History was made at Val di Fassa Trentino, Italy, when French riders took a clean sweep of all four races at the 2024 UCI Enduro and E-Enduro World Championships. Isabeau Courdurier and Alex Rudeau were crowned the first ever UCI Enduro World Champions, while Estelle Charles and Kevin Miquel won the rainbow bands for UCI E-enduro.
Men Enduro: Rudeau leads the way
Stage 1 of 5 (Titans, 2km, 420m descent) saw Alex Rudeau pull out an advantage of 3.5 sec over Richie Rude (USA), with Martin Maes (BEL) third at +9.5 sec. Sławomir Łukasik (POL) was 20 sec further back and Jesse Melamed (CAN) +24. The field of 133 men from 28 nations was missing Charles Murray (NZL) due to illness.
Rudeau also bossed stage 2 (Glühwein 1.20km, -194m), then made it three in a row (TuttiFrutti, 1.70km, -208m), extending his overall advantage. Stage 4 (Infinity SE, 2.40km, -370m) cemented Rudeau’s position. Ahead of the final stage, his overall lead was almost 25 sec over Rude, and 29 sec over his fellow Frenchman Louis Jeandel with Australia’s Daniel Booker only 1.5 sec further back. On the final stage (Ciasates, 1.40km, -244m), Rudeau made it stick. His time of 21:54.131 earned him the historic rainbow stripes. Jeandel was a surprise silver medalist (+22.860), having overhauled Rude’s advantage. The American finished with the bronze medal (+24.261).
Women Enduro: Courdurier heads French 1-2-3
Among the 45 women (19 nations) it was no surprise that 2023 UCI World Cup overall winner Isabeau Courdurier was strongest on stage 1, ahead of fellow Frenchwomen Mélanie Pugin and Morgane Charre. The two Britons Ella Conolly and Harriet Harnden (2024 UCI World Cup overall winner) were at +30 and +34 sec respectively.
Courdurier extended her advantage on stage 2 before Pugin was quickest on stage 3 with the two Brits closest to her (both at around 3.5 sec), followed by Charre and Courdurier at 5.5 and 7.5 sec respectively. It meant that with two stages to go Courdurier’s lead over Pugin was only 10 seconds, and a little under 40 sec to Charre and Harnden.
Pugin was quickest again on the penultimate stage, narrowing the gap to 7 sec. The British pair dropped more seconds. An all-French podium was in the making. On the final stage, Courdurier went fastest to claim the rainbow jersey in a total time of 26:24.168. She topped the all-French podium ahead of Pugin (+11.003) and Charre (+1:01.854).
Men E-enduro: Dailly starts strongly but Miquel reigns
Among the 36 men from 13 nations, Frenchman Adrien Dailly headed the field after stage 1 of 9 stages (Titans), 3.3 sec ahead of his compatriot Kevin Marry, with Italy’s Andrea Garibbo third (+6.7). Hugo Pigeon, winner of the most recent UCI World Cup in Loudenvielle, France, was +9 sec with Australia’s Ryan Gilchrist – 2024 UCI World Cup overall winner – and Portugal’s José Borges both around +19 sec.
Marry was fastest on power stage 2 (Bridge 72, 0.25km, 45m) with Gilchrist at +1.7-sec, Garibbo +1.9-sec, and Pigeon +12. Dailly was quickest on stage 3 (Glühwein), followed by Pigeon and Johannes Fischback (GER). Miquel was quickest on stages 4 and 5, Garibbo took power stage 6 before Miquel impressed again on stage 7 (Infinity SE) in front of Pigeon and another Frenchman, Damien Oton. With two stages remaining, Dailly held the overall by just 6.290 sec from Miquel, Garibbo and Marry, with Pigeon +25.863 and Gilchrist +32.751.
Gilchrist clawed some time back on power stage 8 (Becherle 0.20km, 10m) as Pigeon dropped more, before Miquel took the final stage (Ciasates).
It meant that Kevin Miquel won the rainbow bands in 29:02.250 ahead of Garibbo (+6.221) and Marry (+13.597). Gilchrist and Pigeon finished 4th and 5th respectively.
Women E-enduro: Charles confirms French coronation
France’s Estelle Charles – winner of the most recent UCI World Cup round – pulled out a 24-sec gap after stage 1, over Raphaela Richter (GER), followed by Tracy Moseley (GBR), George Swift (NZL) and Chile’s Florencia Espiñeira Herreros (2024 UCI World Cup overall winner).
It was a Charles, Richter, Espiñeira Herreros 1-2-3 on stages 2 and 3 before Moseley was quickest on stage 4 (ahead of Espiñeira, Charles and Richter).
Espiñeira was best on Stages 5, 6 and 7 (ahead of Charles each time, with Swift and Moseley picking up third places), before Charles re-claimed 3 seconds on the penultimate stage, leaving her with a substantial 34.9-sec advantage. Richter picked up the final stage win, and although Espiñeira Herreros clawed back almost 3 seconds, Charles had already done the work!
Charles won the rainbow bands in 34:14.036 with Espiñeira Herreros second (+32.460) and Richter third.