish my career on a better note than a full French podium with Melanie and Morgane? I'm just like so happy. Greg Callaghan would maintain his incredible form, taking third place on the final stage, just six seconds back, taking over the hot seat from Dan Booker, who finishes fifth. Richie Rude takes second place, hoping it would be enough to hold on to his podium spot. Receding after the final stage would mean current leader Alex Rideau would be the final rider to drop. He rode with the crowd in his ears and a fire in his belly and would take fourth place on the stage, relenting the final stage to Louis Jandel, who conquers Chassettis with a first place. The final results are in. Richie Rude would falter and the final hurdle dropping from silver to bronze, overtaken by Frenchman Louis Jandel, who in the final stage takes just over two seconds from the American. With four out of five stage wins, Alex Rudeau would cross the line almost 23 seconds ahead, claiming the UCI Enduro World Champion jersey. It was a tough day, like kind of battled, I guess, like the conditions out there and like I wasn't feeling, I guess, super great on the tracks, but yeah, results was there. I was in second place most of the day and man, it was pretty heartbreaking to come down in the second on the last one and up third overall and yeah, that was super tough, but I mean, to be on the podium on the first ever World Championships for Enduro is pretty special and yeah, it feels good. I broke my scaphoid during the season, I missed Leogang and tried to give everything to back on my best level and I was thinking about this race and just try to put everything together and it worked, so it's crazy. So happy to finally find it and wow, it's crazy. It's just amazing. I dream about it for so long, so yeah, my first individual World Champion jersey, so yeah, I'm super proud of me, of the team, all the work that we've done, and my coach, everything. I think the key moment was before the event. To be prepared well and to have the mentality to be here on the day. We have just crowned our first ever Enduro and E-Enduro World Champions here in the Dolomites of the Val di Fassa Trentino region of Italy. These four athletes, by my side, have created history today in an event that we will remember for a lifetime. Thank you so much for watching. Congratulations to our four brand new World Champions and we will see you trackside. We did it!