Enduro
Rally Team Overall Podium
After seven rounds of incredible racing we're massively proud of our young Rocky Mountain Urge bp Rally Team for taking 2nd in the Team category of the Enduro World Series.
The last round in Finale Ligure was super rocky, with striking mediterranean views everywhere. The team held it together to finish the season strong!
Thanks to Florian Nicolaï, Alexandre Cure, Jesse Melamed, and Isabeau Courdurier for absolutely smashing it this year, as well as Lilian, Nico, Peter, Maurian, Jordan, and everyone else who was part of this effort. Huge thanks especially to Fred Glo, as well as Chris Ball for a great season of racing.
The team could not have done this without the steadfast support of its sponsors. Thanks to:
Urge Bike Products, Shimano, Maxxis, Stan's NoTubes, Fox Racing Shox, Raceface, Royal Racing, 7 IDP, WTB, Smith Optics, Cane Creek, e13, Honey Stinger, Kicking Horse, FTI Consulting, and Val d'Allos.
Photos by Matt Wragg, whose images have kept us in awe of enduro racing all year.
Altitude Sickness — Highs & Lows at EWS #5: Winter Park, Colorado
Photography by Matt Wragg. Words by Isabeau Courdurier.
After a season opener in Chile and several races in Europe, the Enduro World Series traveled to the North American continent. At over 10 000 feet of elevation in Winter Park, Colorado, this race promised to be one of the most physically challenging races of the season. Having endured nearly 36 hours of travel hell, the Rocky Mountain Urge bp Rally Team got back together in Denver, but without bikes. Three days before a race, that’s cutting it a little too close for comfort, and the Denver airport had several very pissed off Frenchies in it.
Once in Winter Park, we met the rest of the team: Peter from Alaska, Jordan from Whistler, and Francesco from Chile. Eventually our bikes arrived.
Friday
Warming up normally gives you an idea of how painful a race is going to be, and I was already worried for Stage 1. This flat stage was a massacre for me! The rest of the guys struggled as well, with only Flo and Jesse ranking in the top 30.
On the more technical Stage 2 we made up some time, but at the end of the day our results were still disappointing: Flo in 16th, Jesse in 21st, and Alex and Peter both needing to push harder to break into the top 50.
Saturday
Stage 3 began with a steeper, rocky section that suited me quite well, but it was followed by a long, flat, pedal section where I struggled to maintain the gains I had made. Stage 4 was very short, with no climbs, and I earned my first stage podium of the season - 3rd!
It’s hard to breathe at this altitude, and the terrain is very different from what we are used to racing. While Jesse had a solid day—9th, 14th, and 6th—, both Flo and Alex struggled to maintain their form.
By Stage 5, we were all exhausted. Alex crashed because he “saw two trees when there was only one,” and I slipped back to 7th place on the stage. Despite this, we improved our results as a team today, the toughest day of the race.
Sunday
Stage 6 was a controversial one for racers. Lots of us felt that the flat, smooth, XC course at 10 000 feet was not up to the standard that has been set by the many excellent EWS stages this year. Already out of my element, I missed some tape and ended up going off-course, costing me even more time on this stage. Everyone else was able to push through and maintain their positions.
Finally, the 7th and final stage of the weekend was on Trestle Downhill—by far the most technical and aggressive stage of the weekend! Definitely the best way to end the race. We all have solid runs, with Flo taking 6th, Jesse 10th, Alex 18th, and Jordan 30th. I was really happy with my 7th place on the stage.
After a brutal weekend, our Canadian Jesse was the fastest on the team here with a well-deserved 15th place overall. Going forward it’s clear that our young team needs to strengthen itself to threaten the podium when the races are physical, especially at altitude. We are also gaining experience of how to manage energy and maximize time gains.
Next, we visit Jesse’s hometown of Whistler to enjoy some of the best riding in the world. These two weeks there are going to be full of adventures and fun times, and we’re all looking forward to the Crankworx stop of the Enduro World Series!
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The team rides the Rocky Mountain Altitude MSL Rally Edition, with Shimano components and footwear, Maxxis tires, Stan's NoTubes wheels, Fox premium suspension, and Raceface cockpits. The team wears Urge bp Archi Enduro and Endur-O-Matic helmets, and is also supported by the following key sponsors: Royal Racing Clothing, 7 IDP Protection, WTB Saddles, Smith Optics, Cane Creek headsets, e13 chainguides, Honey Stinger energy gels, Kicking Horse coffee, FTI Consulting, and Val d'Allos ski resort.
Rally Team Heats Up in Chile
First Enduro World Series race, first podium for our new Rocky Mountain Urge bp Rally Team!
The team traveled to Chile for the first EWS of the season with optimism. Our French riders Florian Nicolai, Isabeau Courdurier, and Alex Cure were joined by Canadian Jesse Melamed to battle it out with the world's best on Chilean soil. After two days of racing on some of the most unique and beautiful trails we've ever seen, Florian put down a blistering last stage to pass Martin Maes for 3rd place in the Overall category behind Jerome Clementz and Jared Graves!
The final results for the team were:
- Florian Nicolai — 3rd Overall
- Isabeau Courdurier — 5th Overall
- Alex Cure — 7th Overall
- Jesse Melamed — 30th Overall (coming back strong after several crashes!)
