As you all know it’s been a wet and wild week for the UK, not least around Dirt HQ in Monmouth. We’ve had seals swimming upstream, mountain bikers floating down, and journalists floating the hell out of here to the warmer climes of Chile. Our roving reporter Steve Jones is out at the Andes Pacifico race in South America along with Hope’s Adam Brayton and a whole host of pro riders and industry types. Jealous? We certainly are.
Title photo: Stevie Smith by Sven Martin.
Anyway, let’s take a delve into the world of Dirt and the happenings of the last week.
1: Team Norco International expands
While our own team has moved to pastures new for the 2014 season (with Orange coming on-board as title sponsor), Norco has upped its factory race team to include Italian huck machine and National DH Champion Lorenzo Suding and Norweigan National DH Champion Isak Leivsson.
Lorenzo Suding.
The new team riders will join existing members Jill Kintner and Bryn Atkinson, who have been with the brand since 2012.
2: 2014 Superenduro dates
2: 2014 Superenduro datesIf you like the idea of enduro racing, fancy a bit of a holiday, and can’t imagine yourself racing in the full-blown Enduro World Series, it could be worth checking out the dates for the Italian Superenduro series. Sunshine, amazing courses, and Italian food… what are you waiting for?
Superenduro Pro
PRO1 5-6 April Superenduro PRO Sestri Levante (GE)
PRO2 10-11 May Superenduro PRO Punta Ala (GR)
PRO3 28-29 June Superenduro PRO Madesimo (SO)
PRO4 6-7 September Superenduro PRO Sauze d’Oulx (TO)
Superenduro experience
EX1 23-March Superenduro Experience – Enduro dei Lupi- Coggiola (BI)
EX2 04-May Superenduro Experience – Enduro Day – Priero (CN)
EX3 18-May Superenduro Experiance – Enduro Cicli Porciatti – Gracciano Comune
Colle di Val d’Elsa (SI)
EX4 25-May Superenduro Experience – San Piero in Bagno (FC)
EX5 01-June Superenduro Experience – Enduro dei Tre Fiumi – Cartosio (AL)
EX6 15-June Superenduro Experience – Premilcuore (FC)
EX7 22-June Superenduro Experience – Tuscia Enduro – Viterbo (VT)
EX8 20-July Superenduro Experience – Enduro dei Forti Colle di Nava (IM)
EX9 03-August Superenduro Experience – Pragelato (TO)
EX10 14-September Superenduro Experience – Palazzuolo sul Senio (FI)
EX11 26-October Superenduro Experience – Portofino Bike – Santa Margherita
Ligure (GE)
3: Entries open for Tweedlove Enduro World Series event
Next week entries will go live for the first Enduro World Series race to be held on UK soil, and you had better get entered fast if you want to be part of the action. Taking place at the mountain bike festival that is Tweedlove in the Scottish Borders, the race promises a tough course with tech, tight Scottish trails to put even the world’s best riders to the test.
Crawford Carrick-Anderson racing last year’s Tweedlove Enduro.
Entries open next week for the biggest enduro the UK has ever seen, the Enduro World Series at TweedLove. Public entries for the race open next Wednesday (February 19) and despite there being 600 places available, the event is expected to sell out in minutes … Entries for the Santa Cruz TweedLove World Enduro presented by Sweet Protection open at 1700 GMT on Wednesday, February 19 through www.enduroworldseries.com
4: Aaron Gwin winning early
Onboard with Aaron Gwin at Fontana.
Aaron Gwin has been putting his poor 2013 season behind him by way of winter races at home in the US. Last weekend he won the latest Fontana DH race on his full-blown DH bike, which by all accounts is a tad overkill and pretty much a disadvantage on the pedally course.
5: What wheels ya got butt?
Part one.
Our bike tester Steve Jones has been interrogating the CRC/Nukeproof team, who were down our local haunt, Pedalabikeaway in the Forest of Dean, testing out a 27.5” prototype bike in preparation for the opening round of the UCI DH World Cup on the fast and pedally South African track in Pietermaritzburg. Check out our exclusive look at the bike in above and below:
Part 2.