The team was aboard the Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally Edition, with Shimano components and footwear, Maxxis tires, Stan's NoTubes wheels, Fox premium suspension, and Raceface cockpits. The team wore the Urge bp Archi Enduro and Endur-O-Matic helmets. The team is also supported by the following key sponsors: Royal Racing Clothing, 7 IDP Protection, WTB Saddles, Smith Optics, Cane Creek headsets, e13 chainguides, Honey Stinger energy gels, Kicking Horse coffee, FTI Consulting, and Val d'Allos ski resort.
Congrats to all involved and we'll see you in Scotland for Round 2 of the Enduro World Series.
Photos by Matt Wragg.
Rocky Mountain – Urge bp Rally Team
Rocky Mountain Bicycles has joined forces with Urge Bike Products to launch the ROCKY MOUNTAIN – URGE bp RALLY TEAM, a dedicated Enduro World Series race team for 2014. This new team of 4 riders is grounded in the successes of both URGE bp and Rocky Mountain's previous Enduro team efforts at the French, North American, and Enduro World Series levels.
- Florian Nicolai (Age: 20) — 13th overall in the 2013 EWS, 3rd overall in the 2013 Enduro Series French Cup
- Jesse Melamed (Age: 21) — 6th at the 2013 Whistler EWS
- Alex Cure (Age: 20) — 19th overall in the 2013 EWS, and winner of the first ever EWS stage (Punta Ala, IT)
- Isabeau Courdurier (Age:19) — 2013 Enduro Series French Cup Winner, and 4th women at the 2013 Val d'Isère EWS
The team will be aboard the Rocky Mountain Altitude 770 MSL Rally Edition, with Shimano components and footwear, Maxxis tires, Stan's NoTubes wheels, Fox premium suspension, and Raceface cockpits. The team will wear the Urge bp Archi Enduro and Endur-O-Matic helmets. The team is also supported by the following key sponsors:
Royal Racing Clothing, 7 IDP Protection, WTB Saddles, Smith Optics, Cane Creek headsets, e13 chainguides, Honey Stinger energy gels, Kicking Horse coffee, FTI Consulting, and Val d'Allos ski resort.
We are also excited to announce a Development Program under the ROCKY MOUNTAIN – URGE bp RALLY TEAM program, helping grow the future of Enduro racing. This program is aimed at North American and European Enduro riders looking to get to the EWS level of racing. Development riders will be racing their local enduro events, with a chance to get additional race experience at various EWS events throughout the year. Maurian Marnay (FR) and Antonin Gourgin (FR), among others, will be part of the 2014 Development Program.
Altitude Rally Edition Wins "Race Ready" Award from Enduro Magazine
With equipment we would trust to succeed in any enduro race, [the Altitude 770 MSL] creates an advantage due to technology — true to the motto "I am faster than you." — Enduro Mountainbike Magazine
The Altitude Enduro Team Tastes Enduro World Series Racing
The Rocky Mountain Altitude Enduro Team is fresh off its first Enduro World Cup race at Winter Park, Colorado.
The team of Jesse Melamed (21, Whistler, BC), Kevin Soller (25, Breckenridge, CO), and Peter Ostroski (24, Intervale, NH) is captained and mentored by Olympian and Canadian cycling icon Andreas Hestler. They’ve landed several top ten finishes in the North American Enduro series’, and their sights are firmly on the North American Enduro World Series events.
The Colorado Freeride Festival, held at the Trestle Bike Park, played host to the first ever Enduro World Series event in North America. With 151 pro men taking the line, including experienced professionals from Europe, this was a rigorous test for the Altitude Enduro Team’s young development riders.
Five timed stages ranging in time from 5 to 11 minutes put the riders through rough, rocky descents and over bike park jump trails at an elevation of over 10, 000 feet. Dark thunderclouds peppered day one with hail, and the daily heavy showers kept the stages tacky, difficult, and yet super fun.
“After racing as an individual for the last couple of years, I am stoked to be part of a fresh new team. Being part of something that we do as a collective just keeps the riding fun”. — Kevin Soller
“This event showed me that I can be competitive on an international level, and doing it at the first World Cup in North America, wow! I’m motivated to grow with this new discipline and can’t wait for the next one in Whistler.” — Peter Ostroski
Jesse Melamed posted some impressive results with a 16th, 18th, and a 23rd, but the flat tire on stage 3A cost him a crack at the overall top 20. Peter Ostroski was consistent all weekend long with a 38th overall. Kevin Soller crashed hard on stage one and gained ground all weekend long to finish a respectable 71st.
With Round 5 of the Enduro World Series in Whistler BC only two weeks away, the team is looking forward to some competition on home soil. Feeling comfortable pushing World Cup speeds and knowing that they can mix it up with the top racers in the world will provide even more confidence heading into the later part of the season.
The Rocky Mountain Altitude Enduro Team is presented by Shimano, Kazlaw, DLD Financial and BC Bike Race. The team rides Rocky Mountain Altitude bikes equipped with Shimano, Fox, Race Face, DT Swiss, and Continental componentry, and wears Sombrio clothing and Ryders eyewear.
Race photography courtesy Brad Torchia and Trestle Bike Park. Team photography by Margus Riga.